For the body to produce energy and maintain a healthy life, biochemical reactions must occur constantly within the body. This whole process is known as metabolism.

Rene Tabaro, a nutritionist at King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, says that all foods are metabolised in nature, simply because when eaten, they are involved in the chemical processes of the body. However, there is a specific diet that when consumed is involved more in the metabolic process than others.

Tabaro says that foods such as mushrooms, when consumed daily, help in reducing blood sugar level in people with diabetics. Berries, on the other hand, are essential in facilitating the elimination of waste products from the body.

He notes that whole grain is also another diet that will fasten metabolism, simply because it provides a balanced proportion of nutrients that are required to produce energy within the body.

What to eat for weight loss

For effective weight loss, Joseph Uwiragiye, a nutritionist at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), says a diet with fewer calories is ideal.

"The ideal diet should not be concentrated in proteins or fats. Rather, the caloric intake in a healthy weight loss diet should be balanced among the three sources, namely; fats, proteins and carbohydrates,” he says.

According to Uwiragiye, one should also adhere to good and healthy dietary habits. Eating slowly is vital as it enables one to chew the food properly.

"Eating slowly reduces the amount of food one intended to consume, which ensures one takes in fewer calories. One should make breakfast and lunch the primary meals. Supplementing them with salad and fruits is essential,” he adds.

Uwiragiye says knowing that a solid breakfast prevents obesity, while a lighter one fosters it will help and guide you on what is essential for your health. He adds that in a weight loss diet, not only is the amount of calories important, but their source as well.

Uwiragiye says that calories from grains, vegetables, legumes and fruits are less fattening than sweets, refined/baked foods and sausages. Whole grain cereals and bread, legumes and fruits supply carbohydrates that can be safely processed in a weight loss diet.

Tabaro says losing weight involuntarily may need a medical examination to determine the cause and eliminate any malignant process.

"This may be due to one having digestive disorders, intestinal parasites, and excess physical activity as well as out of proportion to the amount of food one is taking,” he says.

For such a problem, Tabaro says the best diet is the one with sufficient calories in form of carbohydrates, which will help the body utilise dietary proteins to synthesise new proteins. And in case there are not enough calories in the diet, the body uses proteins for energy.

"Also, for regaining weight, the diet should provide adequate supply vitamin B, which is essential to the metabolism of carbohydrates that are latter converted into energy,” he says.

Oats, legums, potatoes, grapes, honey and whole grains yields the highest energy output, which is also one of the easiest to digest and assimilate due to its mucilage content that helps the digestive tract.

To maintain a healthy metabolic process, reducing or eliminating foods such as chocolates and sugary stuff is essential.

Foods for acid and alkaline balance

Isaac Bikorimana, a nutritionist at King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, says since the foods are metabolised within the body, they are assimilated and utilised for vital functions and they tend to increase or reduce the acidity of blood and other body fluids.

He, however, explains that less or more acidic taste of the food is not necessarily an indicator of the reaction the food will produce when metabolised.

"Lemon, for instance, has an acidic taste due to its content of citric. But when metabolised within the body, it leaves alkaline mineral residues, which results into an alkaline effect and not an acidic one,” he says.

Meat and eggs acidify the body, which renders it unable to eliminate the excess acids leading to a number of disorders.

US-based researcher Dr Robert Chuckrow explains that when each nutrient from food is assimilated it has an acid or alkaline effect on the blood. The main elements that have acid effects are nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and chlorine. The main elements that have alkaline effects are potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and iron.

"We need all of these elements — both alkaline and acid — but their intake needs to be balanced. The ideal ratio of alkaline to acid is considered by some to be 4:1. Most people have various degrees of acidosis, which is said to cause negative health effects such as frequent colds, susceptibility to diseases, and slow recovery when sick. Alkalosis, on the other hand, is very uncommon and occurs primarily as a result of medical drugs or high use of stomach antacids,” he says.

How to control diabetes with the right diet

The disorder of metabolism of glucose is known as diabetes mellitus, which is always a result of high blood sugar in the blood.

"Foods such as vegetables, fruits, onions and nuts should be included in the diet because they contribute significantly to the control of diabetes. In fact, when consumed on a daily basis, they also help in prevention and avoidance of the complications resulting from diabetes,” Tabaro says.

Such foods fulfill the four dietary objectives for diabetics since they contribute to the control of glucose better than any type of food.