Ali Hale

Ali compensates for her chocolate obssession with a disconcerting love for salads and cycling (albeit not simultaneously). She writes for The Office Diet, a website of ideas, tips, hints and recipes for busy desk-bound workers. 

Ali recently released the Dieting Basics eBook.

Ali's Latest Articles

Underweight or Slightly Overweight: Which is Worse?

Many of us know the health risks associated with being overweight or obese - but we're not always aware of how dangerous it can be to be underweight. Being too thin is worse for your health than being slightly overweight, and there are a number of complications associated with having a BMI of under 18.5 (the official definition of "underweight").

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27 comments · October 7, 2008

Gillian McKeith - Guru or Fraud?

Gillian McKeith is probably the best-known "nutritionist" in the UK. She has a popular TV show, "You Are What You Eat", along with a magazine and associated product range.

She's very popular - but she's also come in for a lot of criticism, mostly about her use of the title "doctor", and some of her scientific claims. Should you be taking advice from this woman?


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20 comments · October 6, 2008

Help Your Kids Avoid The Freshman 15

It's that time of year when dozens of eager young freshmen are heading off to college. Many of them, living away from home for the first time, will survive on university canteen dinners (not renowned for their healthiness), take-out pizza, beer, and fast food. It's little surprise that lots of 18 and 19 year olds gain the "Freshman 15" during their first year of college.

If you've got kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews or younger siblings heading to university, what can you do to encourage them to eat healthily? (If you're a student yourself, show this post to a friendly adult and persuade them to buy you some groceries!)

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24 comments · September 30, 2008

Do You Eat Too Fast?

One tip that most of us could use to boost our health efforts is to eat slowly. If you were ever told off as a child for gobbling your food, or not for chewing properly, then you were being given good advice - there's a lot of benefits from taking your time over a meal... » more
20 comments · September 25, 2008

Real Meals: Free Recipes for 11 Year Olds

Could this be the solution to tweens' inability to recognize fruit and veg? The UK government is giving a free recipe book to all the nation's 11 year olds. The book contains 32 recipes voted for by the British public as "real meals", such as chicken tikka, chilli con carne, spaghetti bolognaise and vegetable curry.

Even if you don't have an 11 year old, or you're not in the UK, you can get the book for free - download all the recipes from Real Meals on TeacherNet. But is it any good - and what else is the government doing to make sure that children have the chance to learn to cook?

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15 comments · September 24, 2008

Could Your Salad Poison You?

Pre-packed salads are quick and convenient. For many of us with busy lifestyles, they're an easy way to add a little green stuff to our plates - without spending ages washing and chopping vegetables. And the range of different leaves can be appealing: if you buy a pre-mixed bag, you don't have to get a whole romaine lettuce or grow your own rocket to go beyond the iceburg lettuce.

But could your bagged salad be putting you at risk of food poisoning?

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19 comments · September 22, 2008

Tweens Can't Recognize Common Fruits and Veg

A recent study carried out in the UK found that a high proportion of 11-13 year olds couldn't recognize basic vegetables and fruits. Could your kids do better?

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27 comments · September 17, 2008

Eating Disorders: Helping Friends or Yourself

It's not always clear where the line is between a healthy weight-loss diet and an eating disorder. It's important to be aware of the facts about eating disorders, both to help those around you who might be ill (without you necessarily realising) - and to make sure that you set up healthy, not dangerous, habits in your own eating.

But there's a lot of confusion about eating disorders - people are often unsure what they are, and can even label illnesses such as anorexia nervosa as "faddy eating" or "attention seeking". Here's the facts, and how to get help if you or a friend is suffering.

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17 comments · September 16, 2008

Make Anything Count As Exercise: A Guide for the Unmotivated

Seafood: How Healthy Is It?

Time To Stop Picking Food While Cooking?

Six Ways To Get Active If You Hate Exercise

Weight Fluctuations: Why Do They Happen?

Terrific Tomatoes: Why and How to Include Them Every Day

How To: Lose Weight By Drinking Less Alcohol

How Do You Talk About Your Diet?

The Secret Guide to Making Any Food Calorie-Free

Nine Healthy Snacks For Kids (And You!) While Traveling


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