Bernice Venter Registered Dietitian

24/08/2023

Folate and why we need it.
I’ll share more on methylation in my next post.

22/08/2023

There are a number of nutrients that assist with fertility as well as a healthy pregnancy.
Below are a few👇

1. Folate: assists with methylation - an important process in the body responsible for many functions including DNA copying. It also helps prevent neural tube defects in babies.
2. Vitamin B12 - also important to methylation and has shown to reduce risks for recurrent pregnancy loss. Also good for men’s s***m motility.
3. Iodine - supports normal thyroid function which is important for baby’s brain and nervous system. Check those thyroid levels.
4. Iron - your iron needs increase during pregnancy, we need iron to make more blood to supply oxygen to baby. Ensure your iron levels are normal whilst trying to fall pregnant.
5. Vitamin D - Vitamin D deficiency has been strongly linked to PCOS. Test those levels for necessary supplementation.
6. Antioxidants - protect the body against oxidative stress which if left untreated can do damage to cells in the body. Men also benefit from antioxidant intake.
7. Inositol - can enhance ovarian function, improve egg quality and assist with symptoms related to PCOS.
8. Essential fatty acids - assist with inflammation, helps with baby brain development, maintains brain health for mom and can also help men improve s***m count and improve motility.

15/02/2023

Recipe to try!
I added salmon for extra protein and those healthy fats.
I love to add more veggies where I can so added in baby spinach and baby marrows.
I had left over edamame beans so threw those in there too.
My husband didn’t like the beetroot chips 😆 so I left those off.

08/02/2023

Hi 👋

I have been wanting to post more content on here for a while now and have so many topics I’d like to share but it’s always been so daunting to post the perfect video or create the best content that is entertaining, factually correct and helpful.

So that being said I will be posting videos but they won’t always be perfect. It might be while I’m having a coffee, it might be during a cook or maybe while I’m walking my dogs, it won’t be perfect but it will be more me and more of me chatting to you.
🧡
Some fun facts about me:
I live in Cape Town now.
I have 2 cats and 2 dogs - I am that annoying animal person.
Wine enthusiast (wish I could say I was a connoisseur)
Things that make me happy:
Hubby 😍
The outdoors
Animals
Eating out
Wine farms
The forest

06/02/2023

It’s Monday and I was planning for the week.
I have had a few people judge that I don’t plan, shop and make incredible, luxurious, recipes every night, I’m a dietitian after all, so it’s expected right?
Wrong.
As much as I love cooking I hate planning so for me personally I’ve found easier ways to still have nutritious, delicious meals.

Those who know me well know I can’t go without Ucook. It’s super easy for me, there’s minimal wastage and I love the meals. Because it’s pre packed for the week there aren’t always a lot of veggies so I do that shopping separately.

Check out my stories for my weekly shop.

How do you plan your weekly meal?

31/01/2023

To recap… If you are run down or even often sick, check your oral health. 🦷🦷🦷 your oral health is directly linked to systemic health and your immune system and vica versa.

30/01/2023

One for the books 🤩
This is my take on a burrito bowl thingy.
Ingredients:
Whole grain woolies chips
Baby spinach
Baby tomatoes
Chargrilled corn
The Woolworths shredded mixed cabbage and beetroot.
Salsa
Low fat cream cheese
Protein of choice: chicken breast, extra lean mince, beans, chickpeas or even some edamames.
I added a squeeze of lime over with seasoning and there you have it.

17/01/2023

Love a salad bar.
How to build a salad:
Base: leaves, I like using baby spinach for added nutrients.
Veggies: aim for some nice colour variety. I opted for peppers, baby marrows grilled, tomato.
Fat: I added this beautiful soft Greek feta and a mixture of seeds which are also packed with fibre.
Protein: you can go with a chicken, beef, tuna, chickpeas, lentils, beans.
Dressing: balsamic and olive oil is always a win or even a lemon juice and olive oil, rice wine vinegar and olive oil works well too.

This was made from the salad bar at Thrupps but it’s actually super simple to make at home. 🥗🥗🥗

01/04/2022

07/03/2022

Anti anxiety food sources.
Most foods that assist with anxiety and mood regulation are antioxidants which prevent oxidative stress or are anti inflammatory which prevent inflammation of our brain neurotransmitters.

Some foods like kombucha, yoghurt, kefir, kimchi to name a few assist with gut health as the gut is responsible for up to 90% of serotonin production.

If you are feeling anxious try include more of these food sources in your diet this week.

Other food sources:
Chamomile or green tea.
Dark green leafy veg.
Chia seeds.
Vitamin D.

21/02/2022

Don’t scrape off the garnish!
This was a delicious eggie bennie garnished with broccoli sprouts who were the real heroes of the dish!

Why are they heroes?
Firstly they contain antioxidants, protein and fibre.

They also contain a photochemical called sulforaphane.
It acts by turning on protective detoxifying enzymes in the liver which helps with… detoxing. It is also being studied to protect you against potential cancer-causing effects of toxins or chemicals from your environment and food.

So don’t neglect the micro heroes on your dish.

27/01/2022

Weight management is far more complex than just dieting.
It’s understanding what our genes say, how they are influencing certain functions in our body and how this whole cycle works for us.
The type of “diet” that works for you is just a small portion of this cycle.

Testing your genes provides you with information to make better health choices.

10/06/2021

I got it from my mamma ☕️

My mom makes the best health rusks. I have to seriously keep myself in check with rusks as they are my down fall but this does essentially count as my treat and they are packed with fibre 🙌

Please note: rusks can rack up your calorie budget so be careful! They may look small and innocent but they still contain calories.

Ingredients:
500g self raising flour
500g all bran flakes
3 large eggs
3 cups of bran
1 cup oat bran
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
3-4 tbsp honey
500ml buttermilk
500g melted butter
1/3 cup mixed seeds (sunflower seeds, linseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds)
1 cup mixed nuts

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Mix dry ingredients together
Mix eggs, milk and butter together
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix nicely
Spray flat pan with spray and cook and press mixture into pan. Press down so mixture spreads evenly
Bake for 1 hour
Leave to cool before cutting
Leave in oven overnight at 100 degrees Celsius to dry out

Benefits? Always! (it’s food)
Brans: prebiotics
Seeds: sources of good fats and fibre
Buttermilk: probiotic rich source
Nuts: healthy fats and if use Brazil nuts rich in selenium,an antioxidant
Eggs: rich in protein and choline (necessary for cell membrane renewal)

Enjoy!

06/05/2021

Is all this mask wearing affecting your skin?
Of course there are many reasons why some of us get acne flare ups but we can help our skin through our diet.

Why do we suggest eliminating sugar to improve acne? When we eat, our blood sugar levels rise causing the hormone insulin to rise too. When we eat high amounts of sugar we increase insulin production which can release oils in our skin. Increased oil can increase our risk for acne.

Inflammation can also cause skin troubles. When we have unnecessary inflammation in our body it means our body’s immune system is turned on but there’s nothing to fight off so we end up damaging healthy cells.

Oxidative stress can also cause inflammation. This again happens when we don’t eat enough antioxidants and our body starts fighting itself.

Bottom line: reduce over production of insulin, reduce inflammation and reduce oxidative stress.

How do we do this?
Include more fibre in your diet. Include nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grain foods.
Reduce sugar, chat to a professional on some healthier sweet options for those cravings.

Reduce foods that can cause inflammation. This is different for everyone but can be foods like gluten, dairy, animal products, processed foods.
Include an omega-3 daily to reduce inflammation.

Include more antioxidants in your diet. Veggies, veggies, veggies. Eat the colours of the rainbow, half of your plate should be veggies and include 2-3 fruit portions a day. Avoid fruit juices and sugar beverages.

Supplements: Omega-3, VitaminD (speak to a professional on dosage), antioxidant, curcumin, green tea and zinc.

06/04/2021

After a long weekend of festivities I am so excited to do a reset. I always feel like I need a bit of a health kick coming back from holiday!
Go check out for reset programs.

30/03/2021

Beetroot and citrus salad
Ingredients:

🥗beetroots 6 medium (mixed colours if possible), peeled and very thinly sliced.
🥗 oranges 2, peeled and segmented
🥗 red grapefruit 1, peeled and segmented
🥗 cider vinegar 4 tbsp
caster sugar 2 tbsp
🥗 ready-cooked red quinoa 250g pouch
🥗 olive oil for drizzling
🥗 gem lettuce
🥗 brussels sprouts 100g, finely shredded
🥗 cashew nuts 50g, roughly chopped
🥗 mixed seeds 50g
🥗 soy sauce 1 tbsp
🥗 runny honey 2 tbsp
🥗 dill a small bunch, leaves picked
🥗 goat’s cheese 200g, thinly sliced

DRESSING
orange 1, juiced
grapefruit ½, juiced
wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp
runny honey 1 tbsp
extra-virgin olive oil 100ml

Method

STEP 1
Put the beetroots, oranges and grapefruit segments into a large bowl, add the cider vinegar, sugar and some seasoning, and mix well.

STEP 2
Break up the quinoa in another bowl, drizzle with a little oil and season. Add the Little Gems and brussels sprouts. Mix together all of the dressing ingredients and some seasoning in a small jug.

STEP 3
Heat a small, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and toast the nuts and seeds for 1 minute, then add the soy sauce, honey and a dash of oil, and bubble for a few more minutes until sticky. Put aside.

STEP 4
To assemble, mix the pickled beets and fruits into the greens. Toss through the dressing and most of the dill. Tip onto a platter and top with the sticky nuts, goat’s cheese and remaining dill.

Recipe credit: olive magazine

26/03/2021

I often get: “I don’t eat a lot”
This is a comparison between a chocolate bar on the left, pack of chips on the right and a Cajun chicken wrap below.
Often we become so busy in the day we forget to eat, sugar levels drop, we crave something sweet or salty and then we head for the sweets or salty foods.
If we compare all 3: you can see the protein for the top options is far lower than the wrap. The saturated fat on one of them is the same as the wrap, the carbs and even sugar on the bar is comparable if not higher to the wrap and the fibre is 10 times more on the wrap.
Ordering in a wrap or pre prepping a meal for lunch gives you more fibre and protein (keeping us fuller) and not to mention all the added nutrients from the veggies that are in the wrap too.
Be careful of skipping meals and then grabbing snacks to curb cravings. The size may not be a lot but the empty calories are.

24/03/2021