I am a nutritionist and fat loss is my subject. I spend most of my life talking about it, writing about it and endeavouring to arm my listeners and readers with the very latest, proven and healthy routes to losing it for good.

One of the major reasons dieters quit is not lack of willpower or ill-discipline, it’s hunger! To ensure we stay on track, every meal should offer a good balance of the 3 macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat - yes, fat!) plus a wealth of vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals to ensure all the nutrients are efficiently converted to provide energy, build and repair body cells and keep us satisfied, happy and healthy.

And guess what? Haggis ticks a whole load of the above boxes and when it comes to taming the hunger monster it’s hard to beat as it is very filling so a little goes a long way! There is universal agreement that oats, onions, pepper and spices are health-enhancing so what about the fat and the salt?  Yes, traditional haggis contains animal fat but contrary to the ‘anti fat’ propaganda we have been hoodwinked into believing over the past 20 years or so there is no proven relationship between saturated fat intake and heart disease, no research into reducing saturated fat in the diet has found that it reduces death rates and at last, the ‘experts’ have realised that it is our love affair with sugar that is making us fatter and sicker, not fat. The body needs saturated fat for the efficient function and repair of brain cells, for the proper utilisation of what are now labelled ‘good’ fats, for the production of important hormones, for the absorption of calcium into our bones, for a strong immune system and much more. So, we need it, we just don’t need too much of it!

And what about salt? Same story; it is essential to life, we can’t live without it but again, not too much of it. Current estimates reveal that when our diet is rich in fresh produce that we prepare ourselves we consume good levels of potassium, which is required to keep a healthy balance of these electrolytes within the body. Yes, we have to be vigilant about our salt consumption but that in no way means a decent portion of haggis a couple of times a week is going to throw the balance out and threaten our health.

And when it comes to fast and lasting fat loss, super quick, nourishing and easy on the wallet are also important which is why I am including Jo’s delicious Warm Salad in my just-released 2 Weeks in the Super Fast Lane diet. She recommends the vegetarian haggis but for me it has to be the traditional - deelish!

Next time, I am going to talk about vitamin D, why a deficiency may be thwarting your fat loss goal and how the Great British Breakfast (with haggis and/or black pudding of course) could make all the difference!

For more information about Fiona, her diet musings and her books go to www.fatbustforever.com, join her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/fionakirkbooks and follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FatBustForever