Happy New Year – A Timely Reminder of Eating Mistakes That Can Sabotage your Healthy Eating Plan
First… the truth! None of what you will read here is new, this news has been out there for years – however with the excess of information (and misinformation) available it sometimes gets lost and people revert to the old way of thinking! So this is a re-work of an old blog post, with some new links and a few updates as it seems the right time to do it.
At this time of year when lots of us are looking to get rid of that pinching feeling from clothes due to festive excesses we can resort to a huge array of information sources: magazines and newspapers, fitness DVD’s, books, TV, Twitter, Facebook pages and groups, websites and Apps all play their part in our search for further information on this topic of high interest. The problem is sometimes the information is provided by experts or “self-declared” experts, sometimes celebrities looking to boost their income or media presence, often organisations looking to promote sales of a particular brand or product and sometimes just comments from the general public on their personal experience.
Because of this it is becoming increasingly difficult to wade our way through the deluge of information headed our way, so, for my first blog of 2016 I have decided to feature some tips that I hope will help you in your quest for healthier eating in the coming months.
Please bear in mind these pointers are generalisations and anyone following doctors advice on diet for any health, intolerance or allergen issues should always consult their GP before changing their eating habits.
Believing there is one best way of eating for everyone.
Raw and vegan and Paleo, 5:2 Diet, Cabbage Soup, gluten free etc oh dear!! Healthy eating is a hot topic these days, and specific diet regimens or eating plans are even hotter. But the truth is that there isn’t one right way for everyone, full stop. What’s working for your best friend may or may not work for you. Shop around, do some research but remember anything with fantastic, unbelievable weight loss or health claims is probably just that, unbelievable!
Thinking fat makes you fat.
This originated from poorly conducted and poorly reviewed research in the 1980s. The saddest part about this is that when fat was removed from the diet, the incidence of obesity skyrocketed.
And why would that be? Because anything removed from food must be replaced, fat in food is often the flavor provider so when it is removed what we are left with is tasteless and a different product, so what did we do? The fat was largely replaced with fillers, most in the form of hidden sugars. It is now well known that our bodies need fat, in the right proportions, along with good carbohydrates and healthy protein, to function at well and maintain a healthy weight. It’s also true that in many cases, adding extra good fats into the diet actually help people lose weight. What we now know and understand is that sugar in the amounts that we are currently eating and drinking, is the real demon. All hail the olives, grilled steak and leg of lamb!
Know where the sugar hides.
Unfortunately most people assume that food has to taste sweet to contain sugar. Not true! Ketchup, jarred pasta sauce, sandwich-type bread, low-fat yoghurts and dairy and low-fat crackers, and biscuits (most low-fat foods, actually, it’s that taste replacement theory again!) have just as much or more sugar as a large piece of chocolate cake! Sugar is the food industry’s #1 tool to hook you onto their food. It’s addictive!! Don’t fall victim to their schemes and learn the facts about hidden sugar and sweet alternatives. Why? Because fat doesn’t make people fat, sugar does.
Who hasn’t heard Jamie Oliver talk about trying to get sugary soft drinks taxed in his Sugar Rush campaign or seen the TV coverage about the amount of hidden sugars in products? For more information, click on the links – you will be amazed!
All calories are equal?
Have you ever known someone who weighs every single piece of food and counts every single calorie that they eat, but still can’t lose weight? And they’ve been doing it for years? I do, and it’s painful to watch, because it doesn’t work, and because letting calories rule your life is sad and incredibly exhausting.
Let’s think about this: 100 calories of low-fat yoghurt does something very different to your body then 100 calories of quality beef steak. And, surprise, it’s the low-fat yoghurt that is ruining your health, while the steak could improve things drastically. A calorie is no longer just a calorie. Sugar is highly addictive. Learning how different calories affect your body will hugely benefit your health, get rid of cravings & the sugar rush & withdrawal syndrome, help balance your weight, reduce your appetite and improve your mood.
And don’t forget the alcohol!!
Review your eating patterns.
Just like there isn’t one way of eating that suits everybody, it’s probably unlikely that the same way of eating, or eating pattern, will suit you for your entire life. As you age, grow and change, your habits change; your activity levels will probably change and therefore so should your eating habits to take account of your changing needs and requirements.
Eating “healthy” junk food.
With the hectic lives most of us live most of us, at some point, have to “eat on the go”. I could never tell people to avoid packaged or pre-prepared food altogether, in a realistic world we have to have realistic targets and goals, and it just isn’t possible for most people to live the way our grandparents did and prepare all of our food fresh, shop every day and go home for a meal at lunchtime, realistically that just isn’t feasible. But it has to be everything in moderation and there actually are some healthy options out there, so use them.
But, and this is a big BUT, just because something is labelled “Free-from”, organic, raw, Healthy Option, Superfood or some other food industry buzzword doesn’t always make it healthy. Some of these packaged items are higher in sugar than a large Coke or a Mars bar. Learning to read and understand ingredient labels is one of the best things you can do for your waistline and your health.
You don’t have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods.
It’s a fact, well in my book it is, the more you tell yourself you mustn’t eat something, the more you really want it, even if it’s something you wouldn’t normally eat! Obsession sets in, and all of a sudden you’ve scoffed a whole bar of chocolate. Healthy eating isn’t about deprivation or drastically changing every aspect of your lifestyle. It’s about learning how to think about what and how you eat, pace yourself, allow yourself a few treats and enjoy what you love in a healthy way.
Chocolate is a good example. Love chocolate? It’s actually good for you, BUT the added sugar isn’t. Most chocolate bars contain far too much sugar; so learning how to choose the right varieties will let you still enjoy the chocolate you love without drastically affecting your health.
Once you’ve learned how to identify and control your intake of sugar, whether in solid or liquid form, you’ll be surprised at what you will be allowed to eat and what falls off of your favorite foods list, too.
Oh…. And don’t forget the exercise bit!! Controlling what and how you eat is a huge factor in gaining a healthier lifestyle but adding in a bit of exercise will help towards healthier living and energy levels & also help you to shift that accumulated Christmas padding – but that’s a whole different blog post!!
