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Healthy Eating |
Simple 3-Step Plan Makes It Easier |
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There's an awful lot written about "healthy eating" these days and it seems that every "expert" has their own opinion of what we should be doing.
Especially in January, with New Year's resolutions flying out of the window, it can be easy to get confused and even fed up with the evangelical tirades of gurus who look like they've never so much as sniffed at a bar of chocolate...
The thing with eating healthily is that there is so much conflicting information.
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There are those who tell us it's calories we should be counting, then it's carbohydrates we should avoid, reducing our fats is the answer, obeying the infamous "food pyramid", taking supplements, cutting out meat, eating oily fish, paying attention to GI ratings, eating only raw food...
How on earth are you supposed to work out what to do?
There's no such thing as a "one size fits all" diet plan.
The thing is that there is no such thing as a diet that will work for everyone. We're all different, with differing nutritional needs and metabolisms. That makes it really hard for anyone to prescribe a "one size fits all" solution.
So the best thing you can do is listen to your body.
Keep A Food Diary
After each meal, once your food has gone down (about 1/2 hour), write down in your food diary what you ate. Then make a note of how you feel:
- Physically
Are you full of energy or tired and exhausted? Do you feel better or worse than before you ate?
- Mentally
Are you bright and alert or distinctly foggy? If someone gave you a difficult task to do right now, how would you perform, compared to your optimum?
- Emotionally
How do you feel? Happy? Glum? How would you describe your emotional state?
Write down your answers and make sure you include everything you eat - including snacks and drinks. There's no point in cheating, because no one is going to see this apart from you.
A food diary makes it easy to spot which foods energise you and which drain you.
Then, after a week or so, review your food diary. The trends should be quite obvious. Which foods give you energy? Which deplete your energy levels? Which seem to make you more alert? Which leave you feeling tired and lethargic?
This should help you work out which types of food work best for you.
We're not suggesting you cut any foods from your diet; simply that you become more aware of what seems to nourish your body, vs. what drains you. Then you can choose, consciously, what to eat when. That's a natural route to healthier eating. |
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| If a food diary doesn't appeal, here's a 3 step plan to make it easier to eat healthily. |
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Simple 3-Step Plan Makes It Easier |
- Cut down on sugar
Refined sugar is the worst culprit for causing the body to put on fat. Sugar is, believe it or not, worse than butter!
So we really should cut it out of our diet, as much as possible.
If we're tired and hungry, something sugary will give us a short-term energy rush, but it's quickly followed by an energy crash. So it becomes a viscious cycle - one Mars bar leads to another!
What's The Alternative?
If you like sugar in puddings and breakfasts, why not try organic blackstrap molasses? This is "what's left" after sugar is refined and it's much better for you - it's packed with vitamins and minerals and is a good source of iron.
It's delicious in porridge, for example, though it's stronger flavour may take a little getting used to.
To fix sugar cravings during the day, try munching a small handful of raisins or other dried fruit (watch out for added sugar or oils). They'll give you a boost, but the energy is released more slowly and they also contain vital nutrients missing from sugary snacks.
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Cut down on saturated fats
These include meat, dairy products and palm oils.
Why? Because over-consumption of these can lead to cholesterol problems and heart disease.
No one is saying you should cut out, say, cheese from your diet, but we should be consciously aware of how much saturated fat we're eating.
What's The Alternative?
Get informed about good fats and bad fats. Udo Erasmus has done plenty of research into this and he has some great articles on his site, exploding the myths behind "low fat" diets and why they're actually bad for you! Read Udo's Articles.
If you want to cut down on saturated fats, why not try it one day at a time? Maybe you could have one day a week where you give your body a break from them? Or even just one extra veggie meal per week?
- Eat more seasonal fruit and veg
Stuff that's out of season has often either travelled many miles or been stored for months, before reaching us. This can cause it to lose much of its nutritional value. (Find out more). So it's best to eat what's in season, if you want to make the most of eating healthily.
We recently did some research which showed that 30% of us eat only 2 portions of fruit or veg per day.
Whatever you think about the various "5 a day" campaigns, eating more fruit and veg is undoubtably good for us.
It doesn't have to be difficult. Bear in mind that a glass of fruit juice or a handful of dried fruit adds an easy portion to your quota. Include as much colour to your veggie choices as you can, to ensure you're getting a wide range of nutrients.
Note: sorry - potatoes don't count as a vegetable portion!
The easiest way to increase your fruit & veg intake is to make a list of all the fruit and vegetables you like and then pick an extra one each day. Aim to increase your consumption by one portion a week - and notice how different you feel.
Make it easy for yourself - check out the Veg Box Recipes for inspiration.
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Extra Resources |
Udo Erasmus's articles on healthy eating and his food pyramids
Seasonal food recipes
Free seasonal food guide
5-A-Day: Why Bother?
Got a question or opinion? Go to our "Healthy Eating?" Forum. |
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