Articles #Eating

How many times have you found yourself going to the kitchen to look into the fridge or cupboards in these last few days of lockdown?

Did you see the headline: ‘Bad diets are responsible for more deaths than smoking’? Say what? Really, are we seriously eating so badly that smoking is seen as the lesser of two evils?

We are doing a very poor job of protecting the environment that we depend on for food and water. We need to start becoming interested in learning where food comes from, how it is grown and produced, and what this is doing to our environment. Food production system and diets play a crucial role in the issue of sustainability. Read this is you want to find out what you can do to help the planet.

Do you feel that December will ruin your hard work this year? Are there just too many parties, dinners and family gatherings that weight gain seems inevitable? It is possible to survive the Christmas season without gaining weight. Don’t fall for the myths of unavoidable holiday weight gain. You can enjoy you holiday favourites and still start the year looking slim and trim.

The festive season is upon us and with it comes the challenge of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It’s a time of lots of eating opportunities with delicious meals, desserts and drinks and a time of less exercise. So how can you continue the healthy habits you have established and not let the bad habits creep in? For me, the holidays are no different than any other time of the year! It can be this easy for you too.

‘Weight loss’ New Year’s resolutions are all too common, and unfortunately are often also broken by the first week of January! I think that it is great that people are trying to be healthier but I believe how many try to do it is what is causing the high ‘failure’ rate. When people go ‘on’ a (quick fix) diet they have often not made effective goals for their journey. Goals are the groundwork for the journey to health and often I find that when it is just based on a number it is easy for life to take over and old habits to creep back.

Humans have evolved to digest and utilize carbohydrates (or foods that convert into sugar in the body) as a form of energy. I believe that most people can eat carbohydrates, but the important point is which ones you eat as well as how much of them that you eat. Added sugar (or sucrose) is the form that you should take in the least. Although carbohydrates do convert into sugar, they bring a lot of other goodness to your diet such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fiber, and this is not the case with added sugar.

Focussing on food quality is such an important part of health and healthy weight. Are you trying to lose weight by counting calories? Has this become your main focus? By moving away from calories and rather focusing on good quality food you will naturally eat less as this food will give your body exactly what it needs. Read here for more tips and ideas on how to make quality choices.