Healthy eating means going back to basics. If you use fresh ingredients in at least 80 per cent of your diet, you will achieve better health. It is common sense after all. Food that has been put together in a factory is going to have fewer nutrients than ‘pure’ food.Your health is so important, and it is only when we get older that we really appreciate this.
My biggest concern is for our children. Without good, healthy foundations in place, they are more likely to develop ill health sooner than previous generations. Health problems associated with being overweight or obese cost the NHS more than £5 billion every year, and this is estimated to double by 2050. Parents are getting accustomed to seeing obese children so they are becoming less aware of their own child’s weight problems. A study by Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry in Plymouth revealed that three-quarters of parents failed to recognise their child was overweight. 33 per cent of mothers and 57 per cent of fathers considered their child’s weight to be ‘about right’ when, in fact, they were obese.
We need to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.We are all aware of the government healthy eating campaign, but do we really understand what it means and why it is so important? I recently did a workshop at a primary school and was horrified to find that the teacher thought five a day was a maximum! Five fruit and vegetables a day is actually the minimum we should consume. Please ignore adverts that claim that eating a chewy bar counts towards one of your five a day: this is simply not true. There is no way a chewy bar contains the same nutrients and phytonutrients found in fruit or vegetables.
Did you know? Potatoes do not count as part of your five a day.
1 medium fruit, such as an apple, pear, orange or banana
2 small fruits, such as a satsuma, kiwi or plum
Half a large fruit, such as a melon, grapefruit or pineapple
30g of dried fruit
4 heaped tablespoons of green vegetables
3 heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables, such as carrots or peas
3 heaped tablespoons of pulses or beans (baked beans do count!)
150ml of unsweetened fruit or vegetable juice (more than this quantity
won’t add towards your five a day)
250ml of 100% fruit or vegetable smoothies count as two portions
Fruit and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals as well as essential phytonutrients, which help protect you from diseases such as cancer and heart disease.They contain fibre, to keep your bowel healthy and happy, and they also help create a balanced diet.
Many people tend to overload their plate with food and consequently overeat. Try using a smaller plate and you will soon be cutting calories without even noticing. Use the same principle when feeding your children – they often feel intimidated by an overloaded plate. Far better to give them less and enjoy hearing them ask for more than watch them struggle with a large meal.
Digestion starts when food enters your mouth, and chewing is a vital part of the digestive process. Chew your food slowly and enjoy the taste. Giving yourself time to eat will allow you to start hearing your body telling you when you’ve had enough. If you eat too fast, you stop listening to the signal from your brain telling you that you are full.
This is not about etiquette.Your digestion will work better if you are sitting comfortably at a table, plus your attention will be on your food. Paul McKenna ran an interesting experiment by feeding unsuspecting cinemagoers with stale popcorn. No one noticed what it tasted like as they were too busy watching the film, and they all finished their large tubs. The idea is conscious eating – if you are aware of every mouthful, you are less likely to make bad food choices, less likely to binge and more likely to listen to your body when it tells you its full.
Dump the remote, hide the car keys and do all you can to keep moving. Not only are you burning calories, you’re also increasing your heart rate, expanding your lungs and moving your muscles. Try to be more active during the day, as a slow metabolism holds on to weight. If you exercise in the hour prior to eating, your metabolic rate is higher, which means that any calories taken in will be burnt off quicker. Activity will not only help you shed pounds, it will also help strengthen your heart. Aim for at least 20 minutes a day.Try swimming, walking, cycling or even join a dancing class. Whatever you choose, make sure you have fun.
Many people confuse thirst signals for hunger pangs. Drink plenty of water (not fizzy drinks, tea or coffee!). This will help rehydrate you and will also keep hunger and headaches at bay.
Grill or oven-bake instead of frying your foods. If you love chips, try baking potato wedges coated with paprika and sprayed with olive oil for a healthier option. I fill a spray container with light olive oil, ready to spray food or pans, as this works well and reduces the oil content. If you want a healthier oil option choose coconut oil – it has amazing health-promoting properties and has also been shown to aid weight loss.
You can tell at a glance whether a meal is healthy or not. Healthy food is full of colour and vibrancy; junk food is biscuit-coloured. Fill your plate with a variety of colours for a healthy and nutritious meal. You can choose your food by its colour – with side vegetables, for example, you could opt for green cabbage, vibrant orange carrots and yellow sweetcorn. Get creative with your food colour palette.
Eat three nourishing meals a day. It is a complete myth that you will lose weight if you skip meals. All you will do is get a slump in your blood-sugar levels, get headaches and generally feel grotty... all the more reason to grab the nearest chocolate bar and wallow in self-pity. Instead, eat more, but choose your food with care. Pack all your meals with nutritious wholegrains to avoid sugar slumps and cravings. Organisations such as Slimming World and Weight Watchers include foods that are point-free or free to eat with their diets. These are usually fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, so there is no excuse, even when losing weight, to go hungry.
Smiling and laughing increases production of feel-good endorphins. Not only will you feel better and more positive, but those around you will also benefit, as smiling is contagious.
Ditch the caffeine and opt for the healthier substitute. Start by switching to decaffeinated teas and coffees, but for ultimate health, cut down or ditch them altogether. Green tea is packed with powerful antioxidants, which can help lower cholesterol, boost your immune system and lower blood pressure. Caffeine does increase the heart rate and some say it helps speed up the metabolism to help you burn fat faster, but it can also have lots of detrimental health effects, including fluctuations in your blood-sugar levels, which can have you reaching for the nearest chocolate bar, so I would keep it to a minimum.
Fizzy drinks are packed with sugars and chemicals – even diet or sugar-free drinks are bad for you. If you like the fizz, try sparkling water mixed with fruit juice or natural cordial, or even better, a slice of lemon.
Fast food, junk food, processed food – they are all the same thing.These are packed with unhealthy fats, salts, sugars, chemicals and very few nutrients. They also cost more than home-cooked meals. So why do they account for approximately 70 to 80 per cent of the average family food shopping? Change your processed food habits and opt for easy-to-make, home-cooked meals.
Step out of the rat race and find some time in your busy life. Set aside some time every day just for you, even for only five minutes. This could be reading, relaxing, a pampering session or just enjoying your favourite hobby. It may sound like a simple thing to do, but how often do you actually have time to yourself?
Learn to treat your food with respect and to get the most out of it. Food processing and cooking can destroy nutrients. Therefore, buy fresh ingredients and make home-cooked meals.Think about how you can get the most benefit from your food.
Nutrients, particularly vitamins, are lost when you boil vegetables. Buy a steamer to ensure your vegetables are packed with nutrients.They will taste better too. Invest in a wok and stir-fry to lock in flavours and nutrients. Slow cookers are also a great tool, not just for convenience, but also for making nutrient-rich soups, casseroles and one-pot meals. Raw foods are also good for you.These include salads, smoothies, juices or simply eating some fresh fruit or vegetable sticks.
Hobbies can improve you mental and physical health. Learn to cook, exercise or even knit (known to lower blood pressure). It will also help build confidence and make friends.
One of the biggest reasons we overeat is emotional stress (the other big reason is boredom!). Be aware of your emotions.Vitamin B supplementation and St John’s wort can help ease stress and depression. Unhealthy diets, particularly those including lots of processed foods, can upset your natural balance and can often lead to emotional health problems. Swapping to a nutrient-rich diet, while adding some interim supplementation, should really help.
Good teeth help you look younger and healthier. Have regular check-ups with your dentist. Brush and floss teeth twice a day to avoid gum disease – the major cause of losing your teeth. Some research suggests that flossing your teeth daily can help you live longer!
Yes, sleep is one of the best health-promoting activities. Aim for a good eight hours’ sleep a night. During sleep your body maintains its own glucose and insulin levels, as well as growth hormone levels, which is why you don’t wake up during the night craving a tasty snack. Disturbed sleep not only makes you grumpy but can have a serious effect on your metabolism. Shift workers, particularly those who vary their shift patterns, can suffer more from weight fluctuations and mental health problems.
This is the most important legacy you can ever leave your children. Teach them to enjoy, respect and know their food. Start them young by feeding them wholesome foods as soon as they are weaned. Children don’t need specially formulated kids’ foods, or tempting with cartoon characters. They just need to learn to love food for what it is.They will emulate their parents, so if you love good food, they will too.