Obesity and nutrition
“Eat food, not too much, mostly vegetables” – Michael Pollan
Almost the first question I’m asked by every client is “but what should I eat?”. There is such a level of confusion and sometimes fear around food these days. Every day there is a new report exclaiming that “this is a new superfood” or that “will promote cancer” – it’s really no wonder that eating healthily seems so complicated.
But actually it isn’t, there are so many simple things that you can do to improve your health and wellbeing by making small and sustainable changes to your diet:
• Eat more vegetables – they really are your best friends. Eat a rainbow of vegetables every day and you will be filling your body with anti-oxidants, anti-cancer compounds, fibres and lots of lovely vitamins, whilst naturally keeping the calories low.
• Reduce your sugar intake – refined sugars that we find in cakes, sweets and biscuits are so bad for our bodies in so many ways. Excess sugar can lead to a myriad of different conditions, and ultimately contributes to heart disease and diabetes.
• Eat good fats – fats from plant sources such as avocados and nuts are actually good for us, and our bodies need them to function. They taste good and they make us feel full longer.
• Moderate your carbohydrate intake - carbohydrate is our body’s preferred fuel source and we all need to eat carbs, but only in small portions and make sure that the ones you choose are as unrefined as possible - quinoa, chickpeas, lentils, brown rice.
• And finally…. The 80/20 rule -Diets don’t work; making huge changes overnight is not sustainable. We all need to find that balance point where we can enjoy our lives but still treat our bodies with the respect that they deserve, and this is where the 80/20 rule comes in. Follow the guidelines 80% of the time, and then be free to explore other food or drink 20% of the time.
Eat well, think about what you put into your body, but don’t beat yourself up for eating or drinking something that isn’t so healthy. Life really is too short! If you allow yourself the space to have little treats every now and again, you’ll find the balance you crave, both emotionally and physically.
A lot of people recommend the keto or ketogenic diet. This is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can help you burn fat more effectively. It has many benefits for weight loss, health and performance. On a ketogenic diet, your entire body switches its fuel supply to run mostly on fat, burning fat 24-7. When insulin levels become very low, fat burning can increase dramatically. It becomes easier to access your fat stores to burn them off.
This is great if you’re trying to lose weight, but there are also other less obvious benefits, such as less hunger and a steady supply of energy. This may help keep you alert and focused.
Come and get all the information at the workshop on Tuesday June 11th, 2019 at 14.00.
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