Do you regularly feel tired or lethargic? Are you prone to picking up sickness bugs? Are you gradually putting on weight? If you answered yes to any of these questions it is quite possible that your current diet isn’t working for you.
When someone says ‘I’m on a diet’ what is the first thing that comes into your mind? We tend to take the term ‘diet’ to mean a short term focus on weight loss following a specific plan for a set period of time. The word conjures up thoughts of restricted food intake or drinking shakes in place of meals. However, all the word diet actually means is ‘the kinds of food that a person habitually eats’.
Think honestly about everything you eat and drink during a typical week. How would you describe the quality of your diet? If you buy most of your food from the middle aisles of the supermarket or from the pre-packaged freezer section (excluding frozen vegetables/fruit) most of the food you eat is likely to be highly processed. Food from this part of the supermarket isn’t refrigerated and contains additives and preservatives to extend its shelf life. When the majority of your diet is made up of processed food then of your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs and you’ll feel rubbish.
Let me put it another way, most of us own a car and we need them to be reliable don’t we? So to keep our cars running properly they need the right fuel. Our cars wouldn’t go very far they got the wrong fuel and it also wouldn’t do them any good either. Well it’s exactly the same with our bodies. Give them quality fuel and our bodies will work much better.
Our diet should consist of a combination of animal or vegetarian protein, oily fish, eggs and dairy products, whole grains with plenty of vegetables (fresh or frozen) and some fruit and unsalted nuts. We should be eating foods that nourish and energise us, as close to its natural state as possible. Healthy food doesn’t have to be bland or boring and you can prepare a really nutritious meal in minutes.
I’m not telling you I don’t enjoy a really nice portion of fish and chips because I do and I also love cake. I’m just saying enjoy processed high fat/high sugar snacks and meals in moderation and you will definitely feel better for it.
Your health is your wealth.
Leigh
