I can’t believe we are into February already – isn’t time just flying by as per usual. Hopefully you have started a few new habits already this year in terms of eating and exercising. If you haven’t, don’t worry – just make the decision to do something now. You have got nothing to lose.
One of the things that you should look to be doing this year is to remove as many processed foods from your diet as possible, and this is something I want to talk about today.
So here goes…
Wheat and a number of other grains are a long way from how they used to be 30-40 years ago. Nowadays these things are so heavily processed, good quality nutrients have been replaced by mad-made rubbish! There are also many people who (at this point in time) just cannot digest these man-made foods very well.
How many times after eating something like a Pizza or a Spaghetti Bolognese (the pasta, in particular) do you sit back and feel bloated, as if you’re stomach is about to burst?
That’s your stomach struggling to digest it!
We point at gluten being one of the biggest offenders for causing this. In most cases I would be inclined to agree with that – it can be a huge cause of sluggishness and bloating (as described above), and it can even cause muscle and joint aches. If you have a full-on intolerance to wheat gluten (in particular) it can slow it down your thyroid gland (the hormone that kicks off the whole digestion process, when you eat something), which will result in weight gain, zero energy, and thyroid issues.
The Main Culprits
You’ll find a lot of processed foods are usually carbohydrate based, but if you can start by ditching the main culprits;
- Breads (Hovis, Kingsmill etc)
- Pasta
- Breakfast Cereals (from Cornflakes to “healthy” muesli)
- Cakes and Biscuits
That’s just to name a few. If you start ditching some of these and you will be on the right path to better health.
A lot of these products are broken down into sugars quickly, so they cause a lot of problems. Eating either breakfast cereals or toast (on its own) for breakfast, is a sure-fire way to cause an energy crash mid morning, and also maintain a bloated stomach.
Why not try swapping these “traditional” choices for something like Greek yogurt with nuts and berries, or an omelette, or why not even have some fun and make some protein pancakes. All are just as quick to make as cereal and toast!
Eat More Protein and Fat
Following on from the last point above, you should replace these foods with more protein and more fat!
Protein and fat digest slower in the body than carbohydrates – which means they will keep you feeling fuller for longer. If you feel hungry every few hours, or feel the need to eat every few hours in order to avoid the “shakes” this is definitely a sign you’re not eating enough protein/fat in your diet.
Sources of Protein
The main sources of protein in your diet should come from the following:
- Meats (mainly Beef)
- Poultry (Chicken and Turkey)
- Eggs
- Fish (Salmon, Cod, Haddock etc)
- Beans, Lentils, Quinoa
Sources of Fat
The main sources of fat in your diet should come from the following:
- Nuts (Brazil, Walnuts, Almonds, Macadamias, Cashews)
- Greek yoghurt (Full fat only!),
- Oils (Olive and Coconut oil),
- Avocado
- Cheese (Goats Cheese, Feta Cheese, Mozzarella, Quark)
If you can add a fist-sized portion of protein and a couple of tablespoon sizes of fat to each meal, you’ll be going a long way to improving health and energy.
What the Magazines say
Numerous magazines and newspaper articles have led a vast number of people to believe fat is bad. We all know that fat stored in your body is bad – I know it, and you know it. However, eating fat alone does not make you fat. Eating too much of anything makes you fat!
We need natural fats to aid the health of our skin and cells. Our body is made up of lots of cells, so if you want better skin, you should eat more natural fats.
Your body’s hormones are made from fat. If you have healthy hormones, you will have a healthy and fully functioning body.
If you are still going strong this New Year, keep it going. If you have not started, make today that day. Start with one small change, and let it go from there.
Speak soon,
Josh