Making the best - and informed - food choices for you...

 

 

We’ll start with the two best known, wheat and milk. 

 

Both share the same issue, they’re difficult for our bodies to digest. Interestingly, they also feature in the vast majority of Allergy Tests, whether the person has raised them as a potential issue or not. In other words, they tend to put a strain on the body whether we’re aware of it, or not – and regardless of whether we have any kind of symptoms after eating them. 

 

For wheat, this is largely down to the gluten it contains, which modern farming methods have sought to maximise, giving wheat based products their light and airy texture. For milk, it’s all about the large size of the fat molecules, as well as cows’ milk being very different to human milk. Added to this is the way in which both these foods are conventionally – and intensively – produced. You can find posts on wheat here and here. Milk here and the current obsession with plant milks here. 

 

Close behind come two other foods that have both been heavily marketed as the healthy option in recent years. Artificial sweeteners and soy based products. 

 

The rationale behind artificial sweeteners is quite simple, you can have the sweetness of sugar without the calories. So, it’s easy to see why they’re so popular and seem like the sensible, healthy option. Unfortunately, it isn’t quite that simple… 

 

Not only do artificial sweeteners increase the cravings for sweet foods, they also disrupt the natural balance of “flora and fauna” within the Digestive System needed to help digest our food. For this reason, they’re linked to Candida and Thrush. They also stop us from feeling “full” leading to overeating, which is why foods containing them don’t feel so satisfying. So, rather than helping control weight, they can have the opposite effect. For posts about artificial sweeteners click here and here. 

 

Soy has become popular in recent years as an alternative to meat and dairy products, mainly due to Asian people traditionally having lower rates of Heart Disease, Cancer and Dementia. While it’s true that soy has been an important part of their diet for centuries, focussing on only one aspect of any matter is fraught with danger. Not only are other equally important aspects missed, but one very crucial fact in relation to soy itself. Traditionally, it was ONLY eaten after it had been fermented AND NOT in an unfermented state. For a reminder about why this is so important, click here. 

 

And the last one for today features another group of foods that, like soya, have been linked to good health in Mediterranean countries. We’re sure you can guess what they are. Seed oils, particularly Olive Oil. Once again, by focussing on one single aspect of the diet, other equally important ones are missed. Here it was that fish, particularly oily fish, also forms an important part of the diet. Seed oils, high in Omega 3 need to be balanced out by Omega 6, found in oily fish and other animal based fats. Eaten in excess on its own it’s been linked to many health issues, not least in encouraging inflammation, which in turn is linked to many long term – chronic – health issues. Again, links to posts on this topic can be found here, here and here. 

 

So, where are we going with this? 

 

Well, once again, it’s about not falling for the hype about the latest “wonder food” or “wonder diet.” Doing your own research and listening to what foods your body prefers – and needs. However much you may not want to hear it, these are always going to be wholefoods, not their highly processed cousins (!). If you need a reminder about why processed foods never live up to the hype, click here. 

 

It’s also worth remembering that ensuring a good diet is an ongoing, long term project. Quick fixes are never going to give the desired results in the longer term, however enticing they may seem. And, we’ve all fallen into that particular trap at one time or another… 

 

Finally, it’s all about the little things you do every day, which add up to a great result or a less than optimal one (!). So, always go for the slow steady option. One small change, then another. Not only will it make the whole process easier, but you’ll be able to see the benefits as you go along. For a quick reminder why it’s so important to ask the right questions as you do this, click here. 

 

As always, the choice is yours.