So, you’re sure that there certain things you can and should be doing to improve your health, and you’re eager to get on with it. But, it ‘s confusing. Sometimes you’ll hear that having breakfast is important; other people say it’s fine to skip it if you want to. Or, you’ll read that getting your 5 a day is the basis for health; and that fruit and vegetables are equally important.
So, I’ve come up with a few rules that, if you start today with just one, will begin to change your health for the better,.
Number 1
Stop eating processed foods. Well, foods are mostly processed in one way or another to make them edible, but what I’m talking about here are the ultra-processed things; pasties, sausage rolls, crisps, baked wheat snacks, cakes, biscuits etc. These have been invented by scientists to make you addicted. They’ve been created to be as palatable as possible so you can’t stop eating them, and they do that by creating a ‘bliss point’. This is the combination of fat, sugar and salt that has the most palatability. In other words, highly addictive. So that’s what’s happening when you’ve got your hand in a packet of Pringles and can’t stop at one or two. And, apart from the sugar, these foods contain a harmful type of fat. Don’t be tempted to eat them: prevent that by not buying them.
Number 2
Be aware of just how much sugar is hidden in foods we normally think are good for us. We’re all eating too many starchy carbohydrates, think breakfast cereal or porridge, for breakfast, sandwich or wrap for lunch, stir-fry pasta or rice for dinner, followed by a sweet treat. All these things are basically sugar: or if they’re not, they soon will be once our digestive system has broken them down. And our bodies are uneasy with sugar, we can only have just under one teaspoonful in our blood stream at one time. We produce hormones to make sure the sugar’s taken out and stored away. And it’s stored in our fat. Also, our children don’t need sugar for energy: our body can make it’s own sugar if it needs it from other food we eat. It’s taking in so much sugar that overloads the system that leads to Type 2 diabetes.
Number 3
Make sure you have enough protein.
Protein foods are meat, fish, eggs, cheese, tofu, beans and pulses. No food is all protein but these are good sources. Vegetables have a small amount of protein in them, but they are also a source of carbohydrate.
Basing meals around protein does three things.
It makes us feel full up quickly especially if there’s some fat with it, so cook your meat and fish with olive oil, butter, coconut oil, dripping or lard. This might mean that we eat less. and is a good weight loss strategy. Protein is necessary for growth and repair of every part of or bodies, and also provides the amino acids we need for enzymes to work. Enzymes are essential for ever process in the body.
More essential health improvers next week.
