News has broken this week
of a food scandal effecting a few of the supermarket chains in the
UK, that traces of horse meat have been found to be
contained in the burgers that they sell. As you can imagine, there's
outrage at such a contamination; Facebook statuses are rife with
anger, as well as the jokes that must always accompany such a
discovery.
I can't help but wonder
if people are focusing on the wrong issue here. Don't get me wrong,
I'd rather not eat horse, they're wonderful animals, but there's no
health danger in eating horse. No more so than any other meat that
we consume regularly in this country.
It's been stated that the
products that have been contaminated are not of the best quality, and
often contain far more than just beef in normal circumstances, such
as sugars, offal and trans-fats, all of which are not good when
regularly eaten in large quantities.
Perhaps now is the time
for the public to really start examining the contents of the foods
they choose to eat. What's in your “low fat” dinner that makes
it so low fat? What makes that oh so delicious yoghurt dessert “fat
free”? You may be surprised to learn that the answer is sugar!
Once the fat is removed from many foods it becomes less tasty, so
manufacturers add sugar in order to make it taste good again. Sugar
is fat free! But does that mean that manufacturers should put a “fat
free” sticker on a bag of sugar? And would that make the public
buy and eat enormous quantities of it? No, of course not, but that's
what is happening with many “fat free” foods. When sugar is
eaten, it will be used as energy by the body (for brain and muscle
function). When more sugar is consumed than is used, the body
converts this into fat and stores it. This will only lead to weight
gain if the cycle continues. Try to choose naturally low fat foods
(if that's your goal) such as grilled chicken or fish with
vegetables. For dessert, try light Greek Yoghurt, with strawberries
and blueberries (I get these frozen from the supermarket) with a
sprinkle of cinnamon and spot of honey.
Many people are also
mislead when it comes to drinks labelled as “sugar free”- how is
it sugar free? Surely that means it's better for us that sugared
drinks? Alas, no! The reason that the drinks are sugar free is
because the sugar has been replaced with Aspartame (and other
artificial sweeteners). Sounds good so far! Unfortunately,
Aspartame is bad, very bad! It is linked to all sorts of problems in
the body from high blood pressure, dizziness, migraine, fatigue and
sleep disorders. Make sure to drink at least 2 litres of water
throughout the day, this will help to keep you hydrated, feeling more
awake and generally feeling much better.
Fruit is often seen by
people as the wonder food that's going to “make them lose weight”.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. Fruit, whilst undeniably
delicious and full of great vitamins and minerals, is also full of
sugar. As mentioned earlier, taking in more sugar than is used means
weight (and more specifically, fat) gain. I'm not suggesting that
no-one should eat fruit, but fruit should be considered as much of a
“treat” as chocolate by many, especially the more sedentary
populations. Fruits vary on the amount of sugar they contain, with
some having less sugar than others like apples, blueberries and
strawberries, which are full of powerful anti-oxidants and have a
lower Glycemic Index, meaning they cause less of a surge in blood
sugar levels. Instead of snacking on fruit, snack on vegetables
(peppers, cucumber, celery, carrots) and protein based foods (chicken
breast, beef, fish).
We can't insist on
“convenient”, “quick” and “cheap” foods and be surprised
that that they contain more (or less) than we think. You get what
you pay for, and if you're paying for the least expensive brand in
the shop, you're probably getting the lowest quality.
The only way to be sure
of what you're getting in the food you eat, is to make it yourself.
Do your research, find good, clean and whole foods that fuel your
body and help it to work the way it should. Not sure where to start?
As a trainer I can help to guide you towards foods that are better
for you, are naturally more “low fat” and “sugar free”
without being processed to make it that way. Get in touch,
http://vtpersonaltraining.co.uk
