Over the years I have heard so many words of wisdom. Once I was told, "Don't eat eggs due to their fat/cholesterol content", then later the advice was to "eat eggs as they are a wonderful, complete food". Around the same time avocados were considered fattening so "don't eat them".
Now we are told "avocadoes contain good fats so eat them". Then there is fruit. I remember being told it's good to "eat as much fruit as you like", but this advice has since become "limit fruit due to its natural sugar content". No wonder we are confused!
Ultimately we want to be "healthy" and recognise there is a connection between the food we choose to eat and our health. So it is only natural that we strive to eat well.
But what is "well"? Although there is a common theme, nutrition is a subjective topic. Different nutritional experts have different slants on their advice. This is largely influenced by their training, background and intentions, ie, sports nutrition, natural medicine or clinical dietician, to name a few.
Research is constantly discovering new gems of information and as a result we are continually learning more about the foods we eat, how our body works and the role our food has in our bodily functions.
I acknowledge this research is extremely helpful and I welcome it. It is particularly useful in understanding health conditions and the role nutrition can play in the prevention and treatment. However, I am also conscious that research can fuel fads which we can have a tendency to cling to, creating an unbalanced mindset towards the "foods of the moment".
Three "rules" that help me rationalise the forever evolving cascade of information are:
¦Balance, balance, balance - because something is "good" for us, lots of it is not necessarily better. An example of this is a family friend, who knowing water is "good for you", drank 6-7 litres daily over an extended period of time. She now suffers from incontinence problems, which is thought to be due to the bladder being stretched from her excessive water intake. Similarly, because something is "bad" for us, it may not mean that if you eat it occasionally you are doomed.
It is important to recognise that true balance for each individual is different. For example, for Joe Bloggs one coffee a day is balanced, but to his neighbour no more than one coffee a year will maintain balance.
There are times when balance may involve the abstinence or very close monitoring of certain foods. Individuals with coeliac disease or diabetes are an example of this.
This brings me to my next rule - to help me find, and maintain, my own individual balance.
¦Listen to your body. How do I feel after eating a food? Alert? Sleepy? Jittery? Nauseous? Mucus in my throat? Increased pulse?
¦Eat foods in their natural state. Avoid foods that come to us in packets whenever possible.
¦To contact Kim email herbaceousnz@gmail.com, goorganicdelivered@gmail.com or phone or text 027 307 3062.
Over the years I have heard so many words of wisdom. Once I was told, "Don't eat eggs due to their fat/cholesterol content", then later the advice was to "eat eggs as they are a wonderful, complete food". Around the same time avocados were considered fattening so "don't eat them".
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