Health Food Myths

Are we fuelling our body with the right foods? Are we choosing “health foods” but unwittingly filling our engines with foods high in sugar, including refined, processed carbohydrates which cause more damage to our health than good?  Let’s take a look at the most common health foods that are actually not so healthy after all.

1. Flavoured Yogurt

This is a wonderful “go to” quick breakfast and snack which smells good, looks good and fills us with probiotics and good bacteria such as lactobacillus and bifidobacillus. It is perceived as a “health food” and “superfood“. However, if we look at the sugar content in some of the common brands there is almost 17% (17g per 100g). That is almost as much as ice cream. I know which one I rather have. A better choice is to buy full fat Greek yogurt and add your own fruits for natural sweetness such as fresh or frozen berries, apples or stone fruits. Look for yogurts that have less than 8% sugar (8g per 100g). YoPro is a local brand you can get from Woolworths and Coles in Australia which has less than 5% sugar. Look for similar products.

2. Dried Fruit

Trail mixes, cereal snacks. Dried fruit can have to up 67% sugar with the highest content being currants, sweetened dried cherries and cranberries. The lowest which still has a whopping 36% are prunes. Unfortuanately, they are added to cereals to make them sweet but have such a high sugar content that they cannot be considered health foods. They appear to be the perfect health snack, but you may as well carry little packets of sugar. You only need to taste one to feel the sugar on your tongue.

3. Cereals

On the topic of cereals, the high sugar content of popular breakfast cereals such as Coco Pops, Fruit Loops and Frosties take the health out of your breakfast. It is not just the kid’s breakfast cereals that are a danger but adult ones too. As mentioned above, dried fruits added to cereals such as Just Right and Sultana Bran make them high in sugar. Other cereals such as Weetbix are better, but they have a high salt content. There is a new cholesterol-lowering Weetbix on that can be found in your local supermarket as well which maybe helpful to someone with elevated levels. This should always be taken in conjunction with the medications your doctor has prescribed.

You are best to stick to natural unsweetened wholesome cereals such as muesli. They are an excellent example of a nutrient rich, wholesome health food. Getting the unsweetened or natural version and adding your own fruits is the ideal way to serve it. This eliminates the high sugar content muesli which has dried fruit added to it.

4. Muesli Bars

The constant challenge for mothers is to find a healthy snack for their children at school which is quick and easy to pack. Even as adults, it appears to be a good choice for a quick mid-morning snack which appears to be better than a muffin or chocolate bar. Unfortunately, they are another pereceived health food that has high sugar content, highly processed and refined due to added sugars and dried fruits.

There are very few brands on the market which would meet the health requirements to be truly a health food. If you must have muesli bars, you are best to make your own where you can control what goes into it. Otherwise, there are other healthier food options.

5. 97%  fat free salad dressings

Communal Eating

We live in a fast world. This is especially the case with families with children of different ages. Their days and evenings are filled extracurricular activities, so much so that we are often eating on the run and never as a family or group anymore. It is important that at least once a week, we do sit down and enjoy “communal eating”. Unfortunately, many of us have forgotten what it is like to do this. Eating is not only for nutrition and energy, but it also brings people together to appreciate food. I encourage every one of you to have at least one family or friends dinner a week where the focus is on appreciating and enjoying food. Talk about the aromas and flavours of the food. Compare the dishes and tastes. This can be done with any of the meals on our meal plans. It does not have to be a feast or celebration. Turn your brains into your stomachs and register the experience and pleasure of eating in the company of others.

Even though you may doing this program by yourself, ensure you still eat together with family and friends. The food and recipes on the Redefine Metabolic Program are designed for everyone to eat, including all members of the family. You should not have to be cooking separate meals for everyone.  Remember, this style of eating is evidence based and will provide health and nutrition benefits to everyone who embraces it.

Visualisation

Keep mentally strong. Stay tuned. Picture yourself doing the workouts and finishing every one of them. Visualise success – visualise having a medal around your neck, lifting up a trophy or shaking the hand of a judge at a competition.

Charged with the right positive emotions that visualisation can bring, you can unleash a powerful energy within creating a driving force to achieve your goals. This will help you get going, but you need “staying power” as well. Mindfulness keeps you on track and visualisation helps you see the future of your success. Both are just as important and complement each other. In your deepest moments, when you doubt yourself, visualise how you would feel if you succeeded; how you would feel if you achieved your goals.

Mindfulness Exercise: Drinking a glass of water

Dr Terence Chong will show us a minful exercise and how we can incorporate it into our everyday life. Do this exercise with Dr Chong to gain a full understanding of how to do mindfulness effectively.

Medium Level Triceps – Legs straight

A Simple HIIT Routine you can do at Home

This short, simple high intensity session at home shown below will increase your metabolism and accelerate your weight loss efforts.

Please go to lesson 5.2 for your daily exercise and eating plan