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THE GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING

Fitness, Health

THE GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING

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Yesterday, looking back at photos from last year I felt a surge of guilt and sadness rush through me. I was flashing a bright smile, looking the most toned I’ve ever been, and wearing clothes two sizes smaller than what fits me now. The guilt weighed down on me because I had given up my on diet plans and weight loss efforts and sadness came as a by-product of being unable to fit into last year’s flashy clothes.

After an hour of whining and degraded self-love, I logged into my social media accounts. As if by divine intuitive appreciation, I was instantly met with articles defaming body shaming, praising all body types, encouraging good health and happy love affairs with food.

In a matter of minutes, I was reminded of all the struggle, crankiness, and bad temper that accompanied almost all of the diet plans I’ve ever followed. I was reminded of how weak and fragile I had felt internally munching on nothing but greens all day of the week. I stood up and checked myself out in the mirror.

Apart from the tiny muffin top formed at my torso and a few extra lbs on the thighs gawking at me, I looked quite alright. My cheeks flaunted a nice tint of pink, my eyes had a sparkle, and my hair felt heavy and healthy.

That got me wondering, do I really need to be on a diet?

Here’s my answer to myself and all others out there going through the same dilemma.

NO!

We are misled and fooled into believing that cutting down completely on some foods and restricting ourselves wholly to some others is a good way of weight loss. The whole concept of ‘dieting’ perturbs me as it calls for an excursion from normal, healthy eating routines.

Speaking of which, I am here to bust some dieting myths and guide you towards healthy eating habits proven so by latest findings of nutritional science! So grab a bowl of popcorn and read on!

Not All Fats Are Created Equal

Good fats

Fats have developed a malicious image owing to fast and junk food. Amidst the rumors we almost forgot about the good necessary fats, the lack of which causes so many deficiency diseases, neurological derangement, and mental illnesses.

Latest research has found consuming some high-fat foods and cutting down on refined carbohydrates to be most nutritious and curbing to weight loss. “While it’s a good idea to limit saturated fats (found in cheese, meat, butter, sausage and desserts), you need fat to aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, E, D and K,” says Registered Dietitian Patricia Bannan, author of Eat Right When Time Is Tight.

If we go by Bannan’s words, nuts, peanut butters, olive oil, eggs, and most pleasing, fatty fish are all allowed in your stay-healthy regimen.  According to the American Heart Association, treating yourself to a couple of weekly servings of mackerel, lake herring, salmon, or lake trout would really be a favor you will be rendering to your body’s well being.

hello Mediterranean Diet- Bye-Bye Breast Cancer

mediterranean-diet

The thought of Mediterranean foods is usually accompanied by meat and rice dishes floating around in excess oil and royal servings of desserts, in short, all fattening foods. These misconceptions about Mediterranean food were slammed by some recent study carried out at Piacenza Hospital in Italy.

The study observed women in remission from breast cancer for three years and reinforced the findings of a similar previous study. None of the women allowed a Mediterranean diet, rich in vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, whole grains, olive oil, and fish, experienced a relapse. While 11 patients following their routine diets suffered from cancer again.

This is definitely good news for lovers of Arabic food (myself included) and calls for a falafel party at Operation Falafel, doesn’t it? The chickpeas, chia seeds, and olive oil are all great reserves of proteins and essential vitamins that are not only excellent in preventing cancer but also in promoting plenty healthy cells growth.

You Are Allowed Chocolate, Wine, and Cheese

CHOCOLATE, WINE, AND CHEESE

Say, what!? I know sounds too good to be true, but this is exactly what Professor Spector suggests in his worldwide famous book, The Diet Myth. He talks of good bacteria (microbes) in the stomach which outnumber our body cells, for a reason! These good bacteria aid weight loss and staying fit significantly. Professor Spector continues to propose that restricting your diet to one sort of foods undermines the growth of a wide spectrum of microbes.

What really makes Professor Spector’s research so admirable (and, worth a try) is his stance that chocolate, wine, and cheese increase microbe diversity in the gut. The three are “anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and have important microbial effects,” says Professor Spector.

I’m sure lots of us were anticipating the advent of a man such as Professor Spector and a research such as the one which suggests; contrary to popular belief, chocolate and cheese help remain slim and fit rather than otherwise. However, before you go on to make any unruly assumptions; I must warn you, gnawing at bars upon bars of chocolate and downing jugs of wine is surely not the way to go about it. The whole point is to increase microbe diversity in the gut by eating off a diverse menu.

Potatoes, amigos!

You must be familiar with scary terms, such as ‘hypoglycemic index’ and ‘do not eat’ escorting the very mention of potatoes in healthy food blogs and magazines. Trust me, it’s a vile conspiracy founded on fallacy and misinformation against our dear taters.

Potatoes are beaming with carbohydrates, vitamin C, some vitamin B, and trace minerals. What has really earned potatoes a bad name is their method of preparation preferred by fast food chains and the likes. As long as you are not sinking potato products in a sea of oil, they can’t hurt a fly, let alone your body!

In fact, cooking and cooling potatoes allows for increase in resistant starch in the meal. The starch resists digestion and improves gut bacteria growth and functionality. Now, we already discussed how good gut bacteria keeps you trim and proper.

The Takeaway

So, all this healthy food myths debunking leaves us with the following conclusions:

  • ‘Dieting’ is a mean word. Don’t let food myths deluge you. Rather, if you love your food as much as you love a well-toned, healthy body, look into the latest research and set your own health plans.
  • Fats are friends. Do not starve your body with a deficit of good fats. Your body is incapable of manufacturing some fats; you must get them from some high-fat foods at all costs.
  • Benefit from the perks of 21st century research! Anyone who has had a taste of Mediterranean food, chocolate, wine, and cheese cannot possibly resist them all their life out of fear of obesity. Thankfully, we don’t have to anymore.
  • Eat healthy, go for a jog, and live happy.

AUTHOR BIO

Rachel-StinsonRachel Stinson has always had a knack for writing, food, fashion, and places. Blogging has combined all four areas of interest for her with an added bonus of enthusiastic audiences. She expertly analyzes real estate and restaurants with respect to pricing and people involved and can express her opinions in an unhesitatingly, engaging manner.

 

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