WHEN IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS

By Riley Taljaard –Personal trainer and nutritionist

Most of us spend a great portion of our lives going from one diet to the next in the hopes that this one is ‘the one'. When in reality there is no diet or supplement that will get us to that magical number on the scale that seems to elude us.

The market is flooded with false promises. We are being made to believe that all that stops us from losing that last 10kgs is product A or machine B.

I do believe that although we do buy these products and machines, we know better. We know that anything that sounds too good to be true generally is, but in desperation we do things against our better judgement.

As strong as your resolve is against these slimming products, if you have ever had a weight problem, you have probably been tempted.

Why then do we still buy these products? The simple answer is ignorance.

Despite the fact that each and every one of us needs to eat to survive, we know very little about what best fuels our bodies' .How can we expect to have control over our weight when we have no clue what effect the food we eat has on our body? (With the exception of biscuits, sweets, and chips)

What Is A Carbohydrate? (Otherwise known as a carb)

It is our body's main source of energy which includes sugar, starch and fiber. Complex carbs are the most efficient fuel sources of the muscles and the brain.
Carbs are not bad foods. There are however some that are better than others. Eat foods in its most natural form. White bread, white rice, etc have been stripped of their goodness; rather have whole grain bread or brown rice. Nature provided us with what we need. The more the food has been processed the worse it is for you.

How does the body react to carbohydrates?

When too many simple or refined carbohydrates are eaten, it causes a rapid rise in blood sugar which then drops rapidly causing hunger which then results in a vicious circle resulting in weight gain.

When combining complex carbs (foods in their most natural form) and protein (nuts, meat, seeds etc), your sugar will not rise and fall like a ping pong ball and you will stay satisfied for longer. This will keep your weight under control providing you don't eat more calories than your body requires. Remember just because you are eating healthy food doesn't mean there is no portion control. Sources of good quality carbs are fruit, vegetables, brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole grain cereals and oatmeal.  Poor quality carbs which should be kept to a minimum in our diets are; fried foods, sugar, sweets, white rice, white bread, fizz cooldrink, fast foods and junk foods like chips, biscuits, crackers.

WHY DO I NEED PROTEINS AND FATS IN MY DIET?

PROTEIN

Proteins are vital for the body for the repair and growth of tissues. The human body is made up of roughly 45% protein.  Protein helps in the development of muscle, to increase strength and to increase athletic performance. It also plays a mayor roll in the proper functioning of antibodies that resist infection and the regulation of enzymes and hormones. Some proteins include, eggs, meat, fish, chicken, dairy products, legumes, seeds, nuts etc.

FATS

GOOD FATS

Fats are a necessary part of our diet, however not all fats are good for you. Some fats are necessary for good health but too much of it can lead to weight gain, heart disease , and even certain cancers.  Monounsaturated fats are found in nuts, avocados and olive oil. This type of fat helps to reduce LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and increases HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).

Polyunsaturated fats are also healthy fats found in sunflower oils, fish oils, salmon and soy. This type of fat will also lower LDL cholesterol.

BAD FATS

Saturated fat raises cholesterol, these fats are found in meat, dairy, eggs and seafood.

Transfats were created and do not exist in nature. These fats allow food to have a longer shelf life. When reading labels look out for hydrogenated, transfats or saturated fats. Keep these fats to a minimum.

INGREDIENTS LIST ON FOOD PRODUCTS

When reading the ingredients keep in mind that the ingredients are listed from the highest to lowest percentage. In other words if sugar is the first ingredient listed, then sugar makes up the largest percent of the product. If sodium is the last ingredient listed, then conversely, this is the lowest percentage of all ingredients listed.

All choices we make in life have consequences; this includes what foods we choose to eat. Making educated choices puts you in control of your health and your weight.  Take charge and start to read food labels. Eating has become our way of socializing. We seem to have lost the ability to have fun and socialize without the aid of food.

Let's make tomorrow different.