As a species, I often think we have the last healthy relationship with food of any other animal on the planet.
We have removed ourselves so far from not only the process of getting food for ourselves (be that hunter, gatherer, farmer) but also from the act of making that food into a meal (most of us either eat a highly processed diet or we eat out/take away).
We need to reassess our relationship with what we eat and re-connect with the joy of making food (be that putting foods together if you do not cook (raw food diets), cooking meals from scratch and baking). The very act of making meals is a long-handed down process and this is part of the problem. The last 2 generations have mostly been left to their own devices. I am now 40 and my mother did teach me how to cook but I have friends who have no idea where to begin and simply heat food in a microwave or head to the local restaurant/take away for their evening meal. This is unhealthy on so many levels and is frankly a very expensive way to live!
But more than that, we need to re-evaluate how we look at food. We guilt trip ourselves when we go off any diets we happen to be on, or if we succumb to a craving while we are trying to 'get healthy'. We binge eat and drink, starve ourselves, omit certain foods due to perceived intolerances and have made fat the ultimate enemy of all that is healthy.
We need to give ourselves a break when it comes to how we eat. Many wise people have used the phrase: 'Everything in moderation'. This is a truth in all things foody. Our bodies need a certain amount of fat. We need certain amounts of protein, of iron and all the other goodies that make up a nutritional diet.
How we approach our own diet (not a diet, but the diet of food we generally eat) is becoming key to how healthy we are as individuals, and as nations.
So I have a few suggestions that can be taken for any kind of diet, be it vegan/raw or carnivorous:
1. Whatever you eat, savour it. We are a sensory animal by nature and savouring the food we eat is an art we are rapidly losing, as many of us don't take the time to sit and enjoy what we have made ourselves/had made for us. Texture, flavour, scent are all part of a meal and stimulate the digestive enzymes that help break down the food we eat, leading to less bloating and fewer bowel issues.
2. Following on from no 1, chew your food. Wolfing down your food simply means you fill your belly, quite often further than is comfortable but your belly doesn't have time to signal to your brain that it is full. Taking the time to chew your food properly gives your stomach the chance to recognise when it has had enough. It also macerates your food enough to make digesting it that little bit easier.
3. Try to have as few processed foods as possible. We can't all make everything from scratch but trying to eat as many ingredients either in their original for or as close to that as possible is far better for our health than eating something that has 50 different preservatives, additives and colourants that our bodies were never meant to digest.
4. Protein is very important in anyone's diet. We need protein at least as much for energy as we do carbs. Protein is the building block of brain function. Whether its in the form of pulses and legumes, tofu, dairy, fish, meat or poultry, make sure you get enough protein in your daily diet. This does not mean having meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner! It is also worth trying to get some form of organic protein in your weekly diet as organic foods are usually higher in nutrients than their non-organic counterparts. I know times are hard, I live on a budget but I would rather go for organic chicken once a week than battery/cheap nasty stuff 3-4 times a week.
5. A little fat is good for you. We need approximately 30% fat daily. This can be from nuts and seeds, dairy, oils and butters/spreads, vegetables and meats. Animal fat (butter, lard etc), it has recently been discovered, is not the big evil it was once thought to be. The big no-no is trans fats. These are extremely bad for your health and are not a naturally occurring fat. they are completely man-made. If you use spreads rather than butter, please check the packaging before purchasing. The other big no-no is hydrogenated vegetable oil. Another unnatural oil, this has been linked to cancer, and s far better avoided. Please always read the label of any product you buy, especially things like biscuits and other processed goods. Naturally occurring oils and butter are far better for you. Please note that while olive oil is excellent for you uncooked, when cooked over anything higher than a moderate heat, it becomes as harmful for your heart as any other oil. it is more economical to cook with vegetable or sunflower oil and save olive oils for dressings/dips etc.
6. A little of what you fancy will not harm you. A lot will. Sugar, in small doses will not cause you any lasting harm. If taken daily and especially if excessively, it will harm your body and can lead to diabetes and other health complications. Many people think smoothies are good for you and vegetable smoothies tend to be fine. But when you blitz up half a dozen fruits, especially with fruit juice/frozen yoghurt/ice cream, you are giving yourself a massive hit of sugar.
7. Try your hand at foraging. I don't mean mushrooms. Mushrooms can be deceptively similar and you can become extremely ill if you pick the wrong ones. Foraging for berries/herbs/plants is not only fun but also free! If you are at all able to get out into the country now is a fantastic time of year to try your hand at it. Again, make sure you are picking berries/brambles you recognise, as some berries are not for human consumption and can be very poisonous.
8. Guilt-trips are not healthy for anyone. So you stuffed up on your healthy eating regime! Big deal. You take responsibility and don't beat yourself up about it. Move on. Throwing a guilt trip is far more likely to make you binge later on.
9. Alcohol - there is a great deal of misleading information about alcohol out there. As was earlier mentioned, in small doses, a little of what you fancy can be beneficial. Wine is good for you, in moderation. 1 glass a day. I recently read an article proclaiming that even a glass a day can be harmful. This is utter tripe. I know this because my grandfather has had a small nip of whiskey every night of his adult life. He is 97 years old! Quantities of beer and lager, mostly sugar, are not good for you but a glass of wine/whiskey or brandy will not kill you unless you have already damaged your liver beyond repair.
Good eating :D
On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scotland about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback: The Island of the Mist is book 2 The Stone in the Sword is book 1 The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats: The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin
