Nutrition Maze Guide To Good Food
Posted By admin On 12.01.20. Are you confused about what to eat?. Do you worry about whether you are eating the right diet?. Are you trying to eat clean, adding olive oil because you’ve heard about the Mediterranean diet and then wondering about coconut oil because everyone is raving about that?. Do you feel guilty eating fruit, wonder about cutting carbohydrates, considering intermittent fasting?
It is confusing, right? Actually no, it really doesn’t need to be confusing. All of those foods and concepts have scientific evidence behind them as well as clinical experience from nutritional therapists, nutritionists and functional medicine experts. It’s all about context. It all depends on what YOUR body needs, right now. As a nutritional therapist, I’ve worked with over 1000 people directly on their diet and health issues.
The FeedYourselfSmarter mantra is to keep it simple, keep it visual. Our Eat Curiously and master the Diet Maze is the first in a series of infographics designed to help you. Diet Dead Ends The sad truth is that most of the diet dead ends come from those we thought we could trust; government guidelines and packaged food from leading brands. So much has already written already about sugar, but honestly, too many people continue to eat or drink hidden sugars. Switching away from pre-packed food and drink changes that.
Educate yourself, read labels. It will always tell you the amount of carbohydrates plus how much of those are from simple sugar, when more than 50% of the total carbohydrate come from sugar, skip that product. Read the ingredients which are always listed with in order of volume, when sugar or something ending in ‘ose’ are the top one, two or three ingredients listed, skip that product. Remember that the 5-a-day recommendation for fruit and vegetables was based on being achievable for the majority, not on what is optimal for health for individuals. Recently there was a call from the chair of the Royal College of GPs that the level should be lowered as it is demoralising many people (73%) don’t meet that level. Personally, that sounds like dumbing down. Fibre and phytonutrients from vegetables and fruit enhance our health, so aim high!
The first changes: The most common changes I make to clients diets are first to increase protein, especially at breakfast. The majority of people I see eat a breakfast that is too high in fast release carbohydrates and too low in protein sources. Most people are quite surprised that the protein bit of their breakfast is so low, adding nuts, seeds, eggs, cheese or cold cuts of fish or meat can make all the difference.
As a guide, aim at about ¼ of your plate being protein, or about 15-20g protein for breakfast. Secondly, I ask them to increase the colour, number and variety of vegetables. I will talk much more about phytonutrients in later posts, but for now, the colour pigments in vegetables and fruits contain phytonutrients which when eaten help us have more anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities – this is good! Plus the fibre in these goods is exactly what out gut bacteria need to flourish. Thirdly I suggest a reduction in the amount of carbohydrates and to avoid meals that are based around pasta and bread. My recipe section and ‘pimp your meal’ section offer plenty of recipe ideas.
The FYS Foundation Plan This leads to my FeedYourselfSmarter foundation plan where 50% of the plate is vegetables, 25% is a protein source, 25% is a whole grain or a starchy vegetable like the potato. Oils and fats are in the dressings or sauces and fruit is in the dessert or in the vegetable bit of the plate. The 3:4:5 Rule is a key part of the foundation plan and helps work out when to eat.
Start with 3 meals a day, at least 4 hours apart. This means your digestive system has time to rest between meals (which is super important for healthy bacteria). If your schedule means you end up with more than 5 hours between meals then have a snack, otherwise, avoid snacking.
A key to success with the foundation plan is thinking ahead. It is the nutrition version of “In failing to plan, we plan to fail”. If you know what you are eating for the next two meals you will find it easy to stick to your plan. Some simple tips to help here are to keep breakfast simple and have two or 3 breakfast options, which you alternate between during the week.
For lunch and dinner batch cook; make extra when you do cook and use it the following day to build the next meal. You will see examples of how this works in our recipes section.
Set your goals and track them If you are embarking on a new diet what do you hope to achieve from it? What are your health goals? Do you want more energy or less bloating? Do you want to improve your skin, lose weight? Write down your goals and be as specific as possible. Then plan to follow the new diet for at least 4 weeks. Has it helped your goals?
Not only will this help you to be more aware and curious about the impact of food on your body, it also helps you to work out which diet is working for you. The FYS Foundation diet is based on the Mediterranean Diet. It has lots of evidence to support it, from published scientific papers to clinical experience (i.e. When people try it, they feel better on it). It is the start point but not the final optimal diet for everyone. Some people need to eat a different way in order to achieve their health goals. If you find that it hasn’t fully met your health goals after 4 weeks then you may need to try eliminating gluten or eliminating grains (the Paleo style Diet).
We will be covering the simple steps of how to do this in future posts. So stay tuned!
'In any study, there are confounding factors such as age, sex and social class differences, which might not have been fully taken into account. That is why one study alone does not show anything.
You can only form a picture when the same results emerge from several papers where the underlying factors vary. Possibly, we scientists ought to be more cautious in expressing what our results might mean, but unless you publish your research, you cannot get funding for further work.'
To help guide you through the mealtime maze, we asked Amanda Wynne of the British Dietetic Association and Dr Gail Goldberg of the British Nutrition Foundation for their comments on some controversial foods. And perhaps we all need to take research studies with a healthy pinch of salt. Coffee The good news: Coffee drinkers are less likely than non-drinkers to die of heart disease, according to a Dundee University study. Four cups a day may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, according to a review of 17 studies published by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research. Spanish research shows that smoking raises the risk of bladder cancer, but smokers who drink coffee cut that risk by half.
Other studies suggest that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's. Short term, coffee has a stimulatory effect on mood. The bad news: Drinking four cups of coffee in the morning raises blood pressure and stress hormone levels throughout the day, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to research at Duke University Medical School in North Carolina. A Norwegian study linked caffeine to raised levels of homocysteine, which may also play a role in heart disease. Dutch research showed that strong unfiltered coffee raises cholesterol levels. Some studies indicate that more than four cups of coffee a day can increase the chance of a miscarriage and more than five cups daily may raise the risk of bladder cancer.
Amanda Wynne of the British Dietetic Association says: 'If you like coffee, drink it in moderation, especially if you are sensitive to caffeine or are pregnant. A cup of coffee can perk you up if you are feeling tired.'
Dr Gail Goldberg of the British Nutrition Foundation says: 'Lots of the reports about coffee focus on the 'bad effects' of caffeine, but coffee contains many potentially useful compounds, too, such as phytochemicals, natural plant substances, some of which may protect the body from conditions such as heart disease and cancer.' Red wine The good news: One study suggested that moderate drinkers are more likely to survive a heart attack and enjoy better overall health than teetotallers. Another - following the drinking habits of 24,000 men and women for up to 30 years - concluded that red wine drinkers fared better than those who prefer other tipples. The polyphenol resveratrol - found in red wine - has been shown to reduce cholesterol build-up and block cancer cell development.
Drinking four glasses a day reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by 75 per cent, according to a French study of 4,000 elderly people. The bad news: A review by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research concluded that there was convincing evidence of a connection between high alcohol consumption and cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus and liver, and probable evidence linking alcohol to cancer of the colon, rectum and breast. Heavy drinking is also linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Moderate drinking can affect female fertility and foetal development.
Amanda Wynne says: 'Consume in moderation - no more than one to two drinks a day for women and two to three drinks a day for men. Have some drink-free days and avoid binge-drinking. You should stay off the alcohol if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.'
Dr Gail Goldberg says: 'It is important to distinguish between high and moderate alcohol intake. The jury is still out on whether alcohol itself might be protective or whether, for example, it might be the polyphenols in drinks such as red wine.' Dairy foods The good news: Low fat dairy foods are rich in bone-building calcium and phosphorus, vitamins B12 and B2. A review of 139 scientific papers showed that high levels of calcium help to build and maintain strong bones, while a study in the British Medical Journal showed that by drinking an extra half pint of milk a day, adolescent girls significantly increase bone density.
Some research indicates that people who eat lots of dairy foods tend to be lighter and have less body fat than those with the same calorie intake who eat little. In a Scottish study, death from all causes, including heart disease, cancer and stroke, was lower in milk-drinking men. The bad news: Of 100 reports, published between 1961 and 1991, investigating diet and cardiovascular disease, 52 recommended consumption of less full-fat milk and 31 recommended less cheese or other dairy products. Some studies have linked dairy foods to prostate cancer. Some studies suggest that a bacteria in milk can cause Crohn's disease, but others dismiss this. One Harvard study showed that milk did not protect against bone fractures.
Amanda Wynne says: 'Dairy foods are rich in bone-building calcium and phosphorus, vitamins B12 and B2. Go for the low-fat options where possible.' Dr Gail Goldberg says: 'Milk and dairy foods are excellent sources of calcium and protein, and low-fat dairy foods can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.'
Meat The good news: A 1997 Cambridge study concluded that there was no evidence that frequent consumption of meat was a risk factor for cancer. And in the same year, the Government's Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food said that average meat-eaters need not alter their diet: only people who consumed more than 90 grams a day needed to consider cutting down.
Red meat is an excellent source of iron and zinc. Young women who avoid it risk low iron status and anaemia, unless they compensate with other iron-rich foods. One study found that up to a quarter of school-age teenagers had iron levels suggestive of anaemia, a condition that can affect energy levels and IQ.
The bad news: High consumption of meat - especially red and processed meat - is linked to increased risk of bowel, breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer, according to the Dunn Human Nutrition Unit at Cambridge University. The 1998 research also highlighted a possible link with lung cancer, and between barbecued meat and oesophageal cancer. Other studies support a connection between meat-eating and colorectal cancer. Children in Motherwell, Scotland, whose mothers had eaten large amounts of red meat during pregnancy, were found to have raised blood pressure. Amanda Wynne: 'Go for lean cuts or cut off all the fat. Eat moderate portions of lean meat with lots of fruits, vegetables and starchy foods for a good balanced diet.'
Fast Food Nutrition Guides Printable
Dr Gail Goldberg: 'Red meat is the richest source of iron, and it's in the form that our bodies can use most easily.' Oily fish The good news: An American doctors' study found that participants who ate more than one portion of fish a week had a 52 per cent lower risk of sudden death from heart disease than those who ate it less than once a month. Another major American study showed that taking fish oil supplements lowered the overall risk of death in people who had had a heart attack. Marine oils reduce blood clotting and stickiness and levels of unhealthy LDL-cholesterol and total blood fat. New research shows they also block irregular heart rhythms.
Good Nutrition Foods To Eat
The bad news: A study of 20,000 American doctors found that frequent fish-eaters experienced no fewer heart attacks or deaths from heart disease overall. Worries about oily fish focus on high levels of pollutants such as dioxins, PCBs and mercury, described by the magazine Health Which? As 'a cause for concern'. Because of concerns about mercury, the Food Standards Agency advises expectant mothers and children under 16 to avoid eating shark, swordfish and marlin. Amanda Wynne: 'Oily fish is a great food to include in your diet. Aim for one to two portions of salmon, mackerel or tuna each week.' Dr Gail Goldberg: 'The benefits of oily fish far outweigh potential problems about pollutants and toxins: eat a variety of fish.'
Wheat The good news: According to a study in The Lancet, one in five people thought they reacted badly to certain foods, but less than one in 50 actually showed an allergic response when tested. Just one person in 1,000 reacts specifically to wheat, according to a 1998 paper in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Only seven per cent of dieticians surveyed by the Grain Information Service said that they would recommend eliminating wheat from the diet as a treatment for bloating.
Studies suggest that wholegrain cereals may protect against stomach cancer. The MRC epidemiology Unit at Southampton University has advised women of child-bearing age not to follow high protein, low carbohydrate diets. The bad news: One in 300 Britons suffers from coeliac disease, an intolerance to gluten, found in wheat and some other cereals. The condition is characterised by damage to the wall of the small intestine.
Others suffer from a wheat allergy or intolerance, with symptoms including bloating, constipation and diarrhoea. Some dieticians claim that millions in the UK have an intolerance to wheat. Amanda Wynne: 'Most of us can happily include wheat-based foods such as breads and cereals in our daily diet.
Fast Food Nutrition Guide
Most of our energy should come from carbohydrate foods.' Dr Gail Goldberg: 'Bread contains many important vitamins and minerals. Bread and cereal products should not be excluded from the diet without advice from a state-registered dietician.' For publishers wishing to reproduce photographs on this page please phone 44 (0) 207 538 7505 or email.