What is wrong with the way we eat and why is what we eat contributing to the proliferation of disease states? Well it’s nothing you won’t have already read about. We eat too much sugar, too much refined and processed food, too much of the wrong kind of fat, too many preservatives and artificial sweeteners and sometimes just too much! Basically the Western style diet that predominates in Australia is calorie rich and nutrient poor. We aren’t getting what we need from our food, so our bodies crave more nutrition and we respond by eating more of the wrong foods. This cycle leaves us nutritionally deficient and often a few kilos heavier than we want to be.

The response to the general trend towards obesity is to create a new diet every year or so and promote it as the answer. For some individuals these diets may work but more often than not, people enter the “diet roundabout”, losing weight only to put the weight back on and sometimes even more on once they stop following the specific dietary principles.

So before you embark on yet another diet, take a critical look at the principles it promotes. Ask yourself these questions:

Is the diet sustainable in the long term?

– Is it so restrictive that you would find it difficult to maintain longer than a few weeks?

– Does it include food that is difficult to source in your local environment?

– Is this diet within your budget?

– Does it take too long to organize and prepare?

Does this diet provide you with the nutrition you need?

– A diet that restricts or eliminates key food groups may not actually be healthy in the long term.

Is this diet designed to meet a short term goal or is it meant to be a lifelong change?

– What is your motivation to go on a diet? Do you want to drop a couple of kilos fast or do you want to make healthier eating choices for the long term?

– Consider what you want to achieve with any diet as it may help determine if a diet is suitable for you.

Have you tried and failed at “fad” diets before?

– If you have tried diets before and not got the results you want or lost weight then quickly put it back on or just gave up because it was too hard, think about whether this is the right path for you. If so, how is it going to be different this time?

– Do you feel that you are denied foods that you enjoy?

Based on the above questions you may actually find that none of the current “fad” diets suit you at all. Casting a critical eye over some of the most common diets and dietary trends highlights some potential issues.

Low fat or non-fat foods.

– When manufacturers cut the fat out of food they have to replace it with something that makes it taste good. More often than not, simple carbohydrates such as sugar are used to replace the fat. A diet high in simple carbohydrates and sugar is a significant contributing factor to central obesity and Type 2 diabetes. So in fact, low fat foods may be contributing to weight gain.

– Fat sends our brain a message that we have had enough food and so we feel fuller sooner. We tend to eat a greater quantity of sugary foods than we do foods that contain normal levels of fat.

High Protein Diets

– The reason most high protein diets help with weight loss is that they are essentially a low calorie diet. Often quite effective in the short term, a high protein diet can be hard to maintain for longer periods of time.

– Keep in mind also that high protein diets tend to severely restrict carbohydrates effectively cutting out a significant nutrient source. Vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants are reduced and over the long term this does not promote wellbeing.

Calories Counting

– Calorie counting requires discipline and time. If you have these then this type of diet may suit you.

– Counting calories doesn’t necessarily equate to a balanced diet. You can eat junk as long as it fits within your calorie intake for the day.

Low Carbohydrate Diets

– Generally low carbohydrate diets can put people on the right track if they rely on carbs as a significant nutrient source. But what is wrong with carbs? They are a significant source of B vitamins and magnesium which are essential to energy production.

– The issue isn’t carbohydrates, it is the type of carbs we eat that is the problem. Limiting the “wrong” carbs is a great idea. Limiting all carbs may not be.

Perhaps the focus needs to shift. Maybe what we need is not actually a “diet” but rather work with some key dietary habits. Diets are short term, good habits last for a lifetime.
Habits for a lifelong healthy eating

Eat whole foods

– Whole foods have one ingredient – itself. They are un- or minimally processed and don’t contain a raft of additives. Some examples of whole foods include fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Think of the colour. Fruit and vegetables are all the colours of the rainbow and grains, nuts, seeds and legumes are often shades of brown. There is no white food in this mix. Think colour when you think whole foods.

– Whole foods are rich in nutrients and provide your body more of what it needs for optimal wellbeing.

Choose your carbohydrates well

– If you want carbohydrates in your diet go right ahead but choose wisely. Choose unrefined complex carbohydrates. Go for whole meal (brown!) varieties of grain. They have a lower glycemic index, provide sustained energy and contain in nutrients that promote good digestion and energy production

– Alternate your grains. If we eat one grain as the basis of our diet, in Australia it is wheat, then we are more likely to develop intolerance. Mix it up by choosing from the whole meal or brown varieties of spelt, amaranth, rice, buckwheat, quinoa and rye.

– Try more legumes such as beans, split peas, legumes, kidney beans etc. They are a great source of sustained energy and nutrients.

Choose good oils

– Good oils are found in nuts and seeds, deep sea fish, refined oils such as olive, sesame and coconut oil.
– Avoid trans and hydrogenated fats. Any oil that was once liquid and is now solid has undergone the process of hydrogenation. A diet high in hydrogenated oils is directly linked to an increase in cardiovascular disease.
– Processed foods tend to contain hydrogenated fats (and lots of sugar) so are best avoided.

Eat red meat in moderation

– Red meat is a valuable source of protein, as are chicken and fish. Protein is important for maintenance and repair and so is essential but we can also obtain protein from food such as whole grains, legumes and eggs.

Practice moderation in general

– If you want a treat, have it. Don’t deny yourself or you may focus on the very thing you want to avoid. But practice moderation and choose your treats wisely. For example go for good quality chocolate, coffee or alcohol and when you do, take a moment to savor the experience.

Read Labels

– Find out what you are eating by reading labels. You may be surprised. If you see ingredients such as flavour enhancers, additives, colours, preservatives etc, think about whether you want to eat that food. If you do choose to eat it, know that your body will have to detoxify it at some later stage.