Glass bowl filled with milk, healthy strawberries, oats, banana, spoon, yellow and white table cloth background

Food, health and happiness

Food, as we all know, is an essential part of life. It’s essential because life as we know it would not exist. However, not all foods are the same and the quality – not quantity – is far, far more important. Just because you’re eating, doesn’t mean it’s ‘mission accomplished’. Basically, what this means is that a healthy, well-balanced diet has the potential help us live longer and happier when compared to say fast food.

Is this you?
high-carb-foods

So, what can you do to feed your body the right way? Well, here are some handy tips and advice that we believe everyone should follow.

Cut-out the carbohydrates

“Cut out the what”, we hear you ask? Car-bo-hy-drates (or commonly refered to as simply ‘carbs’) cannot be eliminated entirely from even a well-balanced diet but, carbs can be considerably reduced if you know what to look for. However, before we explain how to avoid eating foods with high levels of carbs, let us firstly explain what a high carb diet is doing to your body.

Carbohydrates are basically a high energy source that, when eaten in excessive amounts and for a long period of time, has been known to cause weight gain, poor metabolic health, an increased risk of heart disease, and of course diabetes.

What can you do to minimise your carbohydrate intact for a healthier and happier life? Well, we could say something like don’t drink soft drinks, stay away from deserts, don’t eat bread and pastries, and so on, and so on. But, the fact of the matter is that you can, just do so in moderation.

Here are some ‘danger’ foods to avoid:

  • Soft drinks, fruit juices, high energy drinks
  • Bread, pastries, cereals,
  • Cakes, cookies, sugary deserts, chocolates, honey
  • Pizza, chips, pasta, hamburgers
  • And many foods that are either highly processed or highly refined

So, if you need to avoid everything above, what’s left? Well, lots of things, actually. Here are some low carb examples you can enjoy more of (not to excess):

  • Meat, Poultry, and Seafood
  • Fats, cheese, mushrooms, fresh vegetables (non-starchy)
  • Nuts, seeds, whole-grain foods,
  • Water (and lots of it), tea, coffee

Eat fresh, home-cooked meals

Who has time to cook when delicious meals are just a few clicks away, right? It can be difficult to argue about the convenience and speed that take-away restaurants can offer, particularly after a long and busy day at work and all you want to do is have dinner and relax. However, take a moment to consider the following health benefits of cooking at home and we’re sure you’ll agree that it just might be worth the effort after all.

By cooking at home…

  • You know all the ingredients you are consuming,
  • You have control over the amount of sugar, salt, and other seasonings you are using,
  • You can add more of the ‘good things’ and less (or none) of the bad ingredients,
  • You can teach the kids (and your partner too) to help prepare/cook meals,
  • You save money.

Eat fresh fruit and vegetables

Our planet is blessed with many types of fruits and vegetables that are high in both goodness and flavour. And when in season, these little ‘Earthly gifts’ contain many health benefits, including important vitamins and minerals our bodies need. Some plums, for example, contain antioxidants to help combat heart disease and certain cancers. You may have heard the saying “an apple a day helps keep the doctor away”? Well, it’s not entirely true but what is true is that fruit and vegetables, when eaten regularly and in moderation, are an excellent way to stay healthy, for longer.

So instead of reaching out for a chocolate bar, a cookie, or some other sweet or sugary snack, consider having a strawberry desert, some grated apple with cinnamon, or a slice of watermelon from the fridge on a hot day. You’ll be surprised just how refreshing it is, and your body will thank you for it.

Avoid processed/highly refined foods

How do you think you would feel eating pizza, pasta, and hamburgers almost on a daily basis? Apart from the potential of becoming obese, you also run the risk of developing some serious health issues as well. And the main reason why processed foods want to kill you, while pretending to be your ‘friend’, is due to the fact that the ingredients used often contain high saturated fats, high dietary cholesterol, high sugar, high salt, and other nasties, with the simple purpose of keeping your tastebuds excited while you chew.