Is healthy eating and dieting the same?

Nigel Slate Diets

When people think about diets they often think about healthy eating and vice versa, but this is not always the case. Often eating healthy will help you to lose weight if you are overweight but diets are not always healthy and can be quite unhealthy. For example, many diets out there rely on either slashing calories or cutting out fats, even though they may be pumped full of sugar, such as some of the shakes you can buy. This sort of dieting can be effective if you are looking to lose weight quickly such as for your wedding or a special holiday but it is often not a very healthy way of doing it and you may also find that as soon as you start to eat normally again you pile the weight back on.

It takes time to adapt your diet to eat healthy. You need a little bit from all of the food groups and you diet should consist of veg, salad or fruit at every meal. You need to stop seeing vegetables and salads as a side and instead try and make them the main focus of your plate. Proteins are particularly good for you and should be consumed every mealtime.

Cutting out sugar from your diet

Nigel Slate Diets

There is so much conflicting advice out there about what you should and shouldn’t eat it is hard to know what to follow. Recently there has been a lot of talk about sugars in our diet and how they can affect our bodies. Many of the recent diets look more at sugars than calaories and this isn’t just for weight lose purposes. Research shows that certain foods make our sugar levels spike suddenly and then crash. These spikes and crashes are not good for us and can lead on to other issues. Sugar levels that are erratic can lead to issues with hormone balance for example. You will also feel hungry quicker of you have a high sugar meal. You often get a burst of energy when you first have the sugary item but then as your levels begin to crash, so will you, finding that you feel very lethargic.

Even sugars in fruits may not be all that good for us if consumed in large quantities or the wrong times of the day. 

You may be amazed to find out how much sugar is in something that you considered to be rather healthy.

Can acupuncture help with dieting?

Nigel Slate Diets

When it comes to dieting, some techniques work better for some than for others. For many, dieting can be extremely hard work and take a long time to see any positive effects. Over the years people have tried a number of different ways in which they can lose weight. Some diets do seem to be effective but they can leave people feeling deprived and even depressed.

The beauty of acupuncture for dieting is that it helps you get rid of any bad associations you may of made about food and feelings. For example, if you find that you always eat more when you are feeling sad then this can cause you to very quickly put on weight which then may make you feel even more upset and in turn eat more. Getting rid of the emotional stress or upset will also help you to build a healthier relationship with food. Sometimes dieting works best when you can start to feel better about yourself and have some confidence first. This is what will see you through the tough times when you are feeling like giving up.

Other forms of alternative therapy such as counselling, hypnosis and reflexology also seem to show some positive outcomes for assisting with dieting.  

Should we all be taking a daily vitamin supplement?

Nigel Slate Supplements

There is a growing interest in promoting healthy living across the nation with many people trying to increase the amount of exercise that they do and eat more healthily but should taking a daily vitamin supplement be part of this regime or can be get all the nutrients we need from our food?

To explore this idea, as silly as it sounds, we need to think back to how farming methods have changed over the years. In the past there were a lot less chemicals used on the land to control pests and weeds. Every few years the ground would have a fallow year allowing the nutrients in the soil to renew but now the intensive farming methods that are used do not allow for this to happen so the soil and therefore the crops do not contain the goodness they once did.

It is for this reason that the taking of a daily vitamin and mineral supplement is advisable as a huge amount of food would need to be eaten to supply the required number of vitamins in our diet.

At different times of the year we can become deficient in certain vitamins for example vitamin D supplements should be taken through the winter months when we do not get enough natural sunlight to top up our reserves.

Staying fit in your fifties

Nigel Slate Food

As we age it becomes vital that we look after our minds and bodies if we are to continue to enjoy life well into retirement. Healthy eating and exercise are the key areas to concentrate on along with regular check ups at the doctors to keep an eye on blood pressure and other health matters, but what are the main messages about health and fitness that we should be listening to?

The most important issue is that we try to eat as healthily as possible for the majority of the time. It is essential to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, lean meat and fish and complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat pasta, rice and bread. It is also crucial especially as we age that we eat healthy fats that can be found in oily fish, nuts and seeds as this helps to keep our joints supple.

There is a debate about whether it is necessary to take vitamin and mineral supplements as a healthy diet should provide the required amounts, but it has been shown that for the majority of people it is a good idea.

Taking regular exercise as we age need not be as extreme as taking up jogging or weight training however Yoga, Pilates, walking and swimming are all good ways to exercise without putting strain on joints and muscles and risking injury.

How to stay fit and healthy during lock down

Nigel Slate Diets

With the UK progressing in to its second month on lockdown many of us are worrying about if we are doing enough to try and stay fit and healthy. This is important not only for when lock down is lifted but also to give our bodies the best chance of fighting the infection if we do catch it. 

There are a number of ways in which we can stay healthy and one is to continue with exercise. We are now allowed to exercise more than once a day outside of our home but even if you are shielding or isolating you can still take part in exercise in your home. If you struggle to get motivated there are some great online fitness or yoga videos for all ages and abilities that you can watch and join in with.

When it comes to diet, this is also important. Although it may be tempting to reach for the quick unhealthy options at the moment, it is important to ensure that you are maintaining a good balanced diet. Simply adding more veg or salad to your plate and cutting down on processed foods will quickly give your diet a boost and ensure you are getting more of the good foods you need.

Have you considered going Gluten free?

Nigel Slate Food

Gluten is in so many of our foods these days and its not until you try and cut it out that you realise exactly how many products contain gluten. Gluten is found in wheats, rye and barley etc and so is often in breads, pastries, cakes, cereals and even sausages.

It is often needed to bind food together and gives dough its elasticity. There is often mixed reviews as to whether Gluten is good or bad for you, but for some people they have an intolerance to it. This is called celiac disease.  

Someone with celiac disease may experience discomfort after eating gluten and often need to adapt their diet to try and cut it out completely if possible. There are alternatives and many everyday products can come in a Gluten free form but often at a higher price and not always ease to find.

A simple blood test can be done to say whether you are Gluten intolerant and it only costs around £40.

Giving up gluten is not always easy but if you are feeling discomfort after eating breads and pastas etc then it may be worth a try cutting it out for a few months and see if you notice a difference.

How to make your food go further

Nigel Slate Food

With the UK now on a lockdown many people are wondering how they can make their food rations last as long as possible, to cut down on the amount of time they need to go to the shops. It is very important to try and cut down on waste and this can be done a number of ways. Try and make sure you only cook what you need unless you are certain it will be eaten in the next day or so. If you do have leftovers, be sure to refrigerate them or freeze them straight away. Some people do not like having the same food day after day, in which case it is better to freeze it for another day.

If you are cooking for children, try not to put them more than they will eat as this is just a waste. Instead putting them smaller portions, you can always give them more if they finish.

When going out to do your shopping, try and make a list. This will ensure that you get everything you need and don’t waste money buying food you already have.

It is more important than ever that we try and look after ourselves at the moment, so be sure to still try and get your daily fruit and veg or possible even take multivitamin.

What is the GI diet and how does it work?

Nigel Slate Diets

So many people are trying all different sorts of diets from fasting, to no carbs to skinny jabs (injections). Some diets may produce results but can actually be damaging to your health.

GI dieting has been around for quite some time now and was first used for people with diabetes. The idea of the GI diet is to switch some high GI foods for low ones allowing you to eat less but still feel full.

The key to look term weight lose is slow and steady. If you lose too much weight too quickly you may find that you put it back on quickly, especially if you go back to how you were eating before. With the GI diet, the idea is it is a change of lifestyle, not just a short term fix. Although it may take a little longer to see results, you should find that the changes are more permanent.

Not only can low GI foods help you lose weight but you may find that they improve your mental heath and also give you more energy.

Ways to easily encompass low GI foods in your diet could include swapping white pasta for  wholewheat pasta.

Are you drinking enough water?

Nigel Slate Diets

Water is vital for us humans for survival. But not only is it essential to survive it is actually very good for us and can fix a number of health issues.  Water is found in many foods as well as drinks so you may be taking in more than you realise but are you having enough water? Research shows that although most of us know we should be drinking about eight pints of water a day, not many of us have anywhere near this amount. 8 pints may sound a lot but when you add up all the cups of tea and squash we drink, it may be that you are having more than you think.

To get the most out of water you should drink it on its own as caffeine and sugars that are often in other things that are added to water, can have a negative effect. Water can hydrate you making you have more energy and also helps your skin. The skin contains a lot of water and acts as a barrier to prevent excess water loss. If you drink too much water the kidneys will filter it out, so it is always better to be overhydrated than under.

If you find that you are suffering from a lot of headaches, then it may be that by upping your water intake, you can elevate most if not all of them.