FOOD

Did you think I was about to tell you all to start your New Year’s detoxing and dieting? WRONG!  That couldn’t be further from what I have to say on this occasion and for the record, predictability is not a direction I shall be steering in…. Intrigued?  Well stay with me and read on…

Yet another year goes by and I find myself tracing the same familiar steps I have taken in years gone by.  Know the feeling?  First, we overdose at Christmas, promising to diet in January, then we make New Years resolutions, normally including some form of diet or exercise commitment, which we solemnly swear to uphold, but by the second week of January, we’re back to our old ways and that extra holiday weight is hanging off our midriffs looking like it’s ready to set up permanent residence.  Deja vu?  Nice try, but I think we all know it is nothing but pure laziness that holds us back.

So before I launch into my first rant of the year, tell me something… How was your Christmas and New Years?  Did you genuinely have a great time?  I hope so, I really do and I wish you all a great 2008 filled with health, happiness and good fortune.  Good, now that’s out of the way…. I can tell you that it is New Year’s Day and I’m sitting here trying to, somewhat, pull myself together.  I’m happy to confess that I am recovering from last nights festivities; My friends and I opted for a big girly New Year’s get together at a friend’s house.  We decided on some one-pot cooking and so I made a huge pot of Chilli (con carne) and whizzed up some of my (now infamous) Margaritas, and we had a blast.  So technically it was a spicy Mexican New Years Eve!  We didn’t make any resolutions, but if asked to think of one, I would dig deep and look back at all the lessons I’ve learned this year and perhaps offer you (in my humble & non-expert opinion) a few words that may or may not give you a little motivation for a better 2008;
 
“Do whatever it takes to make you look and feel good (both inside and out) and instead of focusing on the things you don’t have, focus on what you DO have, because only THEN will realise how blessed you truly are”…

So anyway, about 5 years ago, I vowed that I would never join another gym ever again!  But I must confess, 2007 was the deal breaker and I’ve had enough of staring at myself in the mirror and wishing I looked different, so I guess there is nothing left for me to do, but give in and get fit!  Much to my own surprise, I am absolutely 100% committed to improving my health and fitness levels.  (Note that I am not focusing on weight loss or any kind of ‘Fad’ dieting WHATSOEVER!)  So, first thing on Thursday 3rd January, I have an appointment at my local work-out haven!  I think (deep down) we all know that despite our best attempts to defer exercise one way or another, the problem will only worsen and we are usually left with an even bigger problem to overcome.  So i am giving it my all because I deserve to look and feel better!  I turn 31 this coming weekend, and I think that a healthier, happier me is the best present I could give myself, so…..
 “WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!”

My own New Year’s agenda aside, we all know how great exercise is supposed to be for our bodies, but if weight loss is your goal, then exercise alone won’t always do the trick.  You need to think long and hard about your eating patterns, what you eat and whether you are enjoying a sensible diet which is providing you with all the nutrients and energy you need, whilst ensuring you aren’t exceeding your required intake of carbohydrate, fats and calories.  God I hate dieting.  In fact, it’s usually when you call it a ‘Diet’ that the damn thing actually never works!  So why not ditch the diet and start this year afresh?  “Did she say ditch the diet?  Has she gone mad?” – No, I haven’t.  But let’s face it… When do diets ever work?  Diets are ploys devised by people like “Dr Atkins”, as well celebrities who have an exercise video to promote or want to sell books to generate income as well as ply you with branded diet supplements (of which I’m sure they get a percentage of the profits!)  We are being ripped-off into thinking a healthy body is something that can be bought, when quite clearly, it can’t!  Haven’t you noticed that Dieticians are now referred to as ‘Nutritionists’???  Well, wake up and smell the coffee!  It’s because DIETS DON’T WORK!  

I’m not advocating that you continue eating mountains of fast food and other such garbage, but the average person isn’t able to follow a diet sheet, because restriction is no way to live.  Plus, who has the time to prepare special meals?  Eating sensibly is the way to go.  Reducing portion sizes, swapping certain carbohydrate rich items (normal white rice) for low GI (glycolic index) brown rice or even Basmati rice and banishing white bread and white potatoes, in favour of rye or linseed bread and my favourite sweet potatoes!  So what is an average sensible day's eating?  The recommended meal intake is actually 6 small meals each day, but if you have children or are working, this can often prove to be impossible.  So here are some pointers… Most lean meats (chicken, fish, beef, and lamb) are absolutely fine!  The key is to ensure that it is good quality fresh meat and trimmed of all excess fat, with a portion size of 100-150g max.  Most green leafy vegetables (we’re not talking about lettuce here!) are fantastic and very nutritious accompaniments and some brown rice or quinoa (an ancient protein rich grain, usually available at Whole foods and most UK supermarkets) are excellent accompaniments to your meat/fish.

Why not add some ‘Super foods’ to your daily diet, in the form of beans (particularly Aduki beans), blueberries, broccoli, oats, salmon & mackerel, spinach, avocado, chick peas (and humous), walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, hemp & linseeds.  Super foods are foods that carry an above average nutritious content and prepared appropriately can aid digestion and help cleanse you from the inside out.  So whether you are just adding an extra couple of portions of oily fish (salmon, mackerel and even tuna) to your diet, or sprinkling seeds on your brown rice or salad, it all helps!  So there is no need for all that ‘Detox’ nonsense and paraphernalia that we are told to buy year after year as its all just one big consumer ploy to make money!  Certain foods are all the detox and cleansing that you will ever need.  Antioxidants are also a great thing to add to your regime.  They can be found in green tea, white tea, red wine (yes, I said red wine!) and blueberry, but especially in our own wonderful pomegranates!  Antioxidants are high in high in phytoflavinoids, which help lower blood pressure, prevent heart disease and are effective at neutralising cancer causing ‘free radicals’… Who needs to diet?  When all the answers to a better, healthier body are just everyday foods that were right under our noses all along!  

Although it’s recommended that we eat 6 small meals a day, my advice would be to ensure that you are consistent in eating at least the main 3 square meals a day (That’s Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in case you need to be reminded!)  Skipping breakfast is one of the biggest dietary mistakes to make and even a simple piece of fruit can be a great way to kick start your metabolism in the morning.  Cutting out caffeine is extremely beneficial, but not always possible, so try and limit your coffee / tea (yes, tea is high in caffeine too!) intake to 1 cup a day.  Instead of sugary cereals, try muesli or oat based cereals which will give you a boost of low GI energy and keep your hunger suppressed for longer, but don’t overdose on fruit as a lot of it is very high in sugar.  Ideally you should try and cut out carbonated drinks, especially sodas.  This is personally where I suffer as I am a diet coke junkie and have to have it with every meal, but it’s no good for you, really.  Also it replaces your natural thirst for water but does not replace any lost fluids at all.  So 2 litres of water is what your body needs to stay in tip-top shape and if you are overweight, then 3 litres is even better!  But don’t drink TOO much water as this can dangerously dilute the salt levels in your blood, which if seriously overdone, can kill you!

I hope this gives you a little insight into ways to improve your diet without actually going on a ‘Diet’.  I used to believe that physically going on a ‘Diet’ (Atkins, South Beach, Cabbage Soup diet – or whatever was trendy at the time) was the only way to lose weight, but now I think that the only thing is does do successfully, is mess your body up long-term and confuse it into losing weight for a period or time.  But eventually you end up piling it back on along with a few extra pounds too!  It sucks to have to constantly be on a diet.  I’m learning (very slowly, but surely) that had I not restricted myself in previous years and had I not been so afraid of gaining weight, I probably wouldn’t have gained as much weight as I did to date.  For reasons only known to myself, I became so fearful of food, I was obsessed with what I thought I was supposed to eat and what I thought I shouldn’t be eating.  One day carbs were my friend, the next they were my enemy… !  All it did is confuse me and create a nasty vicious circle that formed one of the biggest ongoing personal battles in my life.  Had I not managed to get a hold on the problem and understand where I was going wrong, it would probably have destroyed me in years to come, probably both physically and emotionally.  I’m still not 100% over love/hate relationship with food, but as someone who not only works around food, but has a huge passion for cooking and food writing, if I didn’t try and control my bad habits, they would have eventually been my downfall.

So please, don’t diet.  Don’t punish your body by inflicting a routine that you will never manage to up-hold long term.  Food is a wonderful part of our lives and really shouldn’t be restricted at all, especially not the good quality stuff!  Exercise really does help, not just to burn calories and fat, but it makes you feel great too and couldn’t we all do with a little increase in happiness?  This is the body we have been given and we can’t all look like models and movie stars, but so what?  We are no less beautiful, no less unique and no less capable than they are.  In fact we hold our destinies, quite firmly, in our own hands.  Sometimes the changes we want to make are standing right in front of us, but we are too stubborn to see that we are the ONLY people that can change some things in our lives.  Life doesn’t change and our problems don’t usually change either, but PEOPLE change, OUTLOOKS change and if 2008 is about you improving your health, weight or appearance, then hopefully you will join me in my quest for self-improvement!

Let me just assure you that whatever I do, I like to do it in style!  Therefore I shall not be resorting to dieting in any shape or form… forcing myself to eat bland salad leaves, flabby cottage cheese and fat free turkey is not my idea of fun.  Hell no!  I shall still be eating Persian food, hamburgers, pasta and all my other favourites, but I’m going to stay away from fast food and convenience food as best as I can and ensure I only eat a lot of homemade food and also limit my intake to what I need, rather than what I want.  As long as I integrate exercise into my week, I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t be able to continue to enjoy all my favourite foods from around the world, whilst experiencing new and exciting flavours and textures as well…. And of course i will continue to regularly report back to you about my experiences and finds!  

“All foods, in moderation” will be my mantra from now on!  I fully intend to enjoy every single minute of my life from this moment on…. And I’m going to treat my body like the (long-overdue) ‘Temple’ that it so deserves to be…. I may stumble occasionally, I may have moments of weakness, but I wont let it stop me from eating my way to a happier and healthier version of myself…  So what are you waiting for?  You’re not alone, I’ll be here with you, every step of the way, you can do it!!!  New Year, new start!