What is real food?

February 1, 2022|
Raquel Delgado
| 0 Comments

WHAT IS REAL FOOD?

At the most basic level, our diets should be made up of REAL FOOD such as fish, seafood, meat, non-starchy vegetables, eggs, natural nuts, legumes and unprocessed dairy like full fat natural yoghurt and cheese.

John Baker

Many of the foods in our supermarkets and fast food outlets are not “real food”. They are highly processed, packaged, full of added sugar, salt and unnatural fats and are very poor in nutrients.

Whilst convenient and cheap, they have a detrimental effect on our mental and physical health. They might cause weight gain, tiredness, mood changes and lead to heart problems, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty live, food addiction…

Remember the food industry is only interested in profit, our health and wellbeing is not on their priority list.

Frank Chamaki

Some of the worst processed foods with a high content of sugar, unhealthy fats and salt are:  

  • Breakfast cereal: Packed full of added sugars. For example, chocolate or sugary cereals cause a large spike in blood sugars levels when eaten, which our bodies’ combat with a large demand for insulin, this leaves us hungrier mid-morning.
  • Oven or microwaved foods such as frozen pizzas.
  • Mass produced baked goods like pastries and pies.
  • Salad dressings and sauces.
  • Confectionary like biscuits, chocolate bars, cereal bars, crisps.
  • Fruit juices, energy drinks and smoothies.

What can I eat instead?

Swap processed sauces for homemade sauces. Cook large amounts and freeze for convenience.

Snack on real food. Reach for a small handful of unsalted nuts, natural yoghurt (avoid low fat) , olives, hardboiled eggs , cheese, etc.

Frozen non-starchy plain vegetables and meats and fish can save you some money.

Canned fish in olive oil or spring water are also good options.

Before you eat something ask yourself: Would a caveman know what this food is? If the answer is yes, it is probably good to eat! They would recognise real, natural foods, but wouldn’t recognise unnatural food such as chicken dippers, prawn cocktail crisps or chocolate mousse!

Plan your shopping and avoid the central aisles of the supermarket where most of the highly processed food is found!! 

And remember convenient does not always mean good for your physical and mental health !

Foods digested into sugar (commonly called carbohydrates):

Starchy carbohydrates, such as grains (wheat, corn) and rooted vegetables (like potatoes or carrots) are also converted to sugar when consumed, which makes them a high a source of energy in our diets but also means a rise in blood sugar levels.

What carbohydrates should I choose?

Those high in fibre like pulses, non-rooted vegetables or wholegrain flours.

Timo Volz

FRUITS

Although fruits can have some healthy nutrients, they can be high in sugar and not all fruits have the same sugar content.

 It is worth knowing which fruits are highest in sugar.

Per 100g of fruit:

•            Grapes = 18.1g sugar

•            Banana = 15.6g sugar

•            Apple = 13.3g sugar

•            Pear = 10.5g sugar

•            Orange = 9.2g sugar

•            Blueberries = 7.3g sugar

•            Strawberries = 5.8g

Dried fruit has an even higher content of sugar so it should be avoided:

•            Dried mango = 73.0g sugar per 100gr

•            Raisins 65.0g sugar per 100 gr

•            Dried apricots = 38.9 sugar per 100gr

REMEMBER SUGAR CAN STALL WEIGHT LOSS AND TRIGGER CRAVINGS AND OVEREATING BY ESTIMULATING  THE BRAIN REWARD SYSTEM 

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