FOOD & NUTRITION
It can be challenging to get slimmer, stronger and healthier. Maybe it’s hard to find time? For some, it’s hard to find energy. And for many, it’s very hard to avoid being hungry.
If you’re someone who likes to eat a lot, we have some great news for you!
There are plenty of foods that are good for you and will also make you feel full. Your best choices are foods that are high in fibre, plant-based fats, and protein.
They are the most satisfying choices you can make for a wide variety of reasons, but in the main, the biggest advantages are:
- They move slowly through your system
- It takes longer to absorb their nutrients
- They cut down on blood sugar spikes
Freshly made soup is not only much tastier than a dried or canned product, it is far better for you as it still contains all the healthy ingredients such as vitamins, wheras the canned and dried types will be largely processed and have the goodness already cooked out of them.
Processed soups are, in general, little more than a filler, adding little real nutritiin. Much of the content of the ingredients will add calories and weight. They will be filling, yes, but not such a great idea if you are trying to LOSE weight.
Click here for recipe details of some superb filling and soul satisfying soups by Danette May. She also has some delicious recipes for desserts, which are NOT all fruit!
One fruit in particular - the coconut - is so abundant in its healing properties it's referred to as "the tree of life."
Remote island communities in the Pacific and Caribbean ate mainly rice and vegetables plus huge amounts of the healing superfood, the coconut.
Coconut is a "functional food" rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber - the essential nutritional building blocks for perfect health.
Our
FOOD
&
NUTRITION
section has several more specialised pages covering the following topics-
We are adding more pages as the results of our diet reviews become available, so please do come back and visit us often.
Types of foods
Almost all foods can be put into one of just five sections:
- Animal Products
- Fats and Oils
- Fruits
- Grains
- Seeds
We also consume an increasingly wide variety of manufactured ingredients, mostly replacements for naturally occuring foodstuffs.
Generally speaking, it is far more healthy to try to stay away from processed foods and stick with whole, nutrient-rich foods instead.
Nutrients found in foods are
- Anti-nutrients
(e.g. phytic & oxalic acid)
- Fats & Fatty Acids
(Omega 3, saturated fat, etc)
- Macronutrients
(carbs, fibre & protein)
- Fibre
- Vitamins (see our page on vitamins)
- Proteins (such as gluten)
As well as the main food items that we devour (e.g. plants, animal fats, etc) the body also needs smaller amounts of 'trace' elements, such as iron, zinc, potassium, etc.
Where these are lacking in our diet we often add them as supplements and vitamins. This is quite safe, if a couple of questions are considered first:
- What will be the side effects?
- Are they suitable for YOU?
How pure is your supply?
- Don't exceed recommended doses!
Food and drink both have calorific content, which the body burns by mixing with oxygen to produce energy, used to move and heat the body and carry out various metabolic processes.
The calorific content of all that we eat or drink is of such huge importance, that we have put up a full web page to better describe the process, and some important medical findings. Please, take time to peruse it and be sure you know exactly what calorific intake is (the very core of any diet!)
Are all 'low-fat' foods
really diet foods?
Many "low-fat" foods still taste good because they are laced with sugars and chemicals. These sweeteners get added to the food to replace the fat that has been lowered, i.e. they are simply "fat substitute". But while you are reducing fat intake, you may be boosting your sugar intake or some manufactured chemical which can have even bigger repercussions and in turn make your bady store even more fat.
It's only when you start looking at the broader picture, see what the 'low-fat' foods really contain, that you can you make a proper decision. Choosing a genuine healthier option is the real way to lose the extra weight and it's surprising how much more extra energy you might have.
Some foods that will reduce weight when added to your diet:
- Avocados
- Nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc)
- Olives
- Salmon
- Seeds (chia, flax, safflower, etc)
- Eggs
Remember that all foods, but particularly those with any fat content, should be eaten in moderation.
Our Food & Nutrition section has several more specialised pages covering the following topics-
We are adding more pages as the results of our diet reviews become available, so please do come back and visit us often.
There are many types of 'diet' and while some are well known, such as the Atkin diet, many are not. We discuss only those diets we have found to work on this web site.
We also report on several training regimes or systems that we are sure DO work. Some examples of these are the Danette May routines, those developed by BBC 1 TV's Hair Bikers, and some other systems that we have identified as Diets That Work.
These may incorporate several well known diets into their regime and some of the material may be found on several pages, as well as some support materials such as books, etc.
Being on a weight loss diet does not mean you can't enjoy delicious desserts such as creamy chocolate cakes and other delights.
There are many tremendous recipes for mouth-watering desserts, click here to access. Many of these have been devised by well known dieticians and trainers. Our desserts section has all your favourite sweets that taste even BETTER than they look or smell, and that alone is delicious!