Healthy Eating!

I have a confession to make. I am a biscuit-aholic. No really, I am. I have been, mainly, dry for some time now though I do have the odd lapse. Luckily these don’t result in mad hangovers or worse, but you do feel a BIT guilty. Ooops! And you don’t ‘work off’ a packet of biscuits in a cycle to work or a work-out, not that I even have time for such a luxury at the minute anyway. Also, they’re just really bad for me and I simply shouldn’t be eating them. There were mitigating factors however…

I had a sick boyfriend. I had to go shopping and buy healing items. He is a big dark chocolate-aholic, so he got that to aid in his recovery and I got, well…a packet of Belgian chocolate Boasters. There are only eight in the packet I reasoned; surely that it isn’t THAT bad? Boyfriend believes otherwise. Maybe we aren’t a good match after all! (I won’t even mention the fact that he asked for one. I already explained there were only in the pack, didn’t I? Okay, so you understand…)

Anyway, it got me thinking. Usually I eat quite well and am lucky to live with a fantastic cook (credit where credit is due!) who cooks great, tasty and healthy food. We like salads, fish, etc. I know we are lucky that we have enough money to buy decent ingredients, and enough time to cook nice food and of course to enjoy it. Much time has been given to discussing the impact of the recession on our diet. Supermarkets litter our brains with details of special offers and deals but the majority of these are on high-carb, low-protein and vitamin and high-sugar. These are not the kind of special offers any of us needs, especially not the less well off or educated amongst us.

So, is eating healthily an expensive habit? I’m not so sure. Granted, it depends where you shop and what that store has to offer you, but on the whole I think I could buy a shopping basket full of healthy food for roughly the same price as the same basket full of unhealthy foods - for an equal amount of people. There may not be as many ‘bargains’ in the fruit and veg section, but you’re not breaking the bank buying some broccoli, etc. Maybe we don’t know what healthy eating is, do we?

I don’t want to patronise, but I think people think certain foods are healthy or when cooked a certain way are healthy, when in fact they’re just bad habits that you have to get out of. When I was about eight or nine years old, my dad got his cholesterol checked. Even though he was fit, active and healthy, it was high. The contents of our fridge altered overnight. Gone were the Superquinn sausages, the ‘real’ butter, the rashers, the full-fat milk (except for baby brother), etc. At the time it was strange, but no major hassle for a child my age. Looking back, I am very grateful for this. I have friends who cannot get out of the fry-up every weekend habit. Even in a George Foreman, this is NOT healthy. (Neither are eight Boasters, I know!!)

Anyway, ironically this was meant to be a few tips on how to eat healthily without any major changes to your supermarket or eating habits as opposed to my dad’s overhaul of our kitchen twenty something years ago!! I apologise for my wild tangent! Here are a few things I find helpful when trying to eat well:

• Don’t go shopping hungry. An old one but a good one. You will undoubtedly buy food you didn't intend to.
• Also, make a list and do NOT buy any food not on it, unless it’s a GENUINE omission, i.e. ‘Sugar, I nearly forgot the Weetabix!
• Don’t be fooled by three-for-the-price-of-two or other 'special' offers unless you know you’ll use them. Otherwise it is a complete false economy. Also, most of these are generally on dirty foods, so try to stay away in general.

This is the look we're going for leaving the supermarket!

• Plan ahead! I find this vital for me. I am in college three nights a week until 10.30 or so. I do not want to arrive home hungry and eat at that hour. I also don’t want to get to college after work and have no food with me, because I will end up buying a crappy sandwich and\ or chocolate bar. I don’t even want fruit at that hour as it is too full of sugar to have in the evening. Having healthy and easily portable protein-based foods in the house all week means that doesn’t happen.
• Don’t eat white carbs, or if you’re very overweight or inactive, don’t eat carbs at all. If you can’t survive without complex carbohydrates, try to eat them before lunch to give your body its best chance of burning them off over the course of the day. (White carbs are potatoes, pasta, white bread, white rice, etc.)
• Try to eat leans meats like chicken (or turkey – I find it a bit bland though) breasts or good, red meat and fish. Fish are the all-time super food in my opinion. If you don’t live near a good fishmonger or can’t afford to buy fresh fish I would even recommend tinned fish – in brine though. Mackerel is really good for you and is really cheap, so give that a try maybe.
• Eat vegetables until they’re coming out of your ears. Many experts say the more colours on your plate, the better so go with a variety. It will mean you won’t get bored as well I suppose.

This salad only took about fifteen minutes to put together.

• Drink lots of water. If you feel thirsty chances are you are dehydrated already. Keep a glass or bottle next to you all day and tip away at it. Also, apparently 50% of what we think are hunger pangs are just thirst.
• Eat often. I have gotten into this habit and it’s brilliant (ha ha!!). I tend to eat fruit (or sometimes a brown scone or homemade muffin) every hour or two from breakfast until lunch. After lunch I try only to eat protein-based snacks like yoghurt, cheese (Babybel is a favourite of mine) and nuts, though I’m not a huge nut fan I have to admit. As the day goes on I eat less and am almost never hungry in the evenings, which is the worst time for snacking as food sits in our bellies and turns to fat.
• This shouldn’t be toward the end of the list, but do NOT, under ANY circumstances, skip breakfast!! Break the fast! I can’t understand how people who can leave the house with no food in them. The time excuse is bull – two Weetabix take about 90 seconds to eat. I know, I eat them every morning and I am all about the maximum amount of time in bed! Skipping breakfast means your body is catching up all day and instead of a piece of fruit at elevensies you will more likely choose something high-sugar. Tut tut, breakfast-skippers!!
• Not to sound stupid or patronising, but don’t eat something because someone else told you to. Eat what you like. I was never forced to eat anything when I was growing up and I still eat well. I do not eat cauliflower. No way, no how! Find healthy foods and combinations you like and stick with them. Find lots of them though, otherwise you’ll get bored and eat a pizza or order a Chinese!

Anybody else have any tips for eating healthily? Or eating to lose weight, keep weight off, etc.? I'd love to hear them if you do. Thanks!