YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

Thanks to Teri, I have a new favorite show. But to warn you this is not a show that everyone will be able to tolerate. It is called you are what you eat. It is on BBC at 4pm. There is this holistic nutritionist who will help a very unhealthy, normally obese person lose weight and become healthy. It starts out with Gillian (the nutritionist) showing the unhealthy person what they eat in a week. I think this is unreal what some people stuff in their face in a week. Then she will normally check their tongue, this can show her vitamin deficiencies, and then she will check out their...poo, gross huh. But that will show her a lot about how their food is being broken down, absorbed, or not. I guess I find this fascinating because I love biology. If you care about your health then check it out! It could help you change a habit or two!



Top Ten Tips

1. Avoid sugar - found in cakes, biscuits, confectionary, chocolate, candy, desserts, soft drinks and many other foods.

2. Use whole grains rather than refined carbohydrates - white bread, white flour, white pastry, white pasta and white rice should be replaced with brown rice, quinoa, millet, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat and red rice.

3. Avoid artificial additives - these may be sweeteners, preservatives, colorings or flavorings.

4. Avoid stimulants - caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and other recreational drugs.

5. Eat vegetables or salads with lunch and dinner - Variety is important, so experiment with those that you don't normally eat.

6. Include some sources of essential fats every day - these include oily fish (such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herrings and trout), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, linseeds/flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts and avocadoes. Avoid processed fats such as low fat spreads and margarines.

7. Have at least 2 vegetarian days each week - good vegetarian proteins include chickpeas, lentils, mung beans, borlotti beans, butter beans, aduki beans, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, amaranth, nuts and seeds.

8. Avoid processed meats - ham, salami, chorizo, hot dogs, bacon and any smoked or cured meats. These all contain nitrates that have been linked to stomach cancer and are high in saturated fats and salt which are linked to cardiovascular disease.

9. Cook from scratch wherever possible - this means buying whole, natural ingredients and cooking or preparing them yourself. Avoid processed and packaged foods as much as possible.

10. Buy locally grown, organically produced, seasonal produce where possible - check out farmer's markets, farm shops and pick-your-own farms for the freshest produce.