What ‘Healthy Eating’ REALLY Means.

what healthy eating really means

What ‘Healthy Eating’ REALLY Means.

This week I wanted to talk about what healthy eating really means, because there’s so much confusing advice out there.

You can watch the video I made on this topic below, or keep scrolling if you prefer to read.

I hear from people all the time who are confused about healthy eating.

There’s so much advice out there that’s so confusing isn’t there? Especially if you’ve been yo-yo dieting forever and you’ve been on all the different diets. If you’ve been to all the different slimming clubs you’ve probably been given so many rules. You probably have all these lists of foods that you should be eating and lists of foods that you shouldn’t be eating.

Diets and slimming clubs just make it complicated.

They tell you there’s all these foods that you’re allowed to eat and foods that you’re not allowed to eat. Or you have to follow these special weird recipes and some of the rules are so weird and unnecessary. It just makes it confusing and complicated. Then the media doesn’t help because they’re always bringing out some article about a tiny little bit of research that says you should do this or you should do that. It over complicates things for you and it doesn’t have to be this way.

Let’s start by looking at what healthy eating isn’t, because there’s a few things that I hear pop up all the time and I just think you don’t need to listen to that! Make it easier for yourself, because it doesn’t have to be complicated. Once you get the basics it’s pretty simple you don’t have to make it hard for yourself.

You don’t have to ‘eat clean’.

I hear this one over and over again; people talk about trying to eat clean. They try to only eat ‘good’ foods or ‘healthy’ foods. This ‘good food/bad food’ mentality doesn’t help you – I’ve talked about this loads of times before.

When you look at some foods being good or clean or healthy, often you can think that it’s ‘unlimited’. Then you can end up overeating so then you’re not eating healthily if you’re overeating. Likewise on the other side if you’re saying some foods are bad or they’re naughty or banned, you feel guilty when you have those foods. Then you’re more likely to overeat because you feel rubbish. You end up eating more to feel better and then you get stuck in that guilt-binge cycle. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be perfect – you don’t have to eat this perfect ‘virtuous’ diet. Food isn’t an indicator of morality.

You don’t need to eat expensive ‘superfoods’

The term ‘superfood’ is just a marketing term. It’s not a real scientific word, it doesn’t mean anything other than the food is usually more expensive! There is no one food that you could eat that would make the rest of your diet better. There’s no substitute for eating a well balanced diet overall, so ignore the idea of ‘superfoods’. Obviously if you like things like avocados or blueberries that’s absolutely fine – I’m not saying don’t eat those things! But don’t think that you have to eat those things. Healthy eating isn’t about the individual foods.

break free from yo-yo dieting

There’s no need to cut out the food that you love

Let’s face it, the foods that people think they should cut out are often the foods that we label as bad or naughty. Like cake, chocolate and biscuits or crisps and sweets. The things that are high in fat or sugar or salt… you don’t need to cut out those things completely. The minute you cut those things out you’re more likely to want them more. Then you’re more likely to binge on them when you have them because you feel guilty. You feel like you’ve been naughty or you’ve done something wrong. You don’t need to cut out anything.

So what is ‘healthy eating’?

Healthy eating is simply about nourishing your body. It’s about giving you body all the nutrients that it needs, so it can be healthy and well. That’s about eating a range of different foods. We’re talking normal foods, normal meals – you don’t have to cook anything special. You don’t have to buy special expensive foods or special supplements or meal replacements. You don’t have to do anything wacky or complicated – it’s just about eating a variety of different foods.

Here are a few of my tips to help you eat more healthily:

Start the day with breakfast

You’ve probably heard this before, but breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It really does make a difference if you have breakfast. It gets your metabolism going, helps you feel ready for the day and it gives you the energy to do what you need to do. Time and time again I hear people say when they start having breakfast they find they don’t eat as much later on in the day. They’re not picking and snacking and craving foods because they’re giving their body what it needs.

Eat regularly throughout the day

Eating regularly means you’re giving your body a nice steady stream of energy. That helps you to stop snacking and to avoid picking between meals. You don’t need to search for that quick fix energy from snacks if you’re giving your body what it needs at meals.

Make sure your meals are well balanced

Include a range of different foods and try to have food from different food groups at each meal. So you’re giving your body all the nutrients it needs. If you’re nourishing your body you’re less likely to crave the fatty and sugary or salty snacks. Especially if you’re getting plenty of fruit and veg to get all the different vitamins and minerals. Alongside the bigger nutrients protein, carbohydrate and fat – all of those things are important.

Find out how to make sure your meals are balanced with my super simple guide to healthy eating.

Give yourself permission to have a little of what you fancy

Let yourself have the treats that you like. Let yourself have a little bit of chocolate or a little bit of cake. Obviously we don’t need these things regularly or frequently, but let yourself have them occasionally. Then you’re less likely to feel guilty and binge on them, like you would if you were telling yourself you’re not allowed to have them. Give yourself permission to have a little bit of what you fancy once in awhile.

Don’t make yourself feel guilty when you have those things because then you’re more likely to think ‘I’ve blown it, I might as well have more!’ Then you feel rubbish, eat more and you get stuck in that vicious circle.

Remember you can eat what you like. If you want to improve things just tweak it.

Ditch dieting forever – you deserve better.

Need help to ditch dieting forever?

Want to eat normally again AND lose weight healthily? While still enjoying the cake & chocolate? Hell yes!

I will help you ditch dieting forever, either with my 1-2-1 support. Or if you prefer to work independently, you will learn all the skills I teach my 1-2-1 clients, on my ‘No More Diets’ online course.

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My Weekly Round-up! AKA; what I’ve been up to recently…

  • This week there’s been no ‘tea of the week’ – I’ve barely had any coz it’s been so warm and I’ve not felt like drinking it!!! (Can you tell I’ve not been feeling well…)
  • Covid finally struck our household – I was poorly pretty much all weekend. Spent the whole of Sunday in bed, but didn’t actually consider it could be Covid until Monday when for some reason I decided to do a test and it was positive! Feeling a bit better every day, but not quite normal yet… Luckily Genevieve has escaped it (or maybe she had it earlier and we didn’t realise!).
  • Thanks to the plague striking, I’ve done pretty much nothing this past week. No more hills to add to our family challenge ’22 Hills In 2022′ – hopefully we’ll be back on it soon.
  • I’ve been mainly resting and trying to stay away from people so no walks or exercise this week. I’ve barely even fancied reading either! So no more books to add to be my ’22 New Books In 2022′ reading challenge.
  • The only thing I’ve been doing is preparing for the summer holidays by recording a load of videos for my blog so I’m ready to keep sharing my tips with you.
  • Bird Nerd Report: I’ve barely seen any birds as I’ve not been anywhere. Although I did see a heron on the last walk I went on before I started feeling ill. Also there’s a woodpigeon who’s been patiently sitting on her nest all week in the tree in our front garden! Hoping there’ll be chicks soon…

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