Not seeing the forest for the trees…. What is really healthy?
Can’t see the forest for the trees? Do you have no idea anymore what to believe or not to believe? One health guru says this is good for you and another claims it is not. Are you at a loss as to where to begin? I can understand that very well. Read below which 3 tips can help you do just that:
- What is the origin of the product?
- Marketing is meant to sell!
- Would my grandmother eat this?
We adopted this blog from Rachel of Food Your Thought. Rachel is an Applied Psychologist & Orthomolecular Nutrition Coach. She is incredibly fascinated by how food affects our behavior, feelings and health. Rachel believes that the choices we make now affect how we feel 10 years from now. With this, she inspires (young) adults toward daily healthy eating behaviors through lectures, lectures & trainings. In addition, Rachel enjoys writing blogs about the impact of nutrition, psychology and a positive mindset.
1. What is the origin of the product?
Try to think of where the product comes from. The closer to the “origin” of the original product, the better. By this I mean, can you still recognize it in its original form? For example, you cannot find a packet of margarine butter or a packet of a world dish or a ready-made cake mix in nature. In fact, these have gone through an entire process in a factory before reaching the supermarket.
Substances are added to the product to make it keep longer, give it a nice texture and color, and nutritious substances are extracted – which would otherwise make the product spoil faster. And there are cases of working with poisons to arrive at a particular product. You can ask yourself how many real nutrients can still be in it?
2. Marketing is meant to sell
It is helpful not to believe everything that is written on the package. If it says “0% fat,” “no added sugars” or “best choice,” it does not mean that the product is “healthy. Marketing is meant to sell. If you are more likely to buy that pack of Vanilla Flan when it says “no added sugars,” they will lovingly apply it. It may not have extra “refined sugars” added, but there are plenty of other sweeteners that have the same effect.
3. Would my grandmother eat this?
Often we do know what is helpful to eat and what is not: More fruits and vegetables, plenty of water and less processed/fried/refined foods. The only source used to be information about nutrition from your mother or grandmother. Nowadays, the Internet is packed with it, it is regularly in the news and everyone has an opinion about it.
It might be a good idea sometimes to go back to how our diet used to be. In fact, our diet has changed dramatically in the last 50 – 100 years. One or two generations back, we did not eat much of today’s products, which are now in the supermarket, at all. These had yet to be invented at all, but are now eaten almost daily. And when you eat something daily, it’s going to affect (your health).
It might be helpful to ask yourself from time to time: could my grandmother buy these products in the past? Is longer shelf life really better (for my health)? And am I enticed by the pretty packaging and words on the product or not?
Want to know more about healthy eating? One of the BodySwitch specialists can help! Find your nearest branch and make an appointment!
