5 Foods I Will Never Eat

Dramatic blog title? Maybe? But in reality, very true.

I have never been one for diets or strict rules but after “cleaning” up the way I ate a few years ago, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of nutrition through my studies, the following five foods and food groups are ones I consciously avoid.

Breakfast Cereals

Cereals are some of the worst food products on our shelves. They are full of sugar, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup and often artificial colours and flavours. The worst part is they are so highly marketed to kids and families that they are usually a staple in Australian households.

Instead, I make my own mix of nuts and seeds to have with plain oats & coconut yoghurt. To sweeten I use a small amount of honey or organic maple syrup. Places like The Source Bulk Foods are great for mixing and matching ingredients to your liking and dietary requirements.

Margarine

Margarine is a highly processed pseudo food that has been engineered to look and taste like butter. It is extremely high in bad fats (trans fats) that are formed during the hydrogenation process which turns liquid vegetable oils into solids. Unfortunately in the 80’s crusade against fats, margarine was hailed a healthy alternative to butter. We now know that REAL butter like the stuff our grandmothers used is far better for us and tastes a whole lot better too! Remember don’t be scared of (good) fats. They keep you full and support your internal systems, especially your hormones.

Fruit Juice

Bottled fruit juices can be just as bad, if not worse than soft drinks. They are highly processed and contain extremely high amounts of sugar, except without the fibre you would get if eating a whole piece of fruit. Like with breakfast cereals, fruit juices are usually marketed to be a part of your first meal of the day, bombarding your body with HUGE amounts of sugar before you have even left the house. (And we wonder why kids these days have problems concentrating in school…)

Smoothies are a great alternative as the whole fruit is used in the blending process. This means you get the added benefit of FIBRE and other important nutrients that you miss out on when juicing.

And let’s not underestimate the power of WATER which is essential for good health. You will find that once you cut most processed sugar from your diet that you won’t crave sweet juices or soft drinks any more.

(Hint: A good rule of thumb is taking your weight in kilo’s and dividing by 25. Your result will be the number of litres of water you need to consume in a day. Add another litre per half hour for any strenuous exercise)

White/Processed Bread

Most commercial breads are not ideal for most people (let alone coeliacs!) because they are made with highly refined wheat that has next to no nutritional value and spikes the blood sugar levels. White breads will also seriously mess with your bowel movements and almost always causes bloating and discomfort post meal.

As a substitute, look for grain and seeded breads or sough dough alternatives that have been made without preservatives and fillers.

Low Fat Dairy

Like with margarine, low fat dairy products are highly processed, sugar laden versions of their full fat counterparts. The healthy good fats that we need are replaced with processed sugars or artificial sweeteners which once again, spike blood sugar levels and leave you feeling hungry.

Always choose the regular, full fat options in the supermarket & where possible, get your hands on organic alternatives that haven’t been pumped full of preservatives and growth hormones (given to the dairy cows).

Remember at the end of the day, eating should not be about guilt. It’s about making the best choices in your current circumstance and financial situation. I haven’t always eaten the way I do, but now I try wherever I can to support local farmers, choose organic options and eliminate as much processed foods as I can. Some days this might not be possible, but I don’t get hung up on it and try to make a better choice next time.

If you are looking for training or nutritional support, give us a call on 0404 448 124. We’d love to chat with you and help you squeeze the most out of your training and life. 

BIANCA MONAHAN, BMF creW