BEATTHEBELLY Tip - Thinking About Food

Much of the current obesity epidemic is due to convenience and priority decisions based on lack of time.

Over the decades we have spent a greater percentage of our day time at work, often using time saving short cuts when we come to cook dinner by using pre-prepared foods or just eating out.

Many processed foods or pre-prepared items contain much higher levels of salt, fat and sugar than would normally be in food we cook from scratch ourselves.

Snacks are a good example of this, taking crisps as the main culprit, which often contain a significant supply of your RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of salt and fat in one small packet.

Cooking sauces are another source of excess salt and fat. Processed foods like pizza, pies, ready meals are just a few on the list to reduce in your diet if you want to keep a healthy weight and reduce risks of cardiovascular disease. These time saving devices may ultimately shorten your life so in the end you really havent saved time, merely condensed your activity into a shorter lifespan.

So next time you go shopping, try to put more fresh stuff in the trolley and cook from scratch. It will taste better if fresh ingredients are used and you will eat less preservatives and less salt and fat and sugar. You will have to shop more often, but again you need to make a priority choice between sustainable lifestyle and convenience cooking.

Food for thought.

Dr Ben Sinclair
Twitter: @menshealthtips
Sinclair Health Limited