Four ways to avert health mistakes
DR LIBBY WEAVER
When it comes to our health, most of what we would benefit from as well as what is not good for us, is fairly straightforward.
You would have to have had your head buried in the sand for the past 30 years not to know we need to eat more vegetables and fewer processed foods, and that a lack of movement is not good for us.
We all know we need to keep our water intake up to maintain good hydration and that good quality sleep is essential for our body to repair and restore. However, there is an inordinate amount of information on how we need to be taking care of ourselves and sometimes it can be confusing.
So with that in mind, here are some health mistakes that are commonly made and very easily rectified.
Thinking you can burn off poor food choices
You cannot eat like a piglet and expect everything to fall into place. That’s just common sense. Yet I have met thousands of people who exercise frequently (and with intensity), especially after making poor food choices with the intention of ‘‘burning off’’ the calories they consumed the day before.
But the calorie equation we are taught to follow of ‘‘calories in versus calories burned’’ is outdated and doesn’t adequately take into account all the aspects that can impact on how our body metabolises the fuel we put into it. There is nothing in the world that can replace a highly nutritious way of eating. No amount of exercise can burn off the effects of a poor-quality way of eating.
Thinking that if it’s gluten free it must be a nourishing food choice
Go you! You’ve decided to cut out gluten because you have listened to your gut which has been giving you the message that it doesn’t digest well for some time now (think bloating, constipation and a whole gamut of other digestive and/or immune complaints).
But then you went to the supermarket and found all kinds of gluten free packaged goods and you now have a pantry full of gluten free chips, biscuits, muesli bars and other snacks. Just because it’s gluten free doesn’t mean it offers much in the way of nutrition. We still need to keep our processed and packaged food intake to a minimum.
Not eating enough vegetables
This is hardly uncommon knowledge but if you truly knew what a disservice you were doing to your body by not consuming enough plants you would likely eat many, many more.
Every aspect of our health relies on nutrients and simply focusing on this one simple thing can give us oodles of energy. If you struggle to keep your daily intake up, try adding a green smoothie with an additional scoop of powdered vegetables to your regime.
Not listening to your body’s messages
Too many people put up with symptoms that could so easily be eradicated because they think they are ‘‘normal’’. I like to say that things such as PMS, constipation, bloating, reflux and headaches are common but not normal.
If you think about the symptoms you experience that impact you on a regular basis as your body trying to communicate with you that something needs to change – such as how you eat, drink, move, think, breathe, believe or perceive – you begin to look at them in an entirely different light. Pay attention to your body’s communication – it has the power to change how you experience health and vitality on a daily basis.
Dr Libby is a nutritional biochemist, best-selling author and speaker. The advice contained in this column is not intended to be a substitute for direct, personalised advice from a health professional. Join Dr Libby for her upcoming ‘Sort Your Sleep’ New Zealand tour, for more information or to buy tickets visit drlibby.com