SAY GOODBYE TO DIETING. WE SHOULD NEVER CUT OUT ANY FOOD GROUPS. We have heard it all before. Counting calories and restricting oneself of food, in order to lose weight. It is particularly common in January, when people are trying to lose weight after overindulging at Christmas. We learn from a registered dietician why we should not take this approach to the food that we eat at any time of the year. Dieting to lose weight is unattainable because we as human beings, need food in order for our bodies to function at their best, whether we are an athlete or a more sedentary person. We got the breakdown about macronutrients and micronutrients from registered dietician Aisling Pigott (BsC Human Nutrition and Dietetics, PgCert Sports Nutrition, MsC Advanced Dietetic Practice) from Cardiff. She explained that macronutrients are large nutrients which give us energy. These large nutrients are carbohydrates, protein and fats. Micronutrients are nutrients which are needed in smaller quantities, including vitamins and minerals, which are crucial for our metabolism, health and wellbeing. Pigott does highlight that “as a society we are much less active than previous generations. Many of us work in sedentary jobs, drive between locations and have tools which make life easier. Therefore, it makes sense that our energy needs are different. We still need some energy, but this does need to be adjusted.” Carbohydrates and fats especially get a bad reputation. Although carbohydrates are our main source of energy, Pigott thinks that people are afraid of eating them because “Media, social media and celebrity culture have sold us this fear of carbs, so we start to believe it. Bread, rice, pasta and fruit are seen as ‘bad’. This means when we do actually eat them, we are so consumed by guilt.” But when I ask why food should not be deemed as a ‘good’ food or a ‘bad’ food, she tells me that it is because “food is food. It’s amazing, nourishing and delicious. Our relationships and behaviours around food can be good or bad, but food is what keeps us going. When we start to categorise food as good and bad, we start to get caught up in the continuous mixed messages we receive around nutrition, where ‘carbs’ are bad, ‘fat’ is bad, even avocados get a bad rep…all of a sudden, all we are left with is some kale and celery juice.” Something else seen a lot in the media is the word ‘detox’ and the idea that we should be juicing to get rid of toxins from our body, when in fact, our body’s organs are fully capable of doing this. And as Pigott points out cutting out carbohydrates is often “unmaintainable and leaves us feeling a bit glum, tired and craving more.” Instead eat the
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Move Your Body
