Why Eat Healthy?

What you eat matters for healthy weight gain and well being. After all the true purpose of food is nourishment which we need for growth and repair, function, protection, energy and warmth.

 What you eat can affect your life including:

• How well you feel.
• The energy you have.
• How you feel about yourself.
• Even how well you sleep.

Ultimately good nutrition results in improved general health.

 Can Slim People Eat Whatever They Want?

Is there anyone reading this who thought they could eat whatever they wanted because they just never gained any weight?

I sure did!

Growing up we followed a balanced diet at home, mainly because my mum made us. (Thanks Mum!) But after I left home, I would eat lots of junk food just because I could, because of time pressures, or the hassle of cooking.

Here’s the thing. Being slim and able to eat “anything” without gaining weight is not a pass on illnesses linked to poor eating habits.

Poor diets can be those that lack fruits and vegetables, with too much junk food, no/ low fibre diets, large amounts of processed sugary drinks or alcohol, or too much rich food, just to name a few.

In fact eating anything you want could mean an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, hypertension, stroke, and other preventable or chronic diseases.

The Real Skinny On Poor Eating Habits:

Have you heard of the term normal weight obesity? Sometimes also known as “skinny fat?”

Very simply, this is when your body weight is normal, but your body fat percentage is so high that you have the same health risk of someone with obesity.

People assume the risk is lower for slimmer or people in the normal weight range, but research is showing this is not the case based on studies on normal weight-central obesity

Also bear in mind there are factors that can increase health risks such as genetics, lifestyle, gender and age, for slim or underweight people with poor eating habits.

Quality over Quantity:

Food is often measured by a unit of energy called a calorie. Something important to remember is all calories aren’t the same. Generally speaking there are empty calories and nutrient dense calories.

Empty calories are made of added sugars, fats and alcohol and have little or no nutritional value. Nutrient dense calories contain healthy nutrients like protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals that the body needs. This is why what you eat matters.

You know, trying to achieve healthy weight gain can feel like hard work and seem so expensive. Also, how many people feel like going grocery shopping nowadays can give you a headache?  

You may have seen labels on healthy foods like: GMO free, hormone free, organic, biodynamic, no added sugar, chemical/pesticide free and so on. Huh?

We just want an apple that isn’t going to poison us, right?

Lots of people think eating healthy is expensive, especially organic food. I would suggest buying the best quality food that you can afford. Just increasing your intake of whole foods including fruits and vegetables, whole grains and good fats, could overall improve your health.

If eating non- GMO food is an option for you, please take it. If eating organic is an option, please do it to the extent you can. Always think about what your budget allows.

Ways To Gain Weight. Why What You Eat Matters:

People use different methods to gain weight and here are a few of the more common ones. Many do a combination of these.

1.Weight Gain Using Healthy Foods.

I believe this is the best way for several reasons including:

• Eating healthy foods fuels our bodies with needed protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, and helps reduce the risk of disease. What you eat matters.
• Healthy foods are delicious and there is so much variety. Every time we eat we can use our senses to elevate our food experience. Consider the sight of a punnet of plump juicy berries, the smell of a zesty lime, the sound and satisfying crunch of biting into an apple, or the texture of an almond.  
• Healthy weight gain costs less in the long run, both in terms of health and money. Staying healthy by avoiding preventable and chronic disease really is cheaper.
• Better dental health. A diet high in processed foods will encourage tooth decay, while eating wholesome natural foods like vegetables and dairy can actually improve dental health.
• Buying and eating whole foods also benefits local farmers and the environment.
• Because we need more real in our lives and far less substitutes.

2.Weight Gain With Junk Food

Perhaps you’ve heard what Renee Zellwegger and Charlize Theron ate to gain weight for their respective roles in Bridget Jones Diary 1 and Tully?  

They both managed to gain a lot of weight by eating chips, steak, sugary fizzy drinks, cakes, doughnuts, pizza…….I think you get the picture.

Interestingly, Charlize Theron in an interview later said eating all that junk food for weight gain actually made her feel depressed. Charlize on junk food

Please don’t do this. Not an Oscar nor anything else should have you punish your body in this way. What you eat matters for physical and mental health.

Junk food is not just terrible nutritionally for the body, but also it is a very low quality product. It is full of chemical preservatives, artificial colours, cheap and nasty fillers, and possibly pesticides which can cause harm to your body.

It’s also unlikely that you’d be able to pronounce the names of all those artificial preservatives in junk food.

3.Weight Gain With Protein Powders.

This is a very common and popular method of weight gain practiced all around the world. Does it work? Yes it does.

These powders are generally blended in with milk, water or juices to create protein shakes. And they are an easy source of protein, with the most common being whey, casein and soy protein.

Actually, protein powders are also used by dieters, athletes and also those looking to maintain their weight.

Folks looking to gain weight or muscle use these powders for added calories, meaning in addition to eating their regular meals.

So, is there a downside?

Well, protein powders aren’t regulated in many Western countries. This means you may not be getting what you think you are. And in other ways, you may be getting what you weren’t expecting at all.

This article by Harvard Medical School shows that, depending on the brand being used, consumers may be drinking high levels of sugar, as well as toxins in fairly large amounts including BPA, lead, mercury and other heavy metals. Also, milk based powders can cause issues for those with lactose or dairy intolerances.

Another thing is, there have been a number of lawsuits over protein powders relating to false advertising of actual protein content and the use of cheap fillers instead.

If you look this up online, you’ll find there has been a range of class action suits.  All protein powders aren’t equal, do your research if choosing to use them.

4.Weight Gain With Nutritional Supplement Powders and Drinks

These are specially pre-mixed powders formulated with a range of nutrients including protein, minerals & vitamins. This is to supplement a diet lacking these.

They are mixed with milk or water or added to desserts, cereals and soups. Some brands come as already prepared drinks. 

Health professionals often recommend these products for older / frail adults, or people recovering from sickness or surgery.

Some health professionals argue they aren’t really suitable for the general public although they are found in supermarkets and pharmacies.

But that in fact, the high sugar amount is specifically to provide energy for certain groups such as people with low appetites or those struggling to eat solid foods after surgery or illness.

Please note these powders and drinks don’t provide all the body’s nutritional needs.

They can be hard to drink down as some don’t mix well forming lumps, and may have an unpleasant taste. They generally have very high sugar levels.

Actually, I’ve tried using one of these for a short time in the past but it didn’t work for me. I didn’t like the taste, found it too sweet and more to the point, I didn’t gain any weight while using it.

So there you have it. This is why what you eat matters for healthy weight gain. Until next post.