Posts tagged sugar
Fat or fat-free? The truth about "fat"

For years we have been told that you are what you eat.


If you eat fat, you'll be fat.

There are "fat-free," "low-fat," "light," and "reduced-fat" products available. Here's what those terms mean:

  • "Low-fat" foods must have 3 grams of fat or less per serving.
  • "Reduced-fat" foods must have at least 25% less fat than regular versions of those foods.
  • "Light" foods must have either 1/3 fewer calories or 50% less fat.

When I tell my clients, friends and family to eat fat they often look at me like I’m crazy! But before you run a mile, hear me out on this one…

When you eat products that are low in fat or ‘”fat free”, a lot of the time what this actually means is “high in sugar”. When food companies extract fat from their products not only does it make it “fat free”, but also “taste free”. To make up for that, food makers tend to pour other ingredients -- especially sugar, flour, thickeners, and salt -- into the products. Adding up those calories!

While all fats seem to have been given a bad name, the only ones you need to be avoiding are trans fats and saturated fats.

Consuming a diet high in these fats can lead to high cholesterol levels in the blood, which can cause health conditions such as heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.


Which foods contain these fats?

  • butter, lard and ghee (oil made from butter)
  • fatty meats and meat products, such as sausages and pies
  • cream, sour cream, crème fraîche and ice cream
  • cheese, particularly hard cheese
  • some savoury snacks, such as pork scratchings 
  • biscuits, cakes and pastries
  • chocolates and some sweets 

So what should I be eating?

The good news is that there are plenty of delicious and healthy fats to enjoy. Healthy fats – also known as monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats – not only keep you fuller for longer, but also nourish your body, and curb your sugar cravings.

Enjoy things like;

  • olive oil, rapeseed oil and their spreads
  • avocados
  • some nuts, such as almonds, brazils and peanuts
  • oily fish, such as, mackerel, salmon, sardines, fresh tuna

Why are these healthy fats so good for me?

  • Provide essential fatty acids that your body can’t produce itself
  • Are a concentrated source of energy
  • Help maintain your cell membranes
  • Keep the nervous system in working order
  • Boost the body’s immune system
  • Enables the body to absorb super important fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K!


So next time you’re out shopping, read the food labels. Before eating a fat-free food, make sure the product isn't loaded with sugar or additives, and that it's actually lower in calories than the regular version!


Simple ways which you can reduce your sugar intake

Todays Topic ...... Sugar!  

Sugars are something that keeps trending in every health blog, magazine, article etc that I read 

its no secret that in the UK we eat far too much sugar in our diet, which then leads to weight gain thus increasing the risk of health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes

The government guidelines say added sugars shouldn't make up more than 5% of energy that you get from food, so a maximum of 30g  

Added sugars come from foods like cakes, biscuits, fizzy drinks, chocolate and more 


So what steps can you take to reduce your sugar intake?  

- Drink more water! This is a big one for me, not only can you replace sugary drinks with water but by drinking water you can reduce your blood sugars. Research has also suggested the more water your drinking, the less hungry you will tend to be meaning you won't be reaching for those sugary snacks as much! if you really don't like the taste of water, try adding a few slices of lemon or limes in! 

-  Gradually reduce the amount of sugars you have in hot drinks until you can eventually cut it out altogether 

- Opt for a high protein breakfast, by doing so your already cutting out the unwanted sugars from cereals! As well as this you'll be preparing your body to deal with the day better by reducing a spike in insulin which would result in eating a sugary cereal for breakfast, making you less tired and hungry later in the day, again meaning you won't be reach for any sugary snacks 

- Look at the ingredients list on foods. you'll know if a food is high in sugar as they must include added sugars in the ingredients, which also start with the biggest ingredient first. So if any added sugars are near the top of the list, you know it's very likely to be high in sugar

- Look out for other words which can also describe added sugar such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, honey etc (We will do another post relating to this later on)  

- Reduce the amount of fizzy drinks and fruit juices you consume! Did you know a bottle ofcola can contain the equivalent of 16 cubes of sugar! Now I'm sure you know that cannot be healthy! If you really have to drink fizzy drinks, try stick to sugar free options.