Today I was sitting at work and listening to a conversation in the tea room about people’s diets. Diets seem awfully exhausting. Weighing your meals, eating pre-packed processed junk (disguised as health food), low carb, low sugar, one girl is eating only bacon and eggs for a whole week. Apparently encouraged by her personal trainer (no doubt a self proclaimed nutrition expert who lives on a solid diet of animal parts and the occasional avocado).
Now this is all well and good. More power to you. But what I find alarming and increasingly making it’s way around the diet grape vines is the demonetisation of fruits and veggies. Some claiming they won’t eat any fruits because they contain too much sugar, bananas? a complete no no. Avocado and nuts are too fattening and should be excluded. Today I was told that pumpkin and carrots are out, way too many carbs and sugar. There goes my last two days of eating carrot, ginger and pumpkin soup, thought the worst that could happen was I’d turn a balmy shade of orange. Potatoes (as you’ve probably already heard) is way out there with other untouchables. Poor guy who only ate potatoes for a year and lowered his blood pressure, cholesterol and increased his overall health, if only he’d known how dangerous they were when he started.
I’m no expert, but you don’t have to have a PhD in nutrition to know that fruits and veggies contain vital vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Known to fight cancer and are encouraged as a part of a healthy diet. I’ve never heard someone say that their Doctor told them to cut back on fruit and veg and replace it with a protein shake.
Of-course, I eat a plant based diet so apart from my legumes and occasional sweet, it’s fruit and veg that make up the bulk. But for those of you who don’t, go pick up an apple (or two), go for a walk, relax, throw away the scales and enjoy the sunshine on your skin.
Let’s stop the war on fruits and veggies!
And, always be suspicious when someone’s out to make a buck.
Katri x
The GF Vegetarian 