If you are one of those that has decided to be a better you this year with good healthy eating, think twice before you order at your restaurant or takeout. In today’s world of high street restaurants and takeout food chains, with any food delivered to your door or popping in to the local eatery, it is no longer an occasional treat and many live everyday life, more than ever before, with eating on the go regularly. The occasional indulgence never used to be a problem, but the regular indulgence now it seems, may have become a problem. With restaurants offering limited healthy options, and the temptation for many to order other items more appealing on menus, it leaves many people overeating, with unnecessary extra calories, more times with food and drink. This can lead to an increase risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
In our supermarkets, when we buy our food, the packaging tells us the calorie, fat, sugar content etc – this is useful to the consumer who is health conscious or diabetic. The packaging usually lists the ingredients in order of those that are highest from top to end, being the least of within the product bought. This helps tremendously for those that have allergies, like milk, nuts, mushrooms; One then knows whether to avoid this or not. Unfortunately this does not always occur in restaurant eating, although some food chains have learned that it is helpful knowledge and is now added to some menus. However, there are still many that do not unfortunately, and many people who are not so knowledgeable in nutritional information, can be easily mislead by some options. For example, choosing a salad or vegetarian option can sometimes actually be higher in calorie and fat content, if cheese, oily croutons, sauces or dressings are added.
In today’s world, where any technical gadgets and machinery makes physical work easier to do, the average calorie intake will be less than days of old, when people did all the hard labouring tasks, so, unless someone has a very physical job or hobby, if one is super active with a high metabolism, calorie consumption should be worked in accordingly to lifestyle. However, it is important to remember the portions of the calorie intake, regarding protein, carbohydrates fats and sugar. Healthy eating should go hand in hand according to your lifestyle physical activity. The more active, the more food is required. The more muscle composition you have, the more food is required to maintain the muscle. So more exercise and more muscle means the more you can eat – what a bonus. If you keep it to healthy eating, you won’t have to even count calories at all and you can just enjoy the occasional treat if you wish to do so.
So if you do eat out, don’t be afraid to ask what goes into your food. Ask them to be specific according to your requirements and if it doesn’t contain what you want, ask them to adapt it to your need.
Let’s not forget how drinks can have sugar and add to calorie consumption. Even if you are not drinking alcohol, simple drinks can add to it all. Whether you choose to have a coffee flavoured syrup, along with full fat cream or milk and some sprinkled chocolate, it keeps adding on more caloric value. Even simple fruit juices often have added unnecessary sugar. There are many drinks that may or may not be carbonated, like lemonade etc, that are loaded with hidden sugar. Alcohol, be it spirits, wine, or the sparkling types of drink, all still have calories. Pick a cocktail, and there you have a bumper pack of sugar and calorific value.
The recommended daily amount of calories required for a woman to maintain her weight is around 2,000 calories and 1,500 to lose weight. For Men it is 2,500 to maintain weight and 2,000 for weight loss to occur. So if 3,500 calories = 1lb (0.45 kilograms), it is therefore estimated that one needs to burn 3,500 calories to lose 1lb (0.45 kilogram). So if one cuts down by about 500 or more calories a day, that means one can lose 1o r 2lb or more a week. Increasing physical activity, with more muscle gain and training the metabolism to work faster can improve on that even more.
Think carefully, ask questions and choose wisely when ordering food and drink from places.
Love and Sparkles
Samsara x
