A reader sent me some chats. I would like us to benefit from it. He said, “I stopped bread and all pastries two months back completely. I also cut out starchy carbs to a very low level. I noticed I feel a lot better, more alert, and sleep better but reduced power for long exercises which is alright by me. The biggest advantage is that I can read and concentrate for a long without getting tired, unlike when I ate bread and pastries. But I’ve had to increase a lot of fat like groundnuts, eggs, etc to replace the carbs. I feel good, but I don’t know if the fat increase is risky”.
Let me talk about this. Our discussion on glycaemic index was not meant to stop us from eating carbohydrates. It was meant to guide us on portion control and how to choose our carbs wisely since some can cause a high spike in blood sugar. There is no way you can do without carbs since they are energy-giving foods. If your fats are plant-based, there is nothing to worry about. Plant-based foods do not contain cholesterol. Eggs are good but that does not mean they should be consumed excessively.
Recently, I added millet, popularly known as jero, a low glycaemic index grain to my diet. So, one day while I was washing it, I was faced with a lot of difficulty while trying to remove sand from it. Somehow, my mind just created a picture of where it is used in large quantities to make meals. Will they have the patience to wash it thoroughly and remove the sand just like I did?
This particular experience is what gave birth to this week’s discussion. Before I proceed, let me share some unwholesome practices done during food processing with you.
Let us take locust beans (iru) as an example. To aid softening, some people add human urine to the water to boil their locust beans!
Some people use dusting powder for preservation. Sometimes ago, I was told that some people add bleach to their fufu. To tenderise meat, some people boil it with a particular brand of painkiller.
These are the ones that most people know. Do you know how many harmful ingredients that are secretly added to your canned foods? It is even going to be worse now that things are pricey, people will be cutting corners just to maximize profits. They smile to the bank while your health declines.
What are the issues with eating out? Often, these meals can be fast food choices that are high in fat and calories, there is no control over cooking methods or added ingredients, you may accidentally eat something you are allergic to, and people are more likely to let their guard down and choose “unhealthy” foods as eating out is seen as a “treat”, there is more of a chance of eating extras, this may encourage eating more, some foods or drinks contain hidden calories, pre-prepared meals are likely to have lost some of their vitamins, vegetable portions may be small or non-existent.
Nutrition and Dietetics Specialist Nurseda Hatunoğlu stated and warned that “One of the main differences between cooking at home and eating out is better nutritional hygiene. In cases where hygiene cannot be ensured, foods can be contaminated for various reasons and cause food poisoning.”
When cooking at home, you can control every aspect of what you’re preparing—the ingredients, cooking methods, portion sizes but this is not always the case in restaurants” says dietician Julie Balsamo, MS, RDN, owner of Nutrition By Julie.
Although I wouldn’t always make this assumption, home cooking tends to be lower in sodium, calories and unhealthy fats [than restaurant preparations],” Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, a registered dietician and the author of Read It Before You Eat It—Taking You From Label to Table.
Ways to stop eating out:
- Be committed to the decision.
This is the most crucial aspect. If you are not bought in with your whole heart (and stomach), you will fail.
- Start small
As with any lifestyle change, the key to lasting success is to take baby steps. Try packing your food to work. Pretty soon, you will find that eating out is the exception rather than the rule.
- Think about the harm unhealthy food can do to your health
If you are conscious of the dangers unhealthy meals can do to your health all the time, it holds you back from eating out. Always remember you are what you eat. According to Ann Wigmore, “The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison”
- Avoid social pressures to eat out
Are you eating out with friends? If a group of friends is the culprit, suggest dinner parties as an alternative. You can also eat at home and then meet the group after their meal.
- Create a rock-solid meal plan
If the meal plan contains mostly your favourites, you will be excited about eating.
- Keep weekday meals simple to prepare.
Weekdays are always busy. To be at work on time, try to cook simple and healthy meals. On weekends, you can indulge your culinary creativity.
- Watch food channels often
There are different recipes on food channels on TV. Watching enables you to try new recipes in your kitchen.
Eating out is indeed an enjoyable way to connect socially, try new foods, and take a break from cooking but then we should constantly remind ourselves of all the harm it can do to our health. If you must eat outside, make sure to watch portion sizes, eat vegetables in different forms (including soups, salads, and side dishes), minimize the use of salty condiments, drink water instead of soda, limit alcohol intake, choose fibre-rich foods such as whole grains and beans. Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues, do not finish huge portions if you feel full.
A study titled Eating out of Home: Influence on Nutrition, Health, and Policies: A Scoping Review by Eva Gesteiro concludes that a high frequency of EOH ( eating out of home) leads to a lower DQ ( diet quality), characterized by a high energy intake, an excess of total and saturated fats, sugar, and sodium, as well as low amounts of fibre, dairy, fruit, vegetables, and micronutrients. Regarding beverages, EOH was associated with a higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, soft drinks, fruit juices, beer, and alcohol. EOH appears to be related to BMI, overweight, and some components of metabolic syndrome.
According to Robert Burns, “Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn!”, adding human urine while processing locust beans is one of man’s inhumanity to man I have ever heard. It is so sad.
Leo Tolstoy said, “Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it. You can stand out among those who process foods by not adding harmful substances to your own. Always think about the harm all these practices do to people’s health. Like Elizabeth Gilbert said, “Let your conscience be your guide”. When no one is watching, be guided by your conscience.
