Can you become healthier this new year simply by cutting out one thing from your diet? We posed the question to six leading nutritionists and received a range of interesting responses. Some of their choices are no brainers, while others are more surprising, and some highlight the importance of eliminating negative thoughts over foods. Intrigued? For some simple ways to eat, drink and think like a nutritionist in 2018, here’s what they suggest you avoid.
Processed meat
‘If there was one thing I wish people would stop eating in 2018 it would be processed meat. Processed meat is in my opinion one of the most disruptive foods out there. It is classed as a carcinogen (alongside smoking and asbestos), and is also said to contribute to antibiotic resistance, hormone problems and can disrupt insulin, which is why processed meats are linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and inflammation.
‘A high percentage of processed meat is made from confined animal feeding operations (factory farms), meaning they’re pumped full of hormones, antibiotics and other veterinary drugs, and this is before you start adding food chemicals. They’re a concentrated source of sodium nitrate, a chemical used as to not only preserve the meat but also to add to taste and colour. These nitrates are converted into nitrosamines in the body, which are the carcinogenic compounds that lead to higher rates of colorectal, stomach and pancreatic cancer. Then there’s the other cancer-causing compounds, such as HCA’s and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, which occur due to cooking methods, smokings and flavourings.
‘The World Cancer Research Fund recommends limiting red meant but advises to avoid processed meat completely – so the new year is a perfect time to start afresh and switching to a more healthful source of meat.’
Added sugar
‘Nearly everybody needs to think about eliminating or at least reducing added sugar for 2018.
‘Sugar can be one of the major culprits behind many people’s health problems. When Many of the symptoms that women, especially, come into my clinic complaining about include irritability, aggressive outbursts, palpitations, lack of sex drive, crying spells, dizziness, anxiety, confusion, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, fatigue, insomnia, headaches and muscle cramps – these are all symptoms that can be due to fluctuating blood sugar caused by sugar highs and low. Balancing blood sugar is also essential in lowering stress because the crashes in blood sugar levels which happen through the day stimulates more adrenaline to be released.
‘Take small steps and you are much more likely to stick with them. First of all, take out of your diet all the savoury foods that contain added sugar, such as spaghetti sauces, mayonnaise, salad dressings, baked beans, soups.
‘The next step is to stop adding sugar to your hot drinks and other foods. Some people will sprinkle sugar on to their cereal in the morning when there is already a lot of sugar already added to it. And read the labels to see that ‘healthy’ fruit yogurt actually contains eight teaspoons of added sugar.’
– Dr Marilyn Glenville, nutritionist specialising in women’s health and author of 14 best-selling books including Natural Alternatives to Sugar
Too much salt
‘Whilst salt (sodium) certainly does play a role within the body and is an essential component of the diet, for most meeting our daily requirements is far from difficult and in fact many within the UK are eating too much.
‘The maximum recommended intake of salt per day is 6g, yet on average we’re consuming 8g per day. Eating too much salt can raise blood pressure, which can increase the risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Most of our salt is hidden in foods; therefore, it can be difficult to quantify how much we’re consuming each day. It has been estimated that as much as 75% of our salt intake comes from everyday foods such as bread, breakfast cereal and ready meals.
‘A quick way for checking the salt content of your food is to read food labels. If a food has more than 1.5g salt per 100g then this product is high in salt, if it has less than 0.3g salt per 100g the product is low in salt. The traffic light labelling system is also a fast track way of identifying the quantity of salt in our food.
‘Unfortunately, it’s also easy to fall into the trap of believing the marketing hype around so-called healthy alternatives such as pink Himalayan salt. A quick Google search will tell you that this pretty pink salt can cure all, which can lead to liberal use within our food. However, a lot of these claims are far from the truth and at the end of the day we must watch all types of salt intake.
‘Instead, try adding flavour to your food with spices and mixed herb, buy tinned pulses and vegetables without added salt, watch intakes of smoked or cured meats and always check and compare food labels.’
Vegetable oils
‘If there’s one thing I’d want people to stop consuming and using, it’s vegetable oils. I’m referring mainly to refined cooking oils such as sunflower or rapeseed oil. These are still touted as healthier alternatives to saturated fats, but in truth they’re more likely to be harmful for our long-term health.
‘Why? Firstly, polyunsaturated fats such as these are quite fragile and are easily damaged when heated to high temperatures – as they often are, for frying. This creates harmful free radicals that could have a damaging effect for us when we consume them. Solid forms of vegetable oil such as margarine or vegetable oil spreads could be even worse, as the process of turning these liquid oils into a solid fat can create damaging trans fats. It’s thought that trans fats can be incorporated into our body’s cell membranes, replacing the healthy fats that our cells need to work properly.
‘Secondly, vegetable oils are high in omega-6 fats and contain little or no omega-3s. Although omega-6s aren’t inherently harmful, having too much of them in relation to omega-3s (which are pretty much only found in oily fish and flaxseeds) can cause an imbalance that may lead to too much inflammation in the body. Excessive inflammation is linked to virtually every chronic health condition, from arthritis to heart disease to asthma.
‘Instead of using vegetable oils such as these for cooking, I advise using coconut oil. Coconut oil is mainly made up of saturated fats, which don’t turn into harmful fats when heated. You can buy coconut oils that have been gently ‘de-odorised’ to remove the coconut smell and taste, and these are ideal for cooking. Alternatively, use cooking methods that don’t involve oil, such as steaming or baking. Olive oil is also a healthy oil and isn’t included in those to avoid – but ideally, use it unheated in dressings, or use it for cooking at lower temperatures. Also: keep down your intake of processed foods too, as they often contain vegetable oils as a primary ingredient.”
Crash diets and negative habits
‘One thing I think people should stop in 2018 is crash dieting.
‘We are learning more and more about the adverse impacts of ‘yo-yo’ diets. Drastic calorie restriction can actually switch the body into ‘survival’ mode where metabolism slows and so it’s harder to lose weight, and neurotransmitters are released that increase appetite.
‘Instead of a year of food rules and restrictions, make 2018 the year of improving the nutrient quality of the diet by including all the food groups and banishing strict diets.’
– Gabriela Peacock, expert nutritionist
‘This year, instead of foods, I think we should give up some of our negative habits!
‘A massive no-no for me is fad, quick-fix diets. We know they don’t work in the long run, cutting out all your favourite foods is never enjoyable and they often leave us feeling worse about ourselves than we did before.
‘Instead try and focus on some healthy foods you enjoy to include in your diet. Talk positively about yourself more often and don’t punish yourself about food or exercise. Ever. That’s not what being healthy is about.’
