Friday, 31 March 2023 | 9°C Dublin

Subscribe
- My Account
- Log Out

News [1]
Opinion [2]
Business [3]
Sport [4]
Life [5]
Style [7]
Entertainment [8]
Travel [9]

Menu Sections

Independentie

News [1]
Opinion [2]
Business [3]
Sport [4]
Life [5]
Style [7]
Entertainment [8]
Travel [9]

Menu Sections

Close

'There's always room for cake in a balanced diet,' says top nutritionist Karen Coghlan

Moderation is key, says nutritionist and trainer Karen Coghlan

Karen Coghlan

April 29 2015 02:51 PM

Being in good health means being in a state free from illness or injury. But it's not just physical. Our health, as a whole, also includes our mental health and emotional wellbeing.

It is well known that our food choices contribute largely to our physical state. By choosing nutrient dense, whole and minimally processed foods, we can fight diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer.

However, what may be not so obvious is that our food choices, our behaviours, and even our choice of language around food, largely affect our mental wellbeing also.

In order to lose weight, the typical dieter's mindset is to give up sweets, chocolate, crisps, cake, ice-cream, and white bread. In other words, all nutrient-less or "bad" foods.

Women who feel stressed find it harder to lose weight

But this isn't necessary.

We can still eat some cake and reach our goals. We simply eat some of the cake, some of the time, instead of all of the cake, all of the time.

For that matter, there is no such thing as "bad" or "good" food either. Our food choices do not hold any moral values. We either make choices that are conducive towards our goals or we don't. And, of course, it is ok to make food choices, some of the time, that are not completely based purely our fat loss goals.

We can and should make some food choices because we enjoy the taste, the texture, how it makes us feel, and because it gives us great pleasure.

For example, chocolate cake is neither good nor bad. Sure, if we ate nothing but cake, then this would be unhealthy, but the cake should be considered in a holistic way as part of our overall diet.

On the other hand, if we ate nothing but green vegetables, then our diet would be lacking essential macronutrients, such as protein and fats, and this would be equally as unhealthy as eating all the cake, even though vegetables are inherently considered "good".

Video of the Day

We need to look at our eating behaviours on a whole instead of taking our food choices out of context and labelling them as "good" or "bad".

BAD equals shame

If we eat "bad" foods, then we are instilling a belief that we did something wrong or immoral. The use of our language may seem trivial, but it can be problematic if it results in feelings of guilt or self-righteousness over our food choices.

We can feel guilty if we eat too much "bad" food, or alternatively, we can feel a sense of superiority if we have eaten "good" food.

This style of black or white thinking inevitably leads to emotional distress as feelings of guilt set in. Or worse still, you can experience shame because you have led yourself to believe that you have strayed from your dietary goals.

Using phrases such as "I've been so bad" can imply a sense of being a bad person and a sense of shame, which can lead to diminished self-worth and poor mental wellbeing.

It's also a very rigid approach to food and, actually, balance is what we should strive for when it comes to eating, that includes cake.

WOULD YOU RATHER?

If your eating behaviours and food choices have been positive overall - ie plenty of whole and minimally processed foods such as lean meats, fish, veggies, nuts, seeds, some diary, and whole grains - then there is absolutely room to include fun foods that we enjoy to eat, regardless of their nutrient-less content.

For example, would you rather (a) a Cadbury's Dairy Milk Caramello or perceived "healthy" option (b) yogurt raisins as a treat?

If you look at their nutrition profile, they have very similar amounts of calories, protein, sugars, and fats per serving. Both are high in sugars and hydrogenated fats.

The only difference is that the yogurt raisins are less processed than the chocolate and contain slightly more micronutrients due to the raisins.

However, if you prefer the chocolate over the raisins as a treat because you would enjoy it more, then buy the chocolate.

Don't choose to buy the yogurt raisins just because they are sold in the health-food aisle and that they are the "better" option. Because really they are not.

If you are choosing the chocolate bar as a treat - a fun food that we enjoy from time to time - then don't worry about the processed ingredients, and enjoy every last lick of the melted chocolate as you dunk it in your tea, guilt-free.

Allow yourself treats or fun foods about 10pc of the time, without the moral label, regardless of their nutritional value, and regardless of whether you have a fat loss, health, or sports performance goal, and watch the mental struggle disappear.

Karen is a nutrition coach and personal trainer and runs online group nutrition coaching programmes. See www.thenutcoach.com or email karen@thenutcoach.com.

Related Content

Daniella pictured in the sizzling new summer collection from Penneys. Daniella wears hat (5), bikini top (€7), shorts (€7), sunglesses (€3), sandals (€10)

Body

Daniella Moyles: I haven't been to the gym in a year and a half

Blessed with one of the best bikini bodies in the business, model Daniella Moyles puts her figure down to being moderately healthy and not beating herself up about being indulgent.

Body

Calling all fitness enthusiasts: IrishFitPros hosts inaugural meetup

The newly founded ‘IrishFitPros’ is a support network for those who are passionate about health and fitness and hope to make personal training their career.

Bottled water has really taken off in Ireland

Body

How to get your best body? What you eat and how much of it is the key

If you go the gym to lift heavy weights, be it a barbell, a dumbbell, or a kettlebell, then you need to ensure your nutrition is on track for two main reasons.

Body

10 simple ways to help your digestion

With one in four of us suffering from ongoing digestive issues, Ailin Quinlan spoke to nutritionist Ben Brown for his advice

Healthy skin needs nourishment in the form of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, before lotions and potions can enhance its appearance.

Body

Obsessed with your health? ‘Orthorexia’ is an eating disorder when the perfect diet goes too far

Orthorexia nervosa, a devotion to solely eating produce that is deemed nutritious, clean and wholesome, is becoming increasingly prevalent.

Body

I tried Miranda Kerr's 'Goddess Smoothie' diet for a week, and here's what happened

I'm a sucker for anything a wellness queen like Miranda Kerr endorses, so when I came across the daily concoction she swears by, I had to give it a try.

Body

Personal trainer who shed almost five stone shares her golden rules for weight loss

Inspired by her own transformation, we asked personal trainer Melissa Morley about her top ten tips for losing weight and maintaining a healthy physique.

Body

Freya Drohan: Four treats to blow your mind....without blowing your diet

Life's too short to not enjoy the occasional splurge. Here's four ways to satisfy your taste buds without ruining your healthy eating.

Body

Freya Drohan: Move over Bikram, hot power yoga ‘Fierce Grace’ comes to Ireland

A newer, more challenging version of the A list’s favourite exercise is now available in Ireland. Keen to emulate my inner Miranda Kerr, I tried a 90 minute class to see what all the fuss was about.

Body

Freya Drohan: What are the pros of taking protein (for women)

Does the answer to a leaner and fitter body lie in the bottom of a protein shaker?

Body

Seven things you’re probably doing wrong when it comes to fake tan

We caught up with the man responsible for giving Laura Whitmore, Millie Mackintosh, Blake Lively and Sienna Miller their year-round glow to find out his fake-tan-faux pas.

Having a full bladder can make you a better liar, a new study reveals

Body

Five ways to hydrate from within

You may think that you have dry skin, when in fact, you might actually have dehydrated skin. It's easy to confuse the two, but there is a difference. Whereas dry skin is a type that produces very little oil leading to a rough and flaky appearance, dehydrated skin is a condition that may be genetic or environmental, where the skin produces oil and lacks water content so that it feels tight.