By Eve Pearce
On the surface, it seems pretty easy to ensure both you and
your family eat a healthy diet by simply cutting down on products containing
high levels of fats, salt and sugars. But, in reality, foods marketed as
healthy options can often contain many unnatural and decidedly unhealthy
ingredients added to make up for what’s missing. Look at a label for a low-fat,
processed product, for example, and you’ll likely find a high sugar or salt
content to boost the flavour appeal. When looking to improve your family’s
health and overall nutrition, therefore, it is important to choose foods that
contain natural ingredients, rather than foods that just
substitute one unhealthy element for another.
The importance of variety
Traditionally, diets that omit excess fats, sugars and
processed ingredients were pretty uninspiring. Fortunately, the days of endless
salads and steamed vegetables are long gone! Today, there are many tasty,
natural foods available that offer plenty of variety for adults and children
alike. For example, snacking can be a particularly problematic area for people
looking to eat a healthy, natural diet. Most snack foods, such as cookies, are
usually the first thing to go when trying to cut out fats and excess sugars.
However, the Totally Devoted range of cookies taste great
and contain plenty of natural ingredients that can provide health benefits for
mums-to-be and the whole family. With natural ingredients, such as oats,
linseeds and coconut oil, you can snack away with a clear conscience!
The value of everyday changes
Improving your diet doesn't necessarily mean making drastic,
expensive changes. Often, it's just a matter of being aware of what has gone
into the foods you already enjoy and finding natural alternatives. For example,
protein is an essential
element in
any diet, as it provides energy and helps repair tissue, but some sources of
protein are far from healthy, as they contain added fats and sugars. Therefore,
when looking to boost your protein intake, stick to natural sources that can be
easily incorporated into your diet. For example, you can sprinkle natural whey powder on to your morning oat
bran, or blend it into soup or fresh fruit smoothies for the whole family. This
way, you are adding a valuable complete protein source to your diet without the
added sugars often found in shop-bought protein shakes, powders and processed
dairy products. Whole grains, such as quinoa and brown rice, can be great,
versatile options for adding to a salad or stew; while nuts and pulses can also
be incorporated into a variety of dishes.
[Image of oats – a great natural source
of protein]
Easy substitutions for everyday
favourites include switching from sugar-laden flavoured yogurts to low-fat or
fat-free natural yoghurt sweetened with fresh fruit or a little honey, and
swapping fatty red meats for grilled fish or poultry. Made with buckwheat
flour and oats, which contain the eight essential amino acids that make up
complete proteins, Totally Devoted cookies can also contribute to your daily
intake. The advantage is that you’re getting a whole host of other health
benefits too, such as fibre, B-vitamins and iron.
Health
Benefits of Herbs and Spices
One area often overlooked by people
wanting to improve their diet is the natural health benefits provided by herbs
and spices. For example, ginger, a key ingredient in our pregnancy cookie, can
help to relieve a number of ailments, such as nausea, heartburn and motion
sickness. It has also been found to contain properties that soothe migraine and
aid cold and flu prevention.
Two beneficial ingredients added to the
feeding cookie are fenugreek and fennel. You may well be familiar with fennel as
a cooking ingredient, but as a herbal remedy it can promote healthy lactation.
It is also known to help maintain and improve digestive function. Fenugreek,
which also helps to stimulate milk flow, is an aromatic Mediterranean
plant often used in dishes from the Indian subcontinent. It can be prepared
as a vegetable; but can also be used as a herb. Both fenugreek and fennel can
also help to counteract infant colic.
New Zealand’s own kawakawa leaf, an ingredient in
the family cookie, can help with digestive and respiratory issues, toothache,
and has traditionally been used as a treatment for colds and influenza. It
can also aid stimulation and has anti-fungal properties.
Special dietary needs
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, it is important to
pay particular attention to your diet, as by making sensible choices you can
support your body’s natural functions. Great foods
for pregnancy include
beans, which contain protein, fibre and key nutrients; they are also versatile
and can be easily added to soups, salads and pasta recipes. Well-cooked eggs
are a great source of calcium, and are also one of the few natural sources of
vitamin D; both of which are essential for strong bones. As well as ginger, Totally
Devoted’s tasty Pregnancy
Cookie contains
other beneficial ingredients, such as chia seeds, which are a great source of
protein and calcium, as well as a host of other essential nutrients.
[Image of chia seeds – these have a whole
host of health benefits for pregnant women]
One great food
for lactating mothers is salmon, which contains a type of fat
called DHA. Also found in breast milk, DHA is crucial to the development a
baby's nervous system. Whole-grain cereal is also beneficial as a source of
vital minerals, vitamins and energy; while leafy vegetables and lean beef can
provide much-needed iron. In addition to whole-grain oats and iron-rich buckwheat
flour, Totally Devoted’s Feeding Cookie contains ingredients
coconut oil, which is a source of lauric acid. Not only is this a component of
breast milk, it also has antifungal, antiviral and anti-microbial
properties.
The health benefits of a natural diet
There has never been a better time to make the switch to a
natural diet. While it would be difficult to cut out all processed foods, the
availability and variety of natural ingredients and products mean you can
introduce them into your family’s diet with relative ease. In addition, the
availability of snack foods, such as Totally Devoted’s range, mean that switching to a diet
rich in natural ingredients won’t mean missing out on tasty treats!
No comments:
Post a Comment