Lisa's Blog

I was in New Zealand last week presenting to The Max (the Prestigious International Fitness Business College) on weight management strategies and rather serendipitously the next day my husband came home with The New Zealand Herald.  The headline read:

"The Fat List: 49 foods to avoid"

The article explained that researchers from Otago University had developed and have now published in the New Zealand Medical Journal a list of foods "heavy on calories but light on nutrition".  Beside this were two columns.  One marked: BLACKLIST and the other ALTERNATIVE.  The intention of the list is to "help obese people to identify which foods could be cut from their diet".  I despaired as I ran my eyes over both their lists. The list seems to favour "low calorie and low fat or lite options", which really is not enough of the truth or full story when it comes to choosing food for health and good weight management. 

Always in my view, REAL food trumps artificial or processed food, including when it comes to weight management. I was disillusioned to find foods like butter, chocolate, honey, coconut cream and mayonnaise on the Blacklist.  Reading the alternatives was more disappointing.  Lite margarine, Coconut flavoured lite evaporated milk, diet soft drinks and Artificial Sweetener all made it onto the Alternatives list.

Why would I disagree with these selections?

Here is my word of caution.  "Lite" or "low fat" alternatives usually require additives, usually sugar or artificial sweeteners, to compensate for the taste and texture of the product so the ingredients lists on these foods leave a lot to be desired from a nutritional standpoint, I would argue they are often "light on nutrition" in my view.  Coconut oil (and anything real coconut for that matter) has been found to have many health benefits, my only caution would be don't overdo it because of the high fructose content, but certainly coconut oil or fat has actually being linked to weight loss and other health benefits despite being an unpopular "saturated fat" in nature.  I would also caution against margarines and fats or oils that have been manipulated.  When it comes to vegetable oils enjoy them in their purest realest form.  A margarine requires turning a liquid oil into a solid, this processing often denatures the fat unfavourably and sometimes even yields toxic trans fats.  Honey especially New Zealand Manuka honey is jam packed with good nutrition, and while it may be high in calories it can certainly and healthfully be enjoyed in moderation and doesn't deserve to be "blacklisted" in my view.  Neither does chocolate.  Good quality dark chocolate (organic and even raw when you can) has so many health benefits.  Mayonnaise, if real and good quality is egg, olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar- so good and even nutritious in moderation. 

The list is not all bad, but rather than blacklisting, I would prefer to "limit or have only on occasion".  Blacklisting can sometimes be like raising a red flag to a bull.  Sure, condensed milk, doughnuts, hot chips, pastries and regular sausages and salami are foods you don't want on your everyday or even every week list.  However, if I were to have a Black list it would be: Artificial sweeteners, Artificial Additives, Preservatives, Trans fats.  I would also caution against processed meats, luncheon meats and sausages and I would agree that sugar is just energy and has no nutrition. 

On the subject of "minimal processing and what not to eat.  An interesting article in Prevention Magazine in November 2011 interviewed certain researchers, specialist doctors and farmers and asked them one simple question: "Which food do you never eat?"  On their "Seven Foods that Should Never Cross Your Lips" they include: Stock Cubes (that contain MSG); Conventionally grown carrots (because they are like sponges sucking up all the chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the soil they are grown in) -rather buy organic; non organic beef (because of the hormones and antibiotics and especially if they are grain fed); white bread (because it is too high GI); diet soft drinks (because of their links to developing metabolic syndrome); Southern Bluefin Tuna (because of conservation issues and high mercury levels); and chicken nuggets (because they are usually very fatty and often made up of parts of the chicken you wouldn't ordinarily eat, so you could think you are eating this as your protein serving but you might only be getting 40% as "chicken protein").  (Their panel of experts included:  a Cardiothoracic Surgeon; An endocrinologist, A sustainable fishing expert; an organic farmer; a nutritional toxicologist; and a senior cancer researcher.)  Interesting!

Here is my Low Food List, and it details foods that I would certainly recommend reducing or limiting or having only on occasion. You will see by clicking on this link: Low Food List  that rather than talking about low calorie, as a rule I recommend eating real foods but follow these simple guidelines.  When it comes to carbohydrates try to choose foods that are naturally LOW Glycaemic load or Glycaemic Index, when you don't try to eat some protein with them (e.g. a banana and a handful or almonds, nut spread or hummus on toast, add some yoghurt to your muesli).  I also talk about limiting foods that are high in A.G.E (like sausages or crumbed meats) or high in free radicals (like deep fried foods) or high in artificial additives.  These foods can put stress on the liver and on the whole body causing inflammation, leaching important nutrients and also compromising your nutrition status.  In terms of weight control, focusing on eating to manage your blood sugar i.e. low GL and GI and eating GOOD QUALITY fats and oils is a really good strategy.  Add good quality protein, like fish and some raw and some fresh fruit and veg to that mix and do that 80 % of the time, you can cheat or enjoy some treats the rest of the time... and that is the winning formula!