Australian_Healthy_Food_Guide_February_2017

FEBRUARY 2017HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE 39

So, you’ve decided the only way
to lose weight is by never eating
‘naughty’ foods again.
Unfortunately, this is where
so many of us get it wrong. Yes,
you can live without some foods,
but being able to enjoy the
occasional treat is much more
sustainable than total deprivation.
It comes back to the mantra:
everything in moderation. So,
instead of an all-or-nothing
attitude to food, try following
the 80/20 approach: if you eat
a healthy diet 80 per cent of
the time, allow yourself to enjoy
treats 20 per cent of the time.

Get back on track
Enjoy treats mindfully ...
Focus on what you’re eating
and savour each mouthful.
This will help make the
food you eat more satisfying,
which means you’ll be
less likely to overeat it.
Savour quality treats
like a few squares of dark
chocolate, or a scoop of
your favourite ice cream.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says we

should dramatically reduce the ‘free sugars’ in our

diet, which means foods with added sugar, as

well as sugary ingredients l k h

syrups and fruit juices. It rec

that we limit our consumpt

added sugars to just six tea

a day — that’s about half of

average Aussie is currently

No wonder, then, produc

‘no added sugar’ or ‘100%

sugar’ look like the best ch

these claims don’t necessa

the product is low in sugar.

‘Natural’ ingredients such a

agave syrup, rice malt syrup and maple syrup

(which all count as free sugars according to the

WHO) could actually mean the product is high

in sugar, so consumption of it should be limited.

Get back on track

Read the ingredients list carefully ...

Always check the ingredients list to see

if sugar has been added under an

alternative name. As a healthy guide,

if a food contains less than 5g of sugar

per 100g, you’ll be choosing a product

that’s low in sugar.

WRONG TURN 8

Being tricked by

‘sugar-free’ claims

Next, move onto swapping

those biscuits you usually have

with afternoon tea for a healthier

3pm snack that you fi nd equally

tasty (there’s plenty of ideas to

choose from in this issue).

And to keep weight in check

in the long term, get into the

habit of moving more every day.

WRONG

TURN 7

Cutting

out treats

The ingredients

list is the best

place to spot

hidden sugars