Guest Blog by Jo Schutt from Jellyfish Connection

Are you confused about what's good for you and what's not?
There is so much information out there, so many books, websites & 'experts' that it can become very overwhelming and confusing. If you would like to some simplified advice on how to improve your eating habits for general health, increased mood & energy, weight management, reduced digestive symptoms like bloating, flatulence or constipation, or any other reason for that matter, here's a few SIMPLE ways you can make it easy on yourelf and start eating well today.....
 
Go Back to Basics! - Look at a food and ask yourself how close to nature is it? How much processing has this food had to go through to get to the supermarket shelf? Eating foods in their most natural form means making choices that might go against what we have been told for years, for example, butter, full cream milk & cheese or cream are all better than their more processed options, they are more natural and more healthy. Instead of grabbing something in a box or packet for a meal or side dish, make it yourself! For a snack, eat something that was picked from a tree or grew in the ground!
 
Avoid sugary sweet foods (muffins, cakes etc.), softdrinks, cordials, most sports drinks, white bread and alcohol. These are high on the Glycaemic Index (GI) & leave you feeling lethargic after consuming them due to the rapid rise and fall in blood sugar levels, they will also be stored as body fat if you are not active enough to burn them off. These foods contain absolutely NO nutrients, so they offer you nothing except instant gratification! But it's all over in a few minutes and you're left to deal with the consequences. Prolonged or regular intake of these foods can lead to 'Insulin Resistance' which is a pre-diabetic state.
 
Forget Low Fat. Yes tha'ts right! The majority of fats sourced from animal and plant foods have health benefits and are indeed essential for life. Fats that come from hydrogenated vegetable oils contain trans fats which are harmful to your cell membranes, these are the important fats to avoid, the rest should make up at least 20% of your diet. See the PCF article for sources of 'good fats'.
 
Eat small regular meals (5-6 a day) or have snacks between meals. Protein shakes with flaxseed oil, fruit with nuts & seeds, natural yoghurt & cottage cheese mixed with berries, carrot & celery sticks with Hummus, tuna on crackers. Each meal should consist of good quality protein, some good fats & oils (they don’t store as fat in the body) and a source of Low GI carbohydrates (low sugar & high fibre).
Eating regular meals will keep your metabolism running efficiently, keep your blood sugar levels stable and ensure you are feeding your body a constant supply of energy.
 
Moderation is the key. Don’t make one particular food group (no matter how good) the main thing you consume (e.g if going dairy free don't just swap to soy products, try oat, rice or almond milks and goat milk/cheese or yoghurt as well).
Include lots of different coloured fruits and vegetables to ensure you get a range of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants from your foods. Dark greens, orange, bright & deep red, purple - nature makes itself look appealing with bright fresh colours so we consume a wide range of nutrients.
 
Plan & prepare your meals in advance and ensure you have enough food with you to last the whole day. This way you won’t get tempted to stray from your healthy eating plan (and it saves you money). Allocate a few hours of the week to prepare your meals for the next few days. Have your meals planned before you make the trip to the grocery store and only buy the things required to prepare your healthy meals. If you don’t have chocolate staring at you each time you open the cupboard door, you won’t eat it!! Have enough containers to store all your meals in and a lunch box & freezer packs that will keep your food cold if you do not have access to a fridge.
 
Know your PCF - Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats. Be aware of where your Calories are coming from during the day. It is important not to generally over consume calories, but it's also important to make sure all your calories are not coming from the one type of macronutrient, for example, don't just eat carbohydrates! A balanced PCF ratio will help you get all the nutrients you need and avoid a nutritional deficiency.
 
Read Labels. The Nutrition Panel gives you the amounts of each macronutrient (PCF) and is generally broken down into sugars and types of fats along with some minerals. The ingredients list - Look for hidden sugars, hydrogenated vegetable oils, food colours & preservatives to name a few.
Don't rely on the front of the packaging to give you accurate information about the contents. Always read the nutritional panel & ingredients list instead of relying on the marketing on the front of the package.
To know how much you are eating - Each label will have 'per serve' quantities so be sure to look at how many serves the company claims are in the packet. e.g. if a serving size is 130g but the whole packet is 260g net, there is two serves. Therefore if you consume the whole packet you actually had two serves and need to double the quantities stated on the nutritional panel, this is usually not so bad because one tub of yoghurt is not going overboard, it just may be more sugar than you originally thought.
To compare one product to another look at the column on the far right that gives values per 100g, this is the best way to compare two similar items.
Be aware that anything “Lite”, “Fat-free” or “Diet” is usually low in fat but very high in sugar. Read the label thoroughly rather than believe the marketing gimicks.
 
Discipline deserves Reward: It is important not to deprive yourself of life’s pleasures, which for some may be a slice of chocolate cake or a glass of wine. Those who try to “be good” 100% of the time often end up with an 'all or nothing' attitude which means when they are in the undisciplined phase there’s no holds barred and anything and everything will be on the menu (sound familiar?). In order to prevent this it is important to reward your hard work with the occasional treat, as long as you get back on track the very next meal or the very next day at the least. Eating well 80% of the time is an excellent way to go.
 
At 5 to 6 meals a day, you should be consuming 36 to 42 meals & snacks each week. Consider how many of these meals are currently healthy (following the above guidelines). Now consider how much better you will feel when only 20% of your food is of lesser quality than ideal. Not only will you feel the mental and physical benefits of eating well, but the mental and emotional satisfaction gained from being kind to yourself with a healthy eating plan makes it all worth while.
 
Enjoy!

Jo Schutt is a Mum & Naturopath who has combined her love of the two to create www.jellyfishconnection.com – a resource to help families find their way through the wealth of information on Natural Therapies, Health & Fitness, Pregnancy & Parenting and share her family’s journey to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Jo’s passion for sharing knowledge and ability to inspire and motivate has also led to the conception of the annual ‘Peninsula Family Health Expo’ and ‘Food for Families’ (bi-monthly) seminars for parents to increase the health of their family by making informed decisions about nutrition. 
For more information visit www.jellyfishconnection.com or contact Jo – jo@jellyfishconnection.com or phone 0425785161