Is it really that hard to eat healthily? It can feel like a minefield sometimes, with conflicting information and inflammatory headlines flying around. Gransnetter Jennifer Grumbley is on her own quest to try and eat healthily – without forsaking her tastebuds...
Is it really hard to eat healthily?
Posted on: Thu 07-Jan-16 12:13:13
(74 comments )
Should we take multi-vitamins? How much of a certain wonder food do we need to eat in order to make a difference? Jennifer Grumbley's on a mission to find out.
I completed a course in nutrition as part of the Exercise Referral course, where a GP refers a patient to a fitness professional. The course notes listed all the ideal foods containing quantities of the appropriate vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, etc. It was mentioned that for the frail elderly a referral to a nutritionist or dietician would be appropriate. But for older people it stated blandly that we should simply eat more of the foods that contained the nutrients. There was no suggestion as to how to achieve this, and I actually think that it is an issue, if you are concerned about maintaining good health, and do not want to put on weight. I am also a foodie.
I regularly look through cookbooks by taking them out of the library, and one recent one was waxing lyrical about appropriate eating to prevent IBS, diverticulitis etc. It extolled the virtues in considerable detail of say, cumin. A recipe for 6 people, including 1/2 tsp cumin, duly followed. Are they trying to tell me that that tiny amount of cumin in a dish is going to make any significant difference to my gut health? What sort of quantities were being used in their research? I suspect the research was anecdotal, using a population such as Indians who use a great deal of cumin in their daily cooking, which is probably very different to the way most of us eat or even want to eat.
The seeds were so small they didn't add texture, but being small, they stuck in every nook and cranny between my teeth, and required interdental brushes to remove.
Then there are healthy foods that taste of nothing. If your focus is on maximising health, fine. But surely food, any food, should also contain an element of pleasure? My latest experiment was with chia seeds, as they were reduced in my local supermarket. They are very high in anti-oxidants, I was informed, and very high in fibre. To my breakfast cereal I added chia seeds, which formed a gel-like surface without being cracked (no need, apparently), and they tasted of absolutely nothing. The seeds were so small they didn't add texture, but being small, they stuck in every nook and cranny between my teeth, and required interdental brushes to remove. I really don’t think I can be bothered with chia seeds, however nutritious.
As yet, there is no cookbook particularly targeting the older person, although our nutritional needs are particular. Popping a multi-vitamin is no longer a straightforward solution, as recent research using vitamins A and E indicated that they aggravated cancer. The assumption is that all nutritional requirements should be from the diet alone, so if optimum health is the aim, the diet has to be very good. However, what is a very good diet? We are told often that a particular food is good, and the following week it turns out that it is not so good.
Jamie and Nigella now have new cookbooks out on healthy eating, and I use one by Diana Henry. Being a vegetarian, I particularly enjoy Ottolenghi recipes. But perhaps Gransnet subscribers can suggest hints, tips and recipes to enjoy food deliciously with maximum health benefits, online?
By Jennifer Grumbley
Twitter: @gransnet
I love her name! I want to be Mrs Grumbley! 
There you are - it's durhamjen! 
dj that's a great find - thank you very much! 
I am always looking for new recipes for one or two people that I can add to my list of meals. 
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