Looking back, 2015 was an interesting year for nutrition. In one word, I could describe the last 12 months as ‘extreme’. All captured on Instagram with a filter and a hashtag to make us all feel guilty or righteous. Here’s my take on 2015 – The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

GREEN SMOOTHIE BOWLS
The Good: People started getting more greens into their diet; and when smoothies are made with majority vege, that’s a superb hit of vitamins and minerals.
The Bad: In most instances, fibre is lost. A piece of whole fruit and a glass of water can be far more beneficial then a smoothie.
The Ugly: Unless you own an industrial strength blender (that you need financial assistance to buy) fresh kale in a smoothie is not pretty.

“CLEAN” EATING
The Good: People started eating more wholefoods.
The Bad: People began obsessing about and restricting foods – cue the new term Orthorexia
The Ugly: Food is for enjoyment and celebration, as much as it is about health. If you are guilt ridden and losing sleep over eating a slice of birthday cake, you may need help.

BULETPROOF COFFEE
The Good: All coffee (in moderation) is delicious and should be savoured and enjoyed.
The Bad: To make a coffee ‘bulletproof’ you need to add butter to it.
The Ugly: The oily residue in your cup, mouth and arteries… is pretty ugly, yes?

INTERMITENT FASTING (5 & 2 Style)
The Good: People learning about the energy content of foods (calories/kilojoules) is a real eye opener and can help people make better choices dependent on their individual energy requirements.
The Bad: Eating whatever the hell you want for a few days and restricting to extreme on the other days is not a healthy way to approach eating.
The Ugly: Restricting energy intake to extremes makes people hangry!

PALEO BANANA BREAD
The Good: A banana bread made with low GI grains or almond meal is better for blood glucose levels than traditional café banana bread.
The Bad: Let’s face it; any banana bread is really banana cake!
The Ugly: Ummm… I don’t think Paleo Man ever ate Paleo Banana Bread… or Paleo Chocolate Fudge or Paleo Snickers Cake…

SUGAR FREE SPORTS DRINKS
The Good: They provide hydration.
The Bad: Sports drinks are to provide easily absorbed carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores – this contains none!
The Ugly: These sugar free sports drinks don’t provide any carbohydrates, so they are basically an expensive bottle of water, salt and flavouring.

I’ve written this with a bit of fun in mind…
Just remember that healthy eating should not be an extremist thing. It’s about eating minimal processed foods, but also enjoying the odd treat without feeling too guilty. It includes consuming whole fruit and vege, and staying hydrated… with water as your number one choice.

Have a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year!

Lisa Donaldson APD
www.FEEDinc.net
4 KENNEDY ST, KINGSTON