Chocolate, apples or a glass of red wine?

I've just received the latest Beyond Chocolate newsletter which is great for motivating yourself when the dreaded 'diet' word is finding its way back in your thoughts again. This feature is focusing on enjoyment, and I thought I'd publish it here for you to read.

PRINCIPLE NO. 6: ENJOY (Remind me what this principle is about)

"Chocolate lovers can rejoice. It's claimed that two squares of a certain brand of chocolate that recently hit the supermarket shelves contain more antioxidants than 5lbs of apples. The newspapers went wild for it. So, should you abandon your Granny Smiths for Choxi+? Are chocolate bars the new blueberries? Hmmm. Possibly not.

"I'm all in favour of promoting the benefits of indulgent foods, and chocolate certainly does have positive health gains: it is rich in a number of chemicals that may protect us from heart disease and, most importantly, to many of us, it is a deliciously sensual vehicle for those aforementioned antioxidants.

"Yet, if you happen to enjoy juicy, crunchy apples too, those fruits also have countless health benefits, as do carrots, butter, yoghurt, nuts, even red wine - and any other good-quality food. Foods have a variety of benefits and ranking them in term of health is frankly absurd.

"The problem is that the same newspaper that is telling you to eat chocolate this week will be telling you to cut back the week after. It's all about what makes a good story. I have no doubt that this chocolate bar is rich in antioxidants and is probably delicious, but, if you were to get your nutrition advice from the headlines, you would be eating raw fish for breakfast one week and indulging in goji berries the next.

"Food does have a profound impact on health and I witness amazing results after advising my clients to make dietary changes, but this change is based on the specific health concerns, needs and tastes of an individual. So many people are confused by the conflicting information they have read about what they should and shouldn't eat that they have lost touch with their intuitive ability to know what foods are right for them. My advice? Enjoy chocolate. Enjoy apples. Enjoy good-quality food."

This article was written by Surinder Phull, head nutritionist at Eatwell.co.uk. We love her no-diet approach to nutrition and have made her an honorary Chocolate Fairy! She is available for consultations in London, across the UK and internationally.

Comments

[Sally Roberts]

Well done, Surinder!! So lovely to see a nutritionist who isn't "holier than thou" about chocolate but encourages the eating of anything which is enjoyable as well as nutritious!