Over the past 2 years I have watched with great interest the impact of cooking shows on the way Australians approach food. People who once avoided the kitchen are now hosting dinner parties and whipping up creme brulee in their spare time. I am amazed at the number of my patients who have been motivated by the many different cooking shows on television at the moment, including Masterchef and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.
As a passionate foodie I have celebrated this renewed interest in food and cooking in Australia. I was especially interested to see that Masterchef will soon launch its kids series, which is great news, as encouraging young Australians to take an interest in food and generating an understanding about how food is prepared and where it comes from is a wonderful thing.
But even thought these cooking shows are great entertainment and are managing to get Australians back into the kitchen I feel there is a missed opportunity here…. They are encouraging budding young chefs and inspiring countless Australians to broaden their culinary skills, but they are missing out on a fabulous opportunity to educate Australians about the importance of good nutrition. While not all Australians want to know the calorie count of their chocolate gateau, or the fat content of their duck confit, wouldn’t a sprinkling of nutritional information, such as the health benefits of the essential fatty acids in fish, or how artichoke can help to support liver function only add to the appeal?
Over the years I have had to reconcile my deeply held beliefs about the importance of good nutrition with my passion for traditional cooking. I have developed a personal philosophy on food and nutrition that allows me to have a diet full of fresh, healthy, nutritious food and still indulge my passion for a decadent treat now and then. I believe that as long as you have a healthy diet that is packed with fresh food, high in nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential fatty acids, as well as balancing your protein, carbohydrate and fat intake, there is room for indulgence.
I make sure my Monday to Friday diet is fairly bullet proof in term of providing healthy nutrition and that each meal I have focuses on providing me with the nutrients I need for good health. This allows me to indulge my passion for cooking more traditional dishes on the weekend to share with family and friends. Basically my philosophy can be summed up as….
“90% for the body and 10% for the soul”
I believe there is a value in cooking the more traditional types of dishes – how else do you learn the amount of sugar that goes into the average loaf of banana bread, served in cafes all around Australia? (Something that horrified me the first time I made it!) It helps to give us a better understanding of how food is prepared, what ingredients it contains and allows us to make more informed choices about our food. It also encourages people to experiment with food, swapping ingredients for healthier choices and avoiding common foods that may unnecessarily add to their total empty calorie count for the week.
What are empty calories? Basically it is food that provides maximum energy with minimum nutritional value. A diet full of empty calories is definitely a recipe for disaster! While some people such as athletes have to have a high intake of calorie dense foods, the average office worker with this type of diet is really going to struggle in terms of weight gain and poor health. In fact, this type of diet is the major driving factor behind Australia’s obesity epidemic which ultimately costs Australian taxpayers millions of dollars on health care expenditure.
So don’t be afraid of food, get into the kitchen and learn as much as you can. Put some effort into your diet, do some research to work out your best Monday to Friday diet, concentrating of fresh, nutritious, healthy ingredients. That should give you a little leeway to indulge your passion for the occasional decadent treat shared with family and friends.
If you would like professional help formulating you Monday to Friday diet and boosting your nutrition as well as your health now and into the future, book an appointment! We can devise a personalized eating plan that will provide you with everything you need while still allowing for the occasional decadent treat!