If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will.
Once you start eating healthier foods in a balanced diet, foods that used to make you cringe at the thought of eating them suddenly seem not so bad. Somehow they seem to taste much better than when you first tried them. Eventually, the foods you used to crave; the sweet and salty; become cringe-worthy.
Another pleasure you get from eating healthier foods in proper portions is that you don’t have to hear (even from the voice in your head) that you shouldn’t eat too much. Healthy eating is guilt-free.
Too Much of a Good Thing…
Unfortunately, that old saying applies to healthy food as much as anything. Needless to say, it’s never good to over eat, even if the food is good for you. That gets back to the basics of maintaining a healthy weight. If you consume more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight – regardless of where the calories came from.
But there are some healthy foods that, while they are a great part of a nutritious, balanced diet, they should be enjoyed in moderation to avoid a variety of health issues. So continue to enjoy each of these tasty and healthy foods, just don’t go overboard:
Tuna
This omega-fatty-acid-packed fish doesn’t taste fishy, so it’s a favourite that you’ll find on the grill, in salads and on hors d’oeuvres. But tuna are high on the food chain. All the pollutants, especially mercury, consumed by the smaller fish they eat pile up in tuna. It’s not really a problem for humans, unless you eat way too much. You may be able to find “sustainably fished tuna”, which has strict mercury limits, but if you buy a regular brand, you should limit your consumption to one can per week.
Spinach
Yes, even this long-term member of the list of superfoods can cause some issues if you eat too much of it. Some kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate and spinach is high ccalcium oxalate. But you would need to eat way more spinach than anyone would really want to before you caused any problems. But, if you already have high levels of calcium oxalate, and/or other contributing risk factors of kidney stones, spinach will add to the risk.
Almond & Brazil Nuts
Also high in oxalates, almonds can contribute to kidney stones too. And while you need to make sure you get lots of fibre in your diet, almonds are so high in fibre that too many can cause digestive discomfort. If you go with average servings of almonds, about an ounce, you’ll not have a problem and you’ll still get all the goodness.
The trace levels of the mineral selenium ion your body help your cells to function. But selenium in large amounts is toxic to your body. One Brazil nut has 95 micrograms of selenium, but your body only needs 55 micrograms per day. Your Brazil nut consumption should be occasional at best.
Lean Animal Protein
You might hear that you can’t get too much protein and, if you get lots of exercise and don’t go protein crazy, that’s not far from wrong. But animal protein contains a hormone called Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) which is linked to accelerated aging, increased cancer risk and neurological disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Exercise is the key to keep the amount of protein you get from animal sources in check.
Maca
Only known to the western world for about 150 years, Maca is yet another superfood to come out of the South American rain forests. Credited with increasing everything from energy and stamina, to fertility and libido, maca also balances our hormones. But too much of all those benefits can get out of hand. It’s recommended that you not exceed the suggested intake as listed on maca packaging.
Again, in the right portions, including any of these foods in a balanced diet will help you get the right nutrition so you can healthily manage your weight. The nutrition consultants at your local Herbal One Centre can help you learn more about the foods listed here and others that you can enjoy while you shed unwanted pounds and live a healthier lifestyle.