| 1. Food should not be wasted | | | | Even so, you may find that your friend can eat |
| We have learnt not to leave food even though | | | | more than you and not get fat. You may put it |
| we don't really want it. If we cooked it, bought it, | | | | down to the luck of a fast metabolism but |
| served it up on a plate or ordered it in a | | | | actually the slight variances you find in metabolism |
| restaurant it has to be eaten because "it's a sin to | | | | make very little difference. Naturally slim people |
| throw away good food". So we use our bodies as | | | | simply move around more during the course of |
| a kind of human waste disposal unit and pile | | | | the day even if they don't take regular exercise. |
| unwanted pounds onto our hips. | | | | They're forever on the go. They're up and down |
| We learnt to clean our plates when we were kids, | | | | more. And they fidget more. Studies have shown |
| mostly from well-meaning parents who wanted to | | | | that they use up more calories than others in that |
| make sure we got enough nourishment and tried | | | | way. |
| to make us feel guilty about all the starving | | | | If you eat and move like your slim friends you will |
| people in the world. We learnt to eat stuff we | | | | have little to envy. |
| didn't really want or need to please our parents | | | | 4. Healthy food doesn't make you fat |
| and sometimes we got more food as a reward | | | | You can get fat eating anything - although, |
| ("Eat your dinner or you won't get dessert"). | | | | granted, it would be difficult to overeat lettuce. |
| Now you're an adult you can take a different | | | | But some natural foods are high in calories - in |
| approach. Buy less, cook less, serve up less and | | | | particular nuts and seeds - so you can easily take |
| order less but if it's still more food than you need, | | | | in too many calories with these. And fruit juices, |
| throw it out rather than down your throat. It's a | | | | smoothies and shakes can really pile on the |
| greater waste to over feed your body than it is | | | | pounds. Too many complex carbohydrates, whole |
| to throw out excess food. | | | | grain though they are, will go straight to your hips |
| 2. Food equals love | | | | too. Healthy foods are great but they still have to |
| We learn from birth to link love and comfort from | | | | be eaten in moderation. |
| our mother with being fed and that feeling is | | | | Having said that, true healthy natural real foods |
| reinforced throughout childhood. We equate food | | | | are not generally the real problem. The main |
| with being cared for. So it's often the first thing | | | | culprit here are those foods which are branded as |
| we turn to when we want to experience those | | | | healthy by food manufacturers - the foods that |
| feelings of love and comfort again. | | | | are "full of goodness" or low in fat or carbs or |
| But food is not love. A double-chocolate chip | | | | whatever. They offer so-called healthy options for |
| cookie or plateful of fries will never love you back. | | | | cookies, cakes and pies that you could do well |
| Only people can do that. | | | | without eating. They just tempt you to eat more |
| If you need love, you need contact with other | | | | because you think they are healthy or low in |
| living breathing humans. Call up a friend and talk, | | | | calories. Check the labels and give them a miss. |
| don't eat. | | | | 5. Only unhealthy food tastes good |
| 3. Slim people can eat as much food as they like | | | | You may have spent years assaulting your |
| This one is actually true but not in the way we | | | | taste-buds with fat and sugar confectionery, salty |
| often believe it. Slim people eat as much as they | | | | snacks and fried foods and that is what they |
| like but they don't live for food. They like to eat | | | | have learnt to know and love. But actually many |
| as much as they need and they do. Sometimes | | | | foods that you eat have sugar and salt added to |
| they overeat. That's when you see them eating | | | | give them appeal they wouldn't otherwise have. |
| chocolate cake and pizza and you think they have | | | | Once you start tasting quality natural foods and |
| it made. But other times (more likely when you're | | | | delicious healthy recipes you will never look back. |
| not seeing them on an evening out) they're | | | | Become a true gourmet and learn to love good |
| satisfied with soup and a salad. It's a balance thing. | | | | natural food in moderation. Take the time to |
| If slim people ate too much all the time they | | | | prepare and enjoy it properly and you will find |
| would be overweight too! | | | | your taste buds dancing with delight. |