If you regularly shop in supermarkets you will have most likely noticed the traffic light system on various foods. The red, amber and green colours are designed to alert us to high levels of sugar, salt and fat in our foods, allowing us to make informed and educated choices on the foods that we eat.

However… is the traffic light system flawed?

Firstly, the system is based on research from the 1950s. Research that is now completely out of date. Think about how much we have evolved in even the last 10 years with technology, discoveries and innovation. Why are we therefore using information from almost 65 years ago to determine our health and wellbeing guidelines? Anyway, that is an argument for another day…

Labels on food packaging such as low-fat, sugar free are misleading as we know that low fat foods often contain MORE sugar for taste. We NEED fats in our diets, and with good nutrition education, you will learn exactly what good fats are and why they are an essential part of your diet.

Let’s look at the following foods:

White pitta bread
Salmon
White pasta
85% dark chocolate
Dried fruit
Nuts
Chunky oven chips
Coconut oil
Low-fat puree yoghurt
Greek yoghurt

The foods in red, according to the traffic light system would be ones to avoid due to their high fat content. Food for thought eh?

We know that the foods marked red here are abundant in nutrients, good fats and minerals that are essential. Looking at the traffic light system, the green on some of these foods most certainly should not mean “Go!”. White pasta and bread products are two highly processed foods, full of toxins. Where are toxins stored? In fat cells! What do you do to shrink fat cells? DETOX by following an approved and carefully monitored programme.

With guidelines like these from the government, it is easy to see how this can be overwhelming and misleading. Next time you look at food labels, the simplest way to deduce it’s health value is to think “If it ran, swam, flew or grown” then it’s probably OK. Foods with the least ingredients as possible, in their most natural form, unprocessed are the ones we should be purchasing. If there are ingredients on the label that you can’t pronounce or E numbers… avoid!

In my B-Fit B-Fabulous 21 Day Weight Loss Plan, the recipes, exercise and coaching is important but I would say that the most vital aspect of this programme (and the reason it is so successful) is the nutrition education. If you learn WHAT you should eat and WHY, coupled with the foods you SHOULD AVOID and WHY you feel more empowered to make the right food choices. The additional benefits of weight loss, more energy, vitality and health benefits are just an additional (and welcome) bonus!

Call/email me in confidence to talk through my nutrition training with clients and how learning to enjoy the right foods for life could benefit you. 07748 298728 or gaynor@www.b-fit.uk.com

To find out more about the B-Fit B-Fabulous 21 Day Weight Loss Plan, click here.