Hands up anyone who overeats

So many women overeat. So many. And so many women overeat and feel ashamed and guilty. We waste so much energy beating ourselves up, hiding the truth from our families and friends, trying to hide the truth from ourselves. The most destructive aspect of our overeating is the emotional and psychological pain and stress that goes with it. Being overweight is not (despite what the powers that be would have us believe) synonymous with poor health but stress is. Being healthy is not just a natural consequence of being slim. All we seem to hear these days is “Lose weight and you’ll be healthier” Really? (At this point I actually want to bang my head against the wall in frustration! - How can they be so stupid/blind/crazy/ignorant/irresponsible - take your pick). The more extensively I read about diet and health, the more I see it, the same message over and over again - stress is the killer, not fat. And we can be stressed at any size. I’m not saying that there is never any association between being overweight and being unhealthy. Sometimes weight does have an impact on our health but not always and not universally. In fact in many studies show that being consistently overweight has been proved to be a positive where health is concerned and that it's certainly healthier that yo-yoing up and down, which is the best that the diets have to offer.

Oh dear… I’ve gone off at a tangent. My apologies. The thing is the more we hide our overeating and feel ashamed about it, the more we beat ourselves up and hate ourselves for it, the more unhappy and stressed we feel. And that is definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, bad for our health. So, today, take a risk, stop beating yourself up about your overeating. Next time you overeat, instead of being angry and calling yourself all the names under the sun (if that’s what you do! It’s certainly what I used to do). Find a touch of compassion for yourself. If you are reading this blog then you have already taken one step towards changing things. Towards feeling good about the way you eat and the way you look. Instead of telling yourself how crap you are take yourself gently by the hand and remind yourself that you are working on it…

And then when you are ready, think about talking to ONE person you know about what it’s really like. There are sooooooo many women who overeat, just like you do, you could help yourself and one other person feel better by talking about it. It’s so good to know that we are not alone. And breaking the silence stops the shame. And that feels really, really good. And when we feel good, we are less stressed. And that has to be a good thing.

Courgette bolognese anyone?

I haven't ranted on this blog for a while so indulge me while I have a go at my latest bugbear - the so called "Healthy Food Swap".

It's everywhere. In leaflets my son brings home from school, in magazines, on web sites...at the supermarket. Everywhere I look I am being urged to swap crisps for carrots and biscuits for apples. Although I understand the underlying principle and agree that it's better for our health - and to some extent weight - to eat more fresh foods and less of the processed stuff, this type of message makes me want to scream and tear my hair out and rant. So it's a good thing I have this blog to vent my frustration!

Do they really think that people are so ignorant? Do they really imagine that someone about to dive headlong into the biscuit tin is suddenly going to decide to opt for carrot sticks instead? That all they needed was a reminder because they'd forgotten all about the existence of carrot sticks? Isn't that just missing the point?  Frankly if I've had a crap day and want to drown my sorrows in a bag of chocolate buttons, a fistful of dried apricots just ain't gonna cut it, Mr. Government-Healthy-Eating-Campaign-man - no matter how many times you shove your healthy tips in my face! 

As usual, this type of diet advice completely ignores the fact that 99% of us know very well that a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice is better for us than a bucketful of Caramel Frappuccino with whipped cream, mini mallows and chocolate shavings...or is it? What if a Caramel Frappuccino with all the trimmings hits the spot? What if it's exactly what I fancy, right now, right here. What if it's part of a healthy, balanced diet which includes lots of apples, oranges and carrots (just not in this precise instant). What if I really fancy something creamy and smooth? How is an acidic, lumpy glass of orange juice going to help? Maybe I'll just have to eat a double choc chip muffin to take the edge of it - a muffin I wouldn't have had if I'd stuck to the Frappuccino. Back to square one....

Worse, and even more ludicrous are these "Healthy Swap Tips" I saw in a magazine recently:

"Replace spaghetti with thinly cut ribbons of courgette and serve with Bolognese sauce."

"Swap bread soldiers with your boiled egg for celery sticks."

I mean, come on! Spaghetti and bolognese...soft boiled eggs and toast - these are foods made for each other, they have been married for ever. They are classics, eaten by generation after generation, in the four corners of the world. Seriously, WHO is going to swap spaghetti for courgette ribbons??!  Spag bol is spag bol, if I want courgettes, there are a million ways  to eat them that don't involve smothering them in a sauce intended for pasta. Same with celery. Quite apart from the fact that the idea of celery dripping in egg yolk makes my stomach churn, surely there's better things to do with celery than dunking it in a boiled egg? 

So please Ms. Resident Nutritionist at the magazine I won't name because some of the recipes are fab - choose some other foods to pick on and spare us your weird and improbable swaps.

Rant over. Thank you for listening.