Healthy eating this Easter

Happy Easter to you all.

Easter is a time of new beginnings, flowers, bunnies and, of course, chocolate. So indulge, enjoy yourself, and have fun with your family and friends.

But after the eggs have gone, do have a think about how you want to continue with your nutrition. Is it time to make some changes?

Here are the top 3 foods which I consider to be the ones to avoid if you wish to lead a healthy life.

But remember, there is a time and a place for indulgence, so the occasional chocolate bar won't do any harm - as long as it is occasional and not every day!

What are the top three foods to avoid?

Zest means being full of energy and feeling well and healthy, and that starts with the food that you put into your body.

Everybody is different, and every body is different. Some people are intolerant to some foods that other people tolerate perfectly well. However, there are three foods that everyone should avoid, regardless of their makeup.

1. Trans Fats

Trans fats are unsaturated fats that have been treated with hydrogen and they are the most toxic substances in our food supply. In fact, they are only one molecule away from being plastic!

Trans fats increase levels of bad LDL cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease, whilst decreasing good HDL cholesterol. They also increase abdominal fat and thicken the blood leading to higher blood pressure.

Although in recent years many manufacturers have removed them they are still, unfortunately, an ingredient in many processed foods. Manufacturers love them because they’re cheap and increase texture, flavour and shelf-life.

You must avoid them at all costs. Read food labels and ditch anything which contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats or oils.

2. Sugar

Sugar contains empty calories, has no nutritional value whatsoever, and is associated with many potentially fatal diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. It is addictive and causes cravings and cycles of highs and lows of energy.

Sugar is found in many surprising foods such as dried fruit, fruit juice, yoghurt, cereal and bread. Many foods have hidden sugars so read the labels carefully. Steer clear of brown and white sugar, corn syrup, dextrin, confectioner’s sugar, cane sugar, maple syrup, fructose, malt and molasses. Definitely avoid any food that lists sugar as one of the first three ingredients.

3. Artificial sweetener

In your mission to avoid sugar, don’t make the mistake of switching to artificial sweeteners. These are just as bad for you, even though they may be calorie free, and have been linked with various diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, neurological diseases, digestive problems, joint pain, headaches and depression.

Artificial sweeteners are listed in lists of ingredients as aspartame, sucralose, saccharin and acesulfame K.

You might be thinking that you can’t avoid sweet things for ever – and you don’t have to. Eat plenty of fresh fruit, a small amount of dark chocolate daily, and if you really must sweeten things then use Stevia, a naturally occurring sweetener which may lower blood pressure and improve glycemic control in diabetes.