FOOD VALUES

Two snippets from a newspaper and magazine have been on my mind.  They state food values in terms of exercise.  A good idea I think.  In an earlier blog I praised the Wetherspoon chain for their menu showing a wide variety of dishes under 500 calories.  I notice the Costa chain do this too although its a little more difficult to make a good choice whilst standing in the queue waiting to be served rather than sitting at the table with a printed menu to take time to choose wisely.

The first snippet from the Daily Mail asks "Would you still drink that bottle of Coca-Cola if you knew it would take a 4 mile run to burn off the calories?"  A science reporter wrote the article so you would hope he has done the research and appropriate tests first.  It seems a bit extreme but he goes on to say that a 500ml bottle of Coke contains 210 calories and would take 4.2 miles to run off or 42 minutes of walking.  I found this information staggering and shocking.  For someone who is not able to run, let alone run 4 miles, walking for 42 minutes to lose the calories of one drink WOULD put me off drinking it.

I don't eat double cheeseburgers but according to this reporter it would take a 5.6 mile hike to burn off.  So for one quick snack meal, or after school treat of a drink and a burger, in order for it NOT to make you heavier and you would need to do a 10 mile walk!  No-one is likely to do that surely.  Putting this information on packaging, like they give warnings on cigarettes, may make a difference to our choices.

The second snippet just listed 5 items and their 'walk off' value.

• One M&S jam doughnut (190 calories) 2.4 miles
• Starbucks classic hot chocolate (whole milk) (193 calories) 2.4 miles
• 30g cornflakes with 125 ml semi-skimmed milk (171 calories) 2.1 miles
• 3 Quality Street chocolates (133 calories) 1.7 miles
• 30g cheddar cheese (117 calories) 1.5 miles

Of course this is over and above our recommended daily calorie allowance but it made interesting reading and makes you think about our indulgences in a new light.  I would be afraid it could have the opposite affect to that which it is probably intended.  Media focus on obesity and neglect to report on young girls who aspire to be thin like models and popstars who fall then fall foul to anorexia.

The saying 'all things in moderation' kicks into my brain, and, 'it's all about 'balancing' your diet'.  A cheeseburger once a week or less often is ok, whereas a cheeseburger every day is not.  A 500ml bottle of fizzy pop equals two generous glasses in amount but is classed as one drink.  Do we really need two glasses at a time?  A doughnut is fine as a treat but two or three treats a day or a week becomes excessive. 

We know these facts but it is all out there, ready, available and affordable.  If only we could ignore them like we ignore our common sense or the calorific values.  It IS hard to walk by Greggs the Bakers without drooling over the cakes, or passing the old fashioned sweet shop and not buy a bag or two of old favourite.  It is hard not to open and eat all the chocolates in the box you had for Christmas, your birthday or Easter.  It is hard to be self disciplined and ration your intake.  But it is NOT impossible.  It is said that it only takes 21 days to form a new habit.  I am nearing 60 days so hopefully I have broken the cycle of old eating habits and with this new learning I will have 'balance' and 'moderation' in my diet as well as in my daily activities.