“Your body is a temple” goes the popular adage and while many of us have good intentions about eating healthily, in reality it’s not that simple.

It’s ironic that the abundance of ‘superfood’ fads, ‘miracle’ diets, ‘Insta’ experts and ‘quick fix’ solutions appears to be adding to people’s confusion about what to eat. Team this with busy and demanding lifestyles, sustaining a healthy, daily routine can seem like an impossible task. 

The problem of unhealthy eating doesn’t seem to extend to our children though. Most mums I know, no matter how busy, always ensure their children eat well, and find ways to get the five portions of fruit and veg into their offspring’s diet, so why is it so difficult to do the same when it comes to their own eating habits?

What’s stopping you from getting your five a day? 58560741 - indoor shot of attractive young woman chopping fruit to make a fresh juice. african female working at juice bar.
Image Credit: www.123rf.com.

Government research, showed that only 29% of adults are consuming the recommended 5 A DAY, this prompted the folks from Potatoes: More Than A Bit On The Side, to run a survey on what’s causing us not to eat healthily. As you’d expect, it’s complicated. A number of factors are to blame. From being flummoxed by the sheer number of conflicting dietary advice (from food fads to diet crazes) (65%), to time pressures i.e not having enough time to rustle up nutritious meals (70%).

As we live in a body-conscious age, it’s not surprising that many people know what they should be eating, but this only serves to add another layer of conflict, with 23% saying that they are ashamed of their unhealthy habits. A further (40%) say they often feel guilty about their lack of exercise.

At Melanmag.com, we are firm believers in doing, and taking action. If you find you are not eating as well as you could, the first step is acknowledging that you can do better. If you can’t summon up the willpower to do it for you, then do it for your children, or your loved ones. We live in an age, where we are living longer lives, but living for longer only has meaning when we are able to live a good quality life, and this can only come from looking after your ‘temple’.

A simple rule to cut through all the noise around what you should be doing comes from nutritionist, Sian Porter:

 “I’m a big believer in the ‘food first’ approach when it comes to getting your daily dose of vitamins and minerals – not only is this nature’s way, it also actually keeps things really simple. Aiming to eat appropriate amounts of a variety of foods from the main food groups, ensures you include a whole range of the nutrients your body needs.”

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