SWEET POTATOES VS. POP TARTS

We all have that friend, (or in my case, my husband), who seemingly eats whatever they want and don’t gain a pound. How frustrating for the rest of us. When we are around people who have this ‘magical’ body-composition, it can make it harder for us to stick to our own approach, and we can feel like we are missing out.

This post is making a case as to why you shouldn’t automatically rule out the pop tarts just yet, and why thinking both short-term and long-term when it comes to dietary choices is important.

Let’s consider the story of the pop tart eaten by your friend, and the sweet potatoes on your plate - both a heavy carb option. Since they are both carbs, their ultimate fate in our body is the same: they turn into energy (glycogen). But one is labelled what we consider “good food” while the other is labelled as a “bad” choice. Now, I’m simplifying this all a bit and not really going into some other details and factors about these two foods…but don’t stop reading here, because this isn’t a license to go out and fill your grocery cart with pop tarts.

We still need to consider the consequences of a diet full of pop tarts and the effects on our short- and long-term health… aka our long-term health success. For most of us, we just see what is happening right now…your friend not gaining a pound eating whatever they want, which is of course what we’d all like for ourselves! We often neglect to think of what eating a crapload of pop tarts will do to our bodies in the long run.

We all know that a diet made up of low-quality protein sources, low nutritional value foods, foods high in trans fats and carb sources that are high in sugar puts us at a greater risk of developing chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. So in the long run, our friends may be enjoying their pop-tart rich diet without the scale moving a tick, but over time their risk of disease increases. But since us humans tend to be short-sighted, this isn’t taken into account.

So maybe you are reading this and thinking to yourself ”I just want to be [insert scale number or body description] and I will deal with all that when the time comes.”

Fair, I guess…to each their own.

We also like rules as much as we may revolt against them. They give us a sense of control and organization and order. We sometimes feel that without them, our lives would be filled with chaos like: “I will just go overboard and eat everything in sight, and then really lose control, gain so much weight and there goes my self-esteem, my self worth, and no one will love me.” See the snowball-effect there?

I am proposing a different strategy – one that doesn’t make you feel like you are missing out and can still enjoy pop tarts. Maybe this approach will stop you from putting foods into “good” and “bad” categories, and instead just enjoy food for what it is. After all, we know when we restrict ourselves too much, we just sabotage our efforts and end up eating more (and making more unhealthy choices).

So here is what I propose:

1. For every snack or meal, your plate should consist of some sort of protein such as chicken, turkey, fish, beef, eggs or a protein supplement, to name a few.

2. Aim to eat at least four servings of fibrous, non-starchy veggies daily.

3. Try to reduce your carb portions to a quarter of your plate, choosing options that are higher in fibre. This also means being strategic with when you eat your carbs, like pre- and post-workout.

4. Aim to consume healthy fats daily, like nuts, seeds, nut butters, avocados and coconut oil to name a few.

5. Eat those foods you once considered ‘bad’ by following a 80/20 rule. 80% of the time, follow the advice laid out in #1 to #4. The other 20% of the time, you can enjoy, savour and selectively choose those foods that have been previously off-limits.

This isn’t a short-term solution to your short-term goal. This is the long haul, aka long-term thinking = long term success. Constantly being in the mode of deprivation isn’t going to get you there in a way that you can sustain for life. It is time to try a different approach.

So next time, the choice between pop tarts and sweet potatoes won’t be as black and white as you previously thought, and you can enjoy a pop tart with that friend as long as you follow steps 1-5.

And then my friend, you’ll have found FOOD FREEDOM!