Wise words on eating right

Before sitting down to a meal, ask yourself, “Will this food nourish me?”

That was the advice delivered by nutritional biochemist and best-selling author, Dr Libby, to a packed house at the Warkworth Town Hall on Tuesday evening, September 26.

Dr Libby, who has worked with celebrities such as Hugh Jackman and shared the stage with the likes of Richard Branson, is currently on a national tour promoting her latest book What Am I Supposed to Eat?
She said it was the one question she was asked more than any other, which prompted her to put pen to paper.

“The amount of information available online is staggering and not all of it is reliable,” she said. “Whether it’s from well-meaning friends or health professionals, it can be confusing and there is no ‘one size fits all’. We are all individuals and we need to listen to our ‘inner voice’ and use commonsense when choosing what to eat.”

Dr Libby emphasised the benefits of eating whole foods, particularly fresh fruit and vegetables, and demonstrated the hidden levels of sugar in common foods. She said it was tragic and unacceptable that New Zealanders were now the third most obese people on the planet – sitting behind the United States and Mexico, and closely followed by Hungary and Australia.

“Too many people are ‘living too short and dying too long’.”

She recommended that where possible, people should avoid processed food and carbonated drinks.

“Being healthy is not about never eating another piece of chocolate, but more about being informed and making consistently good food choices.”