I guess it’s time for the final two things I hate about you 🙂

5) “I’m loving eating clean but I’m not sure about making my kids eat like this.” 

I hear this a lot and half the problem is that, as I am not a parent myself, people automatically tar me with the you-don’t-know-what-it’s-like brush.  I get that, and it’s fair enough to an extent.  But I feel the need to reiterate that eating clean does not cut out essential nutrients.  On the contrary, it should mean you eat much more nutrient dense food.  Unlike dieting, you do not need to concern yourself with calorific values, or only eating certain things on certain days.  You simply eat plenty of real food, which is good for both you and your children!  No child* will be harmed by consuming eggs, grass fed meats, rice, vegetables, beans etc.
(*Obviously if any child – or adult – has an intolerance to any of these foods then clearly that’s not a good idea!  And I should note that large quantities of rice milk are not advisable for young children.  Incidentally neither are large quantities of squash, biscuits and breakfast cereals).My point is that, depending on your child’s age obviously, there is no reason they cannot eat exactly the same as you.  Why trouble yourself with cooking a tasty stir fry for yourself and then chicken nuggets and chips for your child?

There was a (reportedly) controversial article in The Guardian recently about Gwyneth Paltrow and what she feeds – or rather doesn’t feed – her children.  Read it HERE if you’re interested.

The other thing I always get asked is “Surely kids need milk for their bones?”  This is the topic for an essay in its own right but, in brief, the idea comes from the fact that, compared to adults, children need a diet higher in calcium and fat.  Our government has long advised that milk is the obvious choice to accomplish this.  But in truth milk does quite the opposite in terms of building strong bones:  It actually DEPLETES the body from calcium!  All animal milk acidifies the body’s pH and calcium just happens to be the best neutraliser.  As the main storage of calcium is in our bones, the body utilises this to alkalise our pH levels after consuming acidic animal milk.  Doh!  Incidentally, the lowest incidences of fractures and osteoporosis are in the countries with the lowest dairy consumption.  Interesting, right? If this has piqued your intrigue you might want to take a peek at this video.I am not telling you how to raise your children – ultimately it’s your decision.  And I am hardly suggesting that the odd glass of milk will destroy every brain cell.  But this is some great food for thought.  I know plenty of people whose children have never had cows milk.  They get their calcium from organic yoghurt, kefir, a little goats cheese.  Other great sources of calcium include green leafy veg (broccoli, spinach etc), almonds, salmon.

6) “You should eat little and often, choose low fat spreads on wholegrain bread and eat your carbs early in the day so you have time to burn them off”.

What riles me most about this comment is that it was advice I read online from another local Bootcamp.  I am not going to go into depth about why the above advice isn’t very sound (hopefully you already know if you’ve been following me for some time).  My concern here is more one of fear for the general public.  My mission is to help people achieve the body and health they desire through effective exercise and great nutrition.  But that task is made much harder when advice like the above is being touted by other fitness professionals.  Don’t get me wrong… I would be the first to hold my hands up and say that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to diet and exercise.  I am not saying that my way is the only way.  Everybody is different. We are all unique.  But telling people to eat low fat spreads (which are a mere one molecule away from being plastic!) is just poor.  I know I have my work cut out, but I hope that by continuing to share my experiences and impart my learning, I can positively influence your lives.

I really hope you’ve enjoyed this little series.  And remember, I don’t really hate you :-)Peace out, as they say (whoever “they” are)!