Are poor food choices putting you at risk?

poor food choices

Lifestyle related diseases are on the rise but you can reduce the likelihood of falling victim.

The saying “you are what you eat” is proving to be more fact than fiction with poor food choices posing a very real threat to our long-term health. Quite simply – they’re a recipe for lifestyle-related illnesses.

My mission is to help as many people as possible learn how to live a healthy lifestyle.

I know when I weighed 100 kilos I was making poor food choices. Thankfully I turned my life around and have been in my healthy weight range now since 1993.

5 scary facts about diabetes

Did you know that, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics:

  • Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in Australia
  • Is a factor in 10 per cent of all deaths.
  • {perhaps the biggest eye opener} Research suggests a whopping 60 percent of cases are preventable. Yes… 60 percent!
  • An estimated half a million Australians are walking around with diabetes and by the time they get diagnosed they could have irreversible damage.
  • And just in case that’s not scary enough – people with diabetes are 15 times more likely to undergo amputations than people without the condition – 15 times more likely!

I don’t know about you, but for me the choice between healthy food and facing the very real possibility of amputation, blindness or kidney failure seems like a no-brainer.

Just to clarify – type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease which is not preventable. However type 2 diabetes is often preventable through simple lifestyle changes.

It’s not just diabetes, other lifestyle related diseases including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers are causing premature deaths that often could have been prevented.

Oh my goodness, this is scary stuff. So, if your mission for this year is to get healthy then I say yes to that!

Prevention starts in the kitchen

The food that you’re eating is a good predictor of your future health. Take a look in your pantry and fridge – do they contain food that supports a healthy lifestyle or are they filled with poor food choices that are wreaking havoc with your long-term health?

Maintaining a healthy weight considerably reduces the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes and other lifestyle-related diseases. And the good news is, my recipes and Breakfast Shakes are suitable for anyone wanting to improve their health. I have over 700 delicious recipes in my cookbooks and there’s also complete 28-day menu plans in books 5 and 6 that take the guesswork out of what it means to eat healthy food. So you can eat food you love and lose weight – win win!

5 simple tips to improve your health

  1. Switch to low fat dairy to reduce saturated fats
  2. Eliminate high sugar soft drinks – choose water
  3. Get your 5 serves of salad and veggies and 2-3 serves of fruit each day
  4. Choose lean protein to further reduce saturated fats
  5. Reduce your portion sizes

Those most at risk of type 2 diabetes are overweight people over the age of 45, with high blood pressure and a family history of diabetes, heart disease or heart attack. Women who have had gestational diabetes and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome are also prime candidates.

Signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes include things like excessive thirst, frequent urination, always feeling tired, constant hunger, blurred vision and moodiness.

My final thoughts

I hope these cold hard facts are enough to get you to clean out your pantry and fridge and take a really good look at your food choices.

You don’t have to change everything today – by making changes gradually you’ll be more likely to stick with it.

Continue to make small changes day by day, week by week and you’ll reduce your likelihood of lifestyle related diseases and increase your life expectancy. I guarantee you’ll be so glad you did.


Need help to switch to a healthy eating plan? I provide all of the tools, tips, recipes and menu plans. Find out more.


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