At Pud for all Seasons, we’re obviously crazy about all things sweet.
And we’re even crazier about sweet things that are good for your health!
Our puddings are low in fat and we also supply gluten and dairy free
varieties meaning they can be enjoyed by everyone in a healthy way.
With a greater emphasis being placed on living healthy lifestyles,
people are seemingly more concerned about their diet than ever. The
younger generations in particular are very conscious of eating healthy
and exercising regularly.
Supplying gluten free plum puddings as healthy desserts ourselves, we started wondering just how
healthy we are as a society. The fact is that sweet foods - like all
things - need to be enjoyed in moderation. We always hear about rising
levels of obesity, yet it seems like there’s just as many people living
very healthy lifestyles. In this article, we have a look at how we
compare to years gone past.
Interesting, much of our desire for fatty foods is derived from the
conditions of our forefathers in the ‘hunter gatherer’ period.
Obviously, fatty foods take longer to break down and so there was a
clear advantage for people to eat them in times of shortage of food and
famine. Our bodies encourage us to consume these foods even today,
though because we are not going long periods without food, the effect is
that we carry higher quantities of fat for longer, which is very
unhealthy.
That said, the hunter gatherer diet was actually quite healthy when
foods were available. It was made up of a good balance of fruits/vegies
and animal based foods. In fact, it is estimated that people during this
time consumed significantly more fibre, whereas today many people’s
diets are made up of fatty foods, starch and lacking in fruit and
vegetables.
Throughout the 20th century, there were a number of
technological and sociological changes that had an impact on people’s
consumption. These included the development of vitamins and food chemicals, increasing numbers of women in the workforce and the effect
multiculturalism had on people’s diet.
Ultimately, the statistics don’t lie - the average person today is
almost 12kg heavier than the average person in 1950. Proper portion sizes seem
to have a lot to do with this, as they are now four times the size.
There is also significantly more variety nowadays.
Fifty to sixty years
ago, meals were very simple and largely based around meat and
vegetables, as well as being high in animal fat and oils. While our
meals are more varied in terms of the nutrients we get out of them, they
are much greater in size and this is reflected in our higher levels of
obesity.
Yet the proportion of people exercising continues to grow, particularly
during the past decade. The stats indicate that the number of people
exercising has risen by almost 20% since 2001. So why do we continue to
put on more weight as a society? Some suggest that with increased
physical activity we are consuming more and this is the contributing
factor; others point out that exercise has less to do with weight loss
than we think.
We’d like to hear what you think! Do we live healthier lifestyles in
modern times? Do the statistics tell the whole story?
