5 a day no longer enough!

As thousands of Brits today ditch their New Year diet plans a leading nutritionist at BetterYou warns our obsession with counting the calories, coupled with ignorance towards what really constitutes healthy eating, could lead to our nation becoming dangerously undernourished.

According to research conducted by the natural health company, an alarming 35 per cent of us are not giving our bodies the essential nutrients they require in order to function effectively.  And despite obesity and high cholesterol topping the league of top health concerns for half of UK folk, only a staggering 19 per cent admit they include fruit and vegetables in their daily diet.

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The myth of Five a Day
BetterYou’s study of over 1,000 consumers found that an astounding 60 per cent don’t follow the Government’s Five A Day guidelines because they either can’t afford to, don’t like fruit and vegetables, or because they are simply too busy. And it’s the blokes who are the worst offenders, with 48 per cent refusing to follow it.

But even if we stuck to Five a Day it’s still not enough.  According to leading nutritionist, Dale Pinnock, we actually need 20 a day in order to achieve our optimum nutritional intake.  He said:  “The current Five a Day recommendations are based on standard RDA guidelines written 40 years ago, when the soil was richer in vitamins and minerals.  Now, because of intensive farming methods and increased pollution, fresh fruit and vegetables don’t contain nearly enough nutrients.  We need to up our intake drastically, which is why natural supplementation is becoming much more important.”

But 88 per cent of us don’t even bother with vitamin and mineral supplements.  In fact there’s a general lack of consumer understanding about the benefits of vitamins and minerals, with nearly a quarter only turning to them when they are feeling run down.  Unsurprisingly, Vitamin C is the most popular with just over 50 per cent of respondents taking it regularly.

Dale continued:  “It appears consumers are depriving their bodies of essential nutrients due to rushed lifestyles and general lack of knowledge as to what nourishment they need.  This study really reinforces our poor understanding about vitamin and mineral supplements. In fact, one of the most essential nutrients, magnesium – which is vital for energy production, brain health and ensuring efficient calcium absorption – is the least popular with less than one per cent taking it regularly and a further 61 per cent saying they don’t understand the benefits or know what foods are rich in the mineral.” 

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Rundown Britain BetterYou’s research also revealed that we really are a rundown nation.  Three quarters of respondents (75 per cent) claim to feel tired and stressed in addition to suffering from aching joints and muscles.  Ironically it’s the over 65s who are the true ‘young ones’ – 37 per cent state they feel alert and energetic, while a whopping 50 per cent of 18-24 year olds complain about feeling constantly worn out.

Caffeine crazy And despite claiming to be health conscious, we are becoming increasingly reliant on caffeine for that instant boost (47 per cent), with 34 per cent turning to tea and coffee to quench their thirst.  Worryingly, only a quarter drink water regularly, with men relying on energy drinks to keep them going. This may explain why they feel more alert than their female counterparts (33 per cent v. 18 per cent) but we feel this may be more to do with male bravado.

But experts are warning Brits to take heed as not only does a quick coffee or energy drink fail to give the body any nourishment, it becomes a vicious circle as people continually consume more to eradicate the inevitable lows that ensue after.

“Consumers would be better incorporating plenty of water and fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables into their daily diet, than resorting to a quick caffeine fix.  And for a more gradual and continuous boost, with no addictive properties, there are a range of natural energy boosting supplements on the market such as Femergy and Menergy, which don’t contain any caffeine whatsoever,” said Dale.

Andrew Thomas, founder of BetterYou added:  “Our survey gives a really good insight into Brits’ general ignorance towards maintaining their general health and wellbeing.  It seems we have become so obsessed with faddy diets and counting the calories we have forgotten how to properly nourish our bodies.  Today’s hectic lifestyles, combined with poor diet and pollution, means our systems aren’t necessarily in optimum condition and craving essential nutrients to help them function effectively, which goes to explain why so many of us complain about feeling constantly tired and run down.“Supplementation is becoming essential which is why we have created a range of nutritional supplements, containing specific blends of naturally sourced minerals, vitamins and raw foods to provide optimum rates of absorption and help people give their bodies the natural boost they need.”

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