Eat, drink… and don’t be sorry

In ancient Greek times, Epicurus lived by the philosophy, “Eat, drink and merry, and let tomorrow take care of itself!” Sadly, nowadays our instinct to enjoy ourselves has been replaced with feelings of guilt about what we should or shouldn’t eat. But just how damaging are all those ‘harmful’ foods we find so tempting? Let’s look more closely at the good and bad sides of some of our favourites.

Chocolate contains mind stimulants which help concentration and boost the brain’s level of serotonin, a chemical that makes us feel good. Chocolate is also rich in iron, magnesium and potassium. On the down side, it is high in fat and calories and can interrupt sleep if eaten in the evenings.

Sugar is converted into energy more quickly than any other food, so it is hard for the body to store it as fat. Studies have shown that it makes you feel full more quickly, so you are less likely to overeat. Eating sugar at breakfast time has been shown to improve concentration and memory in the morning. The bad news is that sugar causes tooth decay and contains no useful nutrients.

Meat is an important food as it is a major source of protein, vitamin B and essential minerals. However, it also contributes a quarter of our daily fat intake. A high intake of red meat can lead to colon cancer, and beef is blamed for Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease, an illness which affects the brains of humans.

Cheese and cream are rich in calcium and vitamin D, which help to protect the system against osteoporosis, a bone disease affecting a third of all European women over 60. Unfortunately, butter is almost pure saturated fat, and is very high in calories. Eating it is thought to lead to hardening of the arteries, which is known to cause heart attacks and strokes.

Coffee and tea contain caffeine, which increases alertness. Tea contains tannin and flavanoids which help prevent heart disease. On the other hand, since they are stimulants they can interrupt sleep and relaxation and therefore shouldn’t be drunk in the evenings.

It seems, then, that we can feel free to enjoy all of these types of food, keeping in mind that moderation is the key to good health. So eat small amounts of these foods and forget about feeling guilty.