A dietitian has revealed what happens when you cut out popular food groups like red meat, dairy, eggs and seafood from your diet, and why other foods like pasta, rice and potatoes aren’t as bad for you as you think.
Sydney’s Susie Burrell said that while many popular diets these days eliminate whole groups, what we don’t often think about are the nutritional consequences of this.
We also need to think about how we can replace “forbidden foods to make sure we’re not missing out on something the body really needs to maintain long-term health.”
She has previously advised women not to reduce calcium and iron levels in their diets, saying that without them “you’ll feel like you’ve been hit by a bus”.
A dietitian has revealed what happens when you cut popular food groups such as red meat, dairy, eggs and seafood from your diet (Susie Burrell pictured)
1. Dairy products
The first – and one of the most popular – food groups people cut out is milk, and cutting it out can have big health implications.
“The first thing we usually think of when we think of milk and other dairy products is their calcium content, but dairy products are also a rich natural source of magnesium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, protein, vitamin D and vitamin A,” Susie wrote. its website.
“If you don’t eat dairy, all of these vital nutrients will be affected over time.”
The dietitian explained that it is very difficult for adults to get the 800-1000 mg of calcium they need each day without any dairy products in their diet.
Even if you drink alternative milks that have been “fortified” with calcium, it’s rarely in the amounts found in three servings of dairy, she said.
The long-term health consequences of low dairy and calcium intake include brittle bones and getting sick more often, due to a lack of calcium in your body.
If you need to cut back on dairy, Susie recommends that you make sure you drink a calcium-fortified plant-based milk regularly and consider taking a calcium supplement to ensure you get the 800-1000 mg of calcium you need. you need. daytime’.
When you cut red meat (stock image), Susie said the key problem is that you are eliminating one of the richest natural sources of iron
2. Red meat
The second food that many choose to cut out is red meat, usually when following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
“But while you can choose not to include red meat for a number of different reasons, nutritionally the key issue here is that you’re also eliminating one of the richest natural sources of iron in the body. diet,” Susie said.
Foods like white meat, eggs, whole grains and dark leafy green vegetables contain iron, but Susie said it’s “poorly absorbed” by the body when you compare it to red meat.
Low iron levels are common in Australia, with up to 25% of women experiencing low levels.
“Low iron levels leave you feeling tired, breathless and struggling with low immunity,” Susie says.
If you still want to cut out red meat, the best thing to do is to “take extra care to make sure you include iron-rich foods with every meal and snack,” Susie says.
It is important to remember that adult women need 9-15 mg per day.
3. Poultry
It may be a little less common to cut poultry, but if you do, you’ll need to think about how much lean protein you’re getting.
A protein deficiency can lead to weakness and fatigue, loss of muscle mass, sugar cravings and risk of bone fractures.
If you don’t eat poultry, Susie says you should make sure you have a source of lean protein at every meal.
Good examples include fish, eggs, and dairy products.
You can get all the nutrients from eggs (pictured) elsewhere, except for selenium – which is a powerful antioxidant that plays a key role in cell health
4 eggs
Eggs are hugely popular with dietitians — and for good reason.
“Eggs are an extremely nutritious food with over 20 essential vitamins and minerals, including good quality protein, good fats and vitamins A and E, making them a good addition to any diet,” Susie said. .
But while they’re all good for our health, Susie said we can get every nutrient from eggs outside of eggs, except one: selenium.
“Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that plays a key role in cell health, and it’s found in very few foods except eggs and Brazil nuts,” she said. A single egg provides you with a quarter of your daily selenium needs.
“Eggs are also a good source of vitamin D, which can also often be low in our overall diet,” Susie says.
All of this means that if you’re cutting eggs, you’ll need to be very careful about your diet.
Susie is a big fan of an anti-inflammatory diet (pictured), which forces you to load up on fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens
5. Fish and seafood
Finally, if you are someone who has cut fish and seafood from your diet, you should know that you are going to be lacking in omega 3 fatty acids and zinc.
“Oily fish are one of the few natural foods that offer omega 3s,” Susie says.
“This means that skipping oily fish altogether will make it nearly impossible to get the amount of omega 3s you ideally need without supplementation.”
Finally, skipping fish and shellfish will leave you low in iodine – which is linked to impaired thyroid function in the long run.
All of this means that if you’re not eating those two things, you need to have a dietary supplement.
To know more about Susie Burrell, you can visit her Instagram page here.
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