Get healthier in 2019 by upping your game

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As many as 1 in 5 Brits promise to lose weight every year as they announce their often unrealistic goals as part of their annual New Year’s resolutions.

We’re all guilty of this to a degree as we use January 1st to change all our bad habits.

The reality though is that losing weight doesn’t have to be a huge challenge and making just a few simple changes to your diet, including eating more game meat, could have a huge impact.

The recent National Obesity Awareness week further highlighted the scale of the problem as the media and related bodies revealed some quite frightening statistics.

According to a recent study by the University College London 48% of all Britons will be obese by 2045 if the current trends continue.

While, according to the NHS, 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 5 children aged between 10-11 are obese, and depending on the severity of the problem it can reduce life expectancy by an average of 3-10 years.

It is now estimated that 1 in 13 deaths in Europe are attributed to obesity

Serious health conditions as a result of obesity includes

  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Bowel, pancreatic, kidney, liver and stomach cancer

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One of the biggest reasons people fail in their quest to lose weight is because their diets are unsustainable, as they make too many big changes in one go. But simply substituting your more traditional meats for game meat could not only cut calories and cholesterol levels but also improve general health levels due to the vitamins and nutrients.

Barbara Cox, author of Rainbow Recipes and renowned nutritionist, said: “The most sensible eating approach is using good quality, fresh ingredients to make home cooked meals that are filled with a wide variety of natural ingredients and portion controlled to suit your needs, whether you’re trying to lose weight, train for a marathon or feed a baby.

A protein (meat, fish, vegan) and 5+ veg on a plate is ideal in my mind! A balance between good quality protein, slow release carbohydrates and healthy fats will encourage your body to work at peak performance.”

Why game?

As well as tasting fantastic game is low in fat and cholesterol and packed full of vitamins and minerals which are also good for your general health.

The fat that is in game meat is Omega 3. When you hear Omega-3, most people will think of salmon, however wild game such as venison has an optimum ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids, making game one of the healthiest sources of good fat.

It is also high in Iron and contains higher levels of many beneficial nutrients including vitamin E, Beta Carotene, Zinc Vitamin B(6) and Selenium.

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If we take a closer look at venison, to give you an idea of the health benefits, a three-ounce service contains 33% of your vitamin B12 needs, 16% of your daily iron requirement and 29% of your daily recommended zinc needs, all of which are key to supporting a healthy lifestyle.

“There are many benefits to eating more game produce than what’s on the overcrowded supermarket aisles in the meat and poultry sections, added Cox, who has just launched her own 12 week weight loss programme.

“Protein is needed to make enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Along with fat and carbohydrates, protein is a “macronutrient,” meaning that the body needs relatively large amounts of it for a healthy diet.

“Wild game meats also have health benefits when compared to meats from domesticated or farm-raised animals. The fact that wild game animals eat their natural diet and are very active in the wild contributes to the lower fat content of the meat.

“Additionally, wild game eat greens in the wild which contributes to a lower content of anti-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and a higher content of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, wild game meat is a good source of protein and minerals such as iron, B12 and zinc. Game might not be as widely available as other meats on the market but we know the demand is growing year on year.

According to Mintel sales of game meat rose 5% in 2018 up to £126 million, which was the fifth year in succession that the demand rose.

You only need to look at the rapidly growing Game for the Table group on Facebook, which is packed full of inspiration and advice, to see just how passionate people are about game. If your freezer isn’t packed full of game after a successful season in the field, you can find your nearest game dealer here.

Most of the major supermarkets sell a selection of fresh game, while The Food Warehouse (part of Iceland) allows you to buy game all year round, with the complete frozen range from Wild.

For a full range of inspiration and recipes visit www.tasteofgame.co.uk

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