I have to admit that I am a fan of the Survivor TV programmes. I enjoy all the intrigues and machinations, and I regard this programme as a fascinating nutrition experiment. In each one of the Survivor series, food has played a crucial role and often determined the outcome of survival for individual participants. There are many diet lessons we can learn from it.
Advertisement
Dramatic weight loss One of the most striking characteristics of the Survivor programmes is that the Survivors have always lost masses of weight. In each series, the Survivors start out looking well-fed, sleek and healthy, but after 40 days in the wilderness with a limited food supply they become thin to the point of emaciation. This is the most important diet lesson we viewers can learn from the Survivors: If you want to lose weight, then you must cut down on your energy intake - it’s as simple as that.
Low fat intake = weight loss
In the Survivor Africa series, participants basically existed on maize meal or mielie pap as we would call it. Their fat intake was very low and the kilograms melted away. The diet lesson is obvious: If you want to lose weight then cut down on fat intake, not carbohydrates.
Fat contains 37 kJ of energy per gram which is more than double the energy content of carbohydrates and protein which only supply 17 kJ of energy per gram. So by restricting fat intake, you will achieve weight loss more efficiently than if you cut out all carbs. This is also the reason why a low-fat, high-fibre, high-carbohydrate diet has been found to be more successful in weight loss programmes than low- or zero-carbohydrate, or high-protein diets.
A balanced diet is essential
The Survivor Series has also underlined another important diet truth: If you want to be healthy and full of energy, then you need to eat a variety of foods as part of a balanced diet.
Survivors often exhibit symptoms of nutrient deficiencies. For example, in Survivor Africa, Kim Senior suffered from peripheral oedema - her legs were swelling up. This was probably due to a protein deficiency, as that group of Survivors were not able to supplement their monotonous diet of maize meal with fish or pork like their Australian counterparts. This shows us that we need to eat a variety of foods, including protein derived from animals like meat, fish, milk, cheese, yoghurt and eggs. Vegans should take this lesson to heart and switch over to a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet instead.
Vitamin deficiencies
To prevent yourself from getting deficient in Vitamin C and beta-carotene, as often happens on Survivor, remember to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Vitamin C is found in fresh citrus fruits, strawberries, guavas, pawpaw. Kiwi fruit, mangoes and spanspek, as well as vegetables belonging to the cabbage family, sweet green peppers and tomatoes. Beta-carotene which is turned into vitamin A in our bodies, is found in yellow peaches, pawpaw, mangoes, pumpkin, butternut and yellow sweet potatoes. So stock up on these fruits and vegetables every day.
Diet and mood
In some of the previous series, survivors have become very lethargic and often appeared depressed. I reckon they were all suffering from vitamin and mineral deficiencies and that this was responsible for their gloomy outlook and lack of energy. The B vitamins, iron and calcium, play pivotal roles in keeping our bodies healthy and our nervous system functioning normally.
If you are feeling down and blue, check your diet for deficiencies. You may need to take a vitamin B supplement, or switch over to unprocessed cereals, whole grains and wholewheat bread, legumes, and plenty of green leafy vegetables, and increase your milk intake to provide those missing B vitamins.
We can all be survivors and winners if we eat a balanced diet.
I have to admit that I am a fan of the Survivor TV programmes. I enjoy all the intrigues and machinations, and I regard this programme as a fascinating nutrition experiment. In each one of the Survivor series, food has played a crucial role and often determined the outcome of survival for individual participants. There are many diet lessons we can learn from it.
Bookmark with:
What are social bookmarks?