The Do’s and Don’ts of Healthy Dieting

How to maintain a healthy diet that will lead to positive results.

While many people love the warm weather and weekends at the beach that come along with summer, this season also brings with it a love/hate relationship in many people, all surrounding one particular topic―bathing suit season.

Breaking out the bikinis and swimsuits often triggers a unique response in many people, and a surge in popularity at every gym in town. There is an invasion of “quick, simple diet” articles in every magazine and everyone seems to be looking for their own fool-proof answer for looking great at the beach and losing weight fast.

However, when beginning any type of diet or weight-loss program, it is important to understand the many do’s and don’ts of proper nutrition. Here are a few tips for losing extra pounds, maintaining a healthy weight and managing a safe diet routine this summer:

1. Do Understand That Dieting is Not a “Quick-Fix.”

One of the biggest reasons that people typically fail when they begin a new diet is because they expect to see noticeable improvements in a very short amount of time. However, dieting and weight-loss is a long-term commitment, not a simple, “quick-fix” weeklong program.

When beginning any kind of new weight-loss program, it is important to set realistic short and long-term goals for yourself. Making gradual changes to your overall lifestyle typically means that you are a lot less likely to give up on your diet, compared to jumping right in to a heap of unrealistic expectations.

It is also important that you are losing weight in a healthy amount of time. You should never lose more than two pounds per week. This could mean that not only is your body losing fat, but there is a good chance that it is also losing water, electrolytes and muscle. This is a surefire way to slow down your metabolism which could set you up for yo-yo weight cycling.

2. Don’t Resort to Crash Dieting or Weight-Loss “Fads.”

Dieting results that sound too good to be true usually are. While a drastic crash diet may help you to reduce weight in the beginning, it can cause dangerous problems later down the road. It can also cause you to feel week, tired and moody.

When considering a new diet, always ask yourself these questions:

• Does the diet promise quick, easy results?
• Does the diet require little or no physical activity?
• Does the diet follow rigid menu plans and strict eating methods?
• Does the diet use terms such as “miracle diet,” “guaranteed success,” or “newly discovered” resources?

If so, there is a good chance that you are looking at a fad diet.

3. Do Listen to Your Body.

You should never force your body to do something that is not healthy for it. Therefore, eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full and never, ever starve yourself. Research has shown that while you may lose weight from not eating, this weight loss is coming from your muscle tissue, not from fat. Think of it as trying to see how far your car could make it while coasting on empty. You may be able to get to where you want, but it’s not going to be good for your car in the long run. Always be sure to give your body the daily fuel and energy that it needs.

4. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Many reasons that people decide to try quick-fix diets or extreme weight loss programs in the first place is because they are trying to look a certain way. Unfortunately, most of the time, it is a form or figure that is either unrealistic for their body, or unrealistic period. Just because clothes and bathing suits are made in a size zero doesn’t mean that you should try to fit into that size. For many people, achieving this size would lead to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Your body is your own and it works in the way that is best for it. While it may seem frustrating that some people have an easier time losing weight than others, you have to focus on what is healthy and realistic for you. However, it is important to remember that while your body may control a large fraction of your figure and size, you control a fraction as well.

If you are thinking of going on a weight-loss diet, be sure to speak with a healthcare provider for a professional perspective on which weight-loss method is best for you and your body type. No matter what size you are, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and being happy with your body will help to ensure that you look glowing and healthy this bathing suit season.

What’s on Your Plate?

What’s on Your Plate?

A healthy diet can be overwhelming to most people.  We are surrounded by temptation all around us; the decadent cupcakes at the party, the mouth-watering hamburger Chili’s advertises, the salty bag of chips at the checkout line.  It takes a tremendous amount of will power to not cave to those cravings.  Just when you get a handle on what is healthy, another headline will limit the quantity you may consume of that item.  The standard American diet (SAD) is high in processed foods, high in unhealthy fats, low in fiber, low in complex carbohydrates and low in plant-based foods.  Interestingly, cultures that eat opposite of the standard American diet have lower rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc.

We are celebrating National Nutrition Month the entire month of March.  As you consider lifestyle modifications, a basic understanding of nutrition is the most important concept to begin with.  The calories, fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals we consume from our foods are essential to our overall vitality.

Calories

Each person should consume a set number of calories per body size and activity level to meet the metabolic demands our body requires on a daily basis.  If we consume additional calories outside of our metabolic demand, the body will store this as fat.  In order to lose a pound of fat we must then burn 3500 calories.  Therefore, being aware of calories is essential to maintaining a healthy weight.

Balanced Diet

It is important for us to consume foods that are nutrient dense.  Plant-based foods are full of the fiber, vitamins and minerals that we require to function properly.  A rainbow of colors on your plate will supply a greater source of the required nutrients our body’s need.  Increase whole grains; examples include quinoa, brown rice, spelt, couscous, oats & whole wheat.  Eat an assortment of vegetables including dark green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach and collard greens) as well as eggplant and carrots.  The average person requires over 2.5 cups of vegetables per day.  Add two servings of (in-season) fruit to your daily diet which may include mangos, blueberries, strawberries and kiwis.  It is important to include healthy fats with each meal such as olive oil, avocados, coconut oil, nuts, etc.  Also, include a lean protein source at meals such as beans, chicken, bison, lean beef, turkey, or fermented tofu.  We must not forget to mention to drink plenty of water.  A great formula to calculate the water needed per day is to divide your weight by two. This equals the amount of water in ounces your body requires on a daily basis.  Your daily requirement increases with the addition of any physical activity.  A well balanced diet will give us the foundation for a healthy body.

Organic vs. Non-Organic

There are a lot of opinions surrounding this question.  The nutrient content starts to decrease after the vegetable/fruit is picked.  So if an organic apple was picked weeks before a non-organic apple then it is possible that the non-organic apple could have more nutrients.  However, there are many benefits to choosing organic produce such as decreasing one’s exposure to pesticide residues while supporting safer farming methods.  When trying to decide which items to purchase organic, the Environmental Working Group publishes a dirty dozen list.  The foods with the highest pesticide residue include celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, kale, cherries, potatoes and imported grapes.

Hippocrates once said, “Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.”  Nutrition is ideal for maintaining a healthy body.  In preventive medicine, we evaluate a patient’s nutrient levels in several ways.  One direction is through performing micronutrient testing; this provides an easy to read report of where the patient is deficient or lacking in certain nutrients.  Another direction is by testing for food allergies and food sensitivities.  This provides the basis to incorporate more of certain foods or subtract certain foods from one’s diet.  The use of these reports helps customize one’s nutrition plan.