 Summer
is just around the corner and this can mean only one thing.
It is time to finally get serious |
about that New Years Resolution to lose those extra pounds!
Yes, |
 after
grazing our way through the long winter months, finding comfort
and justification in all the wrong foods and hiding |
 under
multiple layers of clothing, the mere thought of donning a
bathing suit seems a formidable task.
.....Sound familiar? Chances
are it does and you are not alone. Obesity is on the rise
and so is the connection between the obese and many degenerative
diseases including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure,
kidney problems, arthritis and more. Dieting has become a
huge industry and a national obsession. Thin is in and when
I say thin - you only have to pick up a magazine to see our
fixation on an unreal body image. While some people may be
genetically programmed to fit the super model profile, the
reality is that |
the majority of us aren't. The pursuit of this body image
can be |
 extremely
unhealthy and dangerous when taken to extremes.
.....The formula for healthy
weight loss should be a realistic one. Beware of popular fad
diets that promise you can drop all your unwanted pounds in
a short amount of time. Studies show that those who lose weight
slowly are more likely to keep it off. Aim . .....These
diets too often restrict specific food groups which can lead
to deficiencies and malnutrition. For example, the popular
high protein diets strictly limit carbohydrate intake, even
wholesome fruits and |
|
 |
vegetables.
Not only can excess protein consumption be hard on vital organs
but these diets also restrict our intake of beneficial fiber and
valuable cancer fighting phytochemicals.
.....While it is important to cut
the amount of unhealthy fat in our diets, more and more studies
are proving that the extremely low fat dieter is likely deficient
in essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and
K. Low fat foods are often unpalatable and can be loaded with
added sugars and other carbohydrates to make them more desirable.
In the end, calories lost from fat are gained from carbohydrates.
The body has a limited capacity for storing carbohydrates and
the excess is easily converted to fat for storage. It is not just
dietary fats that makes us fat!
.....There is no fast fix for permanent
weight loss. The only realistic path to achieve permanent weight
loss is through a complete change in lifestyle and eating habits.
Consume less food and become more active. A healthy diet should
include a wide variety of wholesome foods and include a balance
of protein, carbohydrates and fat. Aim for about 20-30% of your
calories to come from beneficial fats, 20-30% from lean protein,
40-50% to come from complex carbohydrates, and 0-10% from simple
carbohydrates.
.....There is no such thing as one
diet fits all. Some metabolisms will do better with the carbohydrates
on the lower end of the scale while others are more efficient
with less protein.
.....Meal replacement diets may be
convenient but they lack the essential phytonutrients found in
fruits and vegetables. Many of them are primarily carbohydrate
based with a high sugar content and do little to promote a long-term
healthy eating pattern. For occasional use, look for products
that offer a healthy ratio of nutrients such as Balance Bars.
.....Often, fad diets offer no more
than a band-aid fix for an acute problem. In order to effectively
win the battle of the bulge once and for all it may be necessary
to identify and eliminate behaviour patterns that encourage obesity.
Are we eating for comfort, reward, because we are bored, or purely
out of habit? An effective weight loss approach will address our
food related behaviour and work at changing it. It may be as simple
as drinking more water - many of us mistake thirst for hunger,
or it may be necessary to search for more subtle habits that we
have adopted. Why we eat is just as important as what we eat.
Good Health to You!
Written
by: Darlene Booth, R.N.C. in Quadra Island, B.C.
|
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