Happy Healthy New Year! Give yourself a pat on the back if you’ve managed to maintain your weight during the holidays. Now don’t fret if you’ve gained a few pounds from the endless parties you’ve attended. It’s not the end of the world. Besides, you have an entire year to adapt a healthier lifestyle and achieve a healthy weight range this 2014.
There are many ways to lose weight. However, there are also a number of diets and practices that could be detrimental to your health. Not all diets are beneficial even if they are effective in making you lose weight.
Here are some myths that need to be busted once and for all:
The after six diet has been popular since I was a child. This could work if you sleep early. It is best not to eat 3 to 4 hours before bedtime to give enough time for your body to effectively digest food while you are still awake. However, if you sleep late at night and have all your meals and snacks before 6 pm, you might get hungry late at night and mindlessly snack on high caloric food which could make you gain weight. Distribute your calories evenly throughout the day. If you don’t sleep before 10 p.m. then you should eat dinner a little later than 6 p.m. to avoid hunger pangs and late night snacking on unhealthy food choices.
Avoiding carbohydrates particularly rice is a common practice. Why put the blame on rice? Who ate too much rice anyway? Restricting or totally eliminating carbohydrates from your diet will make you initially lose weight rapidly because your body will start to break down glycogen stores (carbohydrates stored in muscles and liver) to be utilized as energy. This promotes water weight loss which is easily regained. Glucose from carbohydrates is the primary source of energy for the brain and body. Depletion will naturally cause you to crave for sweets which will end in a cycle of deprivation and indulgence. This will surely make you regain all the weight you’ve initially lost and even more.
Consuming chili peppers will boost your metabolism and make you lose weight. Studies have shown that hot chilies can temporarily increase metabolic rate but not enough to make one lose weight. If you consume more calories than your body requires coupled with physical inactivity despite consuming large amounts of chili peppers, weight gain is inevitable.
The blood type diet has been recently gaining popularity. This diet could lead to weight loss due to the restriction of some food groups and decreased caloric intake. However, this could lead to nutrient deficiencies and this eating lifestyle is not sustainable. Any diet that is not well-balanced is not healthy. There are no scientific studies that show a correlation between a person’s blood type and weight loss.
Juicing or juice fast is the in thing nowadays. I’ve encountered countless queries about this in my practice as a Dietitian Consultant. Juicing can make you lose weight but it is not for everyone. People with chronic illnesses such as diabetes should avoid this. Thorough assessment by a registered nutritionist-dietitian will help you avoid health risks. It is also important to plan a healthful and sustainable way of eating to help you achieve your health goals after undergoing the juice fast. Eating fruits, vegetables and drinking smoothies made from fresh produce everyday will provide your body vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients or antioxidants and dietary fiber which will increase your immune system and help you lose weight.
Choose a weight loss program that is realistic, sustainable and promotes well-balanced food intake, increased physical activity and behavior modification. Make the right choice now and start your healthy lifestyle now.
For comments email [email protected] or visit www.cheshireque.com. Twitter: CheshireQue
Leave a Reply