DIET AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
What is nutritional diet?
The food consumed by the body is basically called a diet. The food can be anything starting from a glass of water to any meal, all Is part of diet. But the main question arises as to what is nutritional diet? Our body needs six main macronutrients to function properly. These nutrients are vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and roughage.
When a food is consumed in a proper proportion of the said macronutrients, it is said to be a nutritional diet. The main advantage of consuming nutritional diet is the maintenance of the overall health of an individual. A good nutritional diet includes food items like green leafy vegetables, fruits, whole grains and loads of water. When an individual does not look after the nutritional part of diet but eat food mindlessly without thinking about the repercussions, he is said to be consuming unhealthy diet. In this type of scenario, the person generally consumes refined and processed sugar, canned foods and other packed items without considering the ill effects of the same.
Consuming such items may lead to chronic diseases and illnesses like high B.P., hormonal imbalances, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. For example, consuming high amount of salt in diet regularly may lead to high blood pressure and in turn may lead to cardiovascular diseases in the long run. So a person should always try to eat in a proportionate manner. But that does not mean that a slice of pizza, or butter chicken cannot be enjoyed once in a while.
Two things are to be kept in mind here. First, one should eat mindfully and secondly, moderation is the key. When the above two factors are considered while having an unhealthy meal occasionally, the effect of the same can be mitigated to some extent. But frequent consumption of the same, result in lot of body issues in near and far future like when a rich, heavy food is consumed, one may experience lethargy and after some time acid reflux might happen and so on. Continuous and frequent consumption of unhealthy and gluttonous items may lead to health ailments in far future.
Again, the food should be consumed in a proportionate manner taking into account all the nutrients that a body requires. for example, excess of carbs contains bad fat which is difficult to be absorbed by the body in the form of energy. We all know that fats and carbs that are stored in the body convert into energy. Similarly, when body consumes more protein, it leads to increase in uric acid.
Another aspect of diet is the kind of food pattern we follow to increase, decrease or maintain body weight. There are number of diets an individual can follow to achieve its weight goal. There are various low-calorie diets suitable to those who want to shed some extra kilos. These weight loss programs help an individual to have a better lifestyle with significant changes in their dietary pattern. For example, intermittent fasting follows a cycle of fasting and non-fasting to commit to the calorie deficit.
We know that to achieve our ideal weight, we need to follow the practice of calorie deficit. An average human requires 2000-2500 calories daily to function properly. When they consume less than requirement or when they burn more, it leads to weight loss. But this doesn’t mean that an individual start practicing fad diets or crash diets.
These are basically very low-calorie diet which leads to extreme weight loss by making rapid changes in food consumptions or eating habits that are medically impermissible. When these diets are followed without medical supervision, it may lead to serious illness and in some extreme cases, death. For example, grapefruit diet or cabbage diet wherein the individual consume only these items for a period of time. Similarly, in Beverly hill diet, the person consumes only fruits for day1 and then gradually increase their diet towards the end.
These are extreme forms of diet and should be avoided from pursuing as they have more cons than pros. Sometimes a person’s food preferences are linked to the religious beliefs, customs and rituals which they follow. Like in Hinduism, there is a vaishno sect that doesn’t consume onion and garlic. Likewise, in Islamic diets only items which are considered halal are allowed. Items considered haram should not be consumed. Items like alcohol, pork and meat not cut through their ritual is considered haram and thus inadmissible.
This kind of diet usually doesn’t not aid in weight management. Another type of diet is the detox diet which are followed when an individual wants to flush out toxins from the body. These toxins may be derived from the rich and heavy food consumed earlier. Following a detox diet for 1 day in week might be beneficial and should be avoided from pursuing every day. For example, by consuming fruit and vegetable smoothie and having adequate amount of water may flush out extra toxins from the body.
In the end there are some diets that are followed for medical purposes only, maybe due to allergy or intolerance. Like some people who have lactose intolerance cannot consume dairy products and hence they have to find alternative like soy milk, etc.
Best diet for weight loss
As stated earlier, there are numerous diets for weight loss but it all depends upon how one wants to do it. It can go either way. Like, recently a famous celebrity Kim Kardashian followed a diet in which she cut out all the carbs and sugar with a very rigid regime to reduce around 16pounds in a very short period of time for her MET GALA event. While that regime might be beneficial for her, it might not be of benefit to others.
First aspect of a diet plan for weight loss is to consider each body differently. So taking the example further, the diet followed by kim might have helped her shed kilos but may have serious implications to the different individual if he follows the same. So, a good dietician always suggests different diet plans for different individuals. Like, a heavier person who has a sedentary lifestyle may not be able to cut out carbs whole solely as compared to a fitter person. So to engage him in a no carb no sugar diet might be disastrous for him.
Second aspect here is to burn more calories than one consumes. An average adult requires 2500 calories per day to function. If he consumes 1500 calories and burn some more, it creates a calorie deficit. If this calorie deficit is maintained for everyday then a person may lose ½ kg to 1 kg in a week. This aspect plays a major role when an individual wants to reduce weight or manage it. This is not a temporary arrangement but one needs to make lifestyle changes to achieve the body goal.
Thirdly, weight loss program is a slow process as there are times when one reaches a plateau and the weight gets stuck for some time, but by being consistent and motivated, one achieves his goals slowly but definitely. Lastly, following a strict diet regime doesn’t mean one cannot enjoy a cheat meal once in a while. A cheat meal can be consumed occasionally to curb the cravings one might have. This is because, when a person eats his favorite food, its body releases a happy hormone which further motivates them to do better.
But here, one should keep in mind that the food should be eaten mindfully with the awareness of each morsel consumed. This practice helps a person to weigh the pros and cons, hence eat in a way that does not hamper its weight loss journey. Moreover, the food should be consumed in a moderate quantity. Overeating does not have a positive impact, rather spoils all the hard work that an individual does on a body.
Guidelines for weight loss
When a person follows a sedentary lifestyle with bad eating habits and insufficient or no exercise regime, it leads to obesity and other complications. So, an individual must follow certain guidelines to maintain nutrition and weight. These are:
- Small portions: small portions of food should be consumed while eating slowly so that one feels full early on. Plates should also be smaller in size so that the individual takes smaller portion
- Less calorie: calorie deficit is the key to weight loss and one should make smart choices while consuming the food. For example, consuming veggies like spinach often, fruits like apples and strawberries, and nuts and faux nuts in place of chips and biscuits.
- Low fat and low carb: the food that is consumed should be low in bad fat and one should try to have less carbs in their diet. Though these nutrients provide energy but excess of carbs and fats can cause weight gain.
- Drink adequate amount of water: one must remain hydrated throughout the day. When the individual is thirsty, the brain sends a signal which get confused with hunger signal. He thinks he is hungry but in fact he is just thirsty. One should also drink water before meals so as to minimize pseudo hunger.
- Behavioral and environmental factors: stress, boredom, anxiety, anger etc play an important role in deciding the diet pattern. For example, certain people tend to eat more sugary food when stressed. This habit deviates a person from his weight loss journey. To cope up with such situations, a person can (1) maintain a food journal to keep a record of the food consumed. (2) set small rewards for good behaviors. (3) motivational podcasts and videos should be listened and watched respectively to keep oneself from going down a path of self-destruction.
For a body to lose weight, it is 70% diet and 30% workout. So, it can be safely concluded that diet plays a major role in achieving the desired weight. Dietician Simarpal, hence provides the best homemade diets to help one achieve his goals catering to one’s needs and personal health issues and thus suggest diet plans accordingly. But one should keep in mind that weight was not gained in a day, so it takes time to bring down the same. With strong determination and correct help, one can do wonders for the body.
“Once you believe in yourself
And you put your mind into something
You can do it”
-Simone Biles.