Don’t try fad diets
THE desire to lose weight as quickly as possible is one that burns in the hearts of many a woman (and quite a few men too). So, you may decide to take matters into your own hands by embarking on the latest fad diet, such as the Zone or Atkins – or even devising your own – and it may seem to be working.
But, according to nutritionist Patricia Thompson, dieting to shed pounds rapidly – as much as six in one week – is way too drastic since you are not losing ‘fat weight’, but simply water.
Fad dieting is not unique to the United States, she pointed out. It is just as popular in local circles.
Speaking two Sundays ago at the OceanSpray Jamaica Wellfest – a three-day initiative of WHOLE Limited aimed at promoting holistic lifestyles – Thompson said that with fad dieting, after the dieter loses most of the excess water, their body turns to its protein store.
“You are going to be losing muscle mass,” she said. Individuals should aim to shed one to two pounds per week, she said, but warned that proper weight loss cannot be ascertained by jumping maniacally on the scale every day.
“To tell if you have lost fat weight, you need to weigh once per week,” she recommended.
A balanced diet should include all the food groups – carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals – in correct proportions. A poorly planned diet will only lead to nutrient imbalances.
For example, a decision to increase the fibre intake in your diet without a corresponding increase in water would lead to chronic constipation. “A lot of headaches that people are getting are due to chronic constipation,” Thompson explained. “We need to eat sensibly, because all the nutrients have a role to play in total health care benefits.”
Water is critical to the body. In addition to ensuring healthy, supple skin, it acts as a solvent for essential nutrients such as potassium, sodium and electrolytes and transports them around the body. Most importantly, the body cannot function adequately without water since it helps with digestion, absorption and excretion. The recommended intake of water should be one and a half to two litres per day (eight glasses).
“A lot of people tend to think of water as a liquid,” said Thompson. “If we lose only 10 per cent of
that water, we are dehydrating
the body.”
Chronic joint pains, gas, insomnia, tension and unnecessary aches and pains are all signs of a poor diet. Osteoporosis for example, is caused by a lack of Vitamin D, and anaemia by a lack of iron.
And, she warns, it is essential to remember the age-old advice about meal planning, portion control and exercise. After all, muscle burns more calories than fat. “The basis of good nutrition is energy balance,” said Thompson. “There is no nutrient or food more fattening than the other.”
Nutritionist from the HEART foundation, Frannie Mahfood, said one cup of low-fat sweetened yogurt, for example, has about 170-200 calories, which will take as long as half an hour of high intensity aerobics to burn off.
A typical breakfast – two ounces of liver with two to three green bananas – contains approximately 300 calories. Such a dish, Thompson pointed out, is a more balanced meal than, for example, two slices of pineapple, one ripe banana and an apple, which total 330 calories.
She insisted that everyone should consult a nutritionist or a doctor before going on a special diet.
-mcfarlaned@jamaicaobserver.com
