Weekend Plus Desk
There are thousands of articles on the Internet telling you what to do and what not to, if you ever want to lose weight. The most dangerous ones are those that claim to help you to shed the extra kilos in just one week.
Even celebrity dietitian Rujuta Diwekar (Kareena Kapoor Khan’s dietitian as she is popularly known) advises one to stay away from all these crash diets. In a recent Facebook chat, Diwekar said, “A lot of people go on crash diets. If you want to lose weight, gradually decrease your food consumption, not all at once. Since most people want to see immediate results, they start on crash diets and that’s when most lifestyle diseases start to develop.”
She also stresses on the importance of eating in moderation. It’s not that you have to leave what you like, but to pay attention to what you’re eating and the proportion.
Even Dr Mark Hyman, author of Eat Fat, Get Thin and director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Functional Medicine, thinks we shouldn’t advise people to stop eating fat. In an interview with The New York Times, Hyman talks about switching from a low-fat, carb-heavy diet
to one that incorporates healthy fats.
According to him, if you want to lose weight then high-fat, plant-based foods diet should be your focus. He even divulged about his eating habits and the benefits of each of these food items. Let’s take a look:
Veggies: It’s no news, right? We all know veggies are important for a healthy you. In the words of food writer Michael Pollan, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” and this exactly what Hyman
follows. Apparently 70 to 80 per cent of his diet plan is plant foods and he avoids items that are high in sugar or refined carbs.
Nuts and seeds: You have known this all along too. Your mom must have told you a thousand times to carry a packet of almonds for times when you are hungry. But have you ever paid attention? Nuts can help stabilise your blood-sugar levels and
is also a good source of fibre. Hyman sticks to this rule so that he can avoid last-minute cravings and making bad choices.
“I basically have fat and protein as my snacks, and I have enough food in my bag to last an entire day,” he said.
Switch to olive oil from butter: Most of the fat in olive oil comes from a special type of ‘healthy’ fat also known as monounsaturated fat. This type of fat can help you reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and keep your
blood-sugar levels steady.
Opt for fatty fish instead of steaks: Fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, especially salmon, mackerel and trout. If you are worried about consuming fats then let’s just tell you that that these are ‘essential’ fats because the body can’t make them without the help from our diet. And it is important, because it plays an important role in keeping the cells of your body running smoothly. They are also necessary building blocks of the hormones that regulate blood clotting and inflammation.
Avocados: They are rich in vitamins B, C and E, potassium
(a mineral that helps circulate nutrients and waste in and out of cells) and folate (a nutrient especially important to women who are planning to conceive or are pregnant). Hyman
recommends just roughly 120 calories, about the equivalent of a slice of bread or a container of yogurt. Oh, it’s also the best food to keep you feeling full without causing
blood-sugar levels to spike.
Reduce refined carbs like white rice: Diets that are high
in refined carbs and low in wholegrains have been linked
with health problems. Processors cuts out the major
source of fibre and Vitamin B in foods. It’s best to avoid refined food items.
Sweet fats, like full-fat fruit-flavored yogurt: Hyman believes that the real danger is sweet fat. He says, “If you eat fat with sweets – so sugar and fat, or refined carbohydrates and fat – then insulin will rise and it will make you fat.” It is believed that sugar, when
combined with fat or carbohydrates and eaten consistently in high amounts,
can lead to weight gain. n
