India has seen a paradigm shift in the eating habits of the people. Women, men and youth have become conscious of their food intake. We all know that a balanced meal is one that compromises of the five basic nutrients i.e. Carbohydrates, Proteins, fats, minerals and Vitamins. We all have figured out eating small meals, five times a day keeps you metabolism kicking. Infact, each of us have a different tip to pass on when it comes to balanced diet or losing weight. Most women fall in the trap of thinking that by being thin they are healthy and a voluptuous woman is unfit and unhealthy. In this case the perception is misjudged. A voluptuous woman can be healthy and a woman with a perfect figure can actually fall prey to many diseases. I have seen a very close friend fall prey to a serious ailment in order to maintain her weight.
The definition of dieting has drastically changed. We are not looking at starvation here but healthy eating . Healthy eating will make you slim and beautiful whereas fad diets may make you slim but in return give you unhealthy dull skin, hair and also dark circles around your eyes. Most importantly it is harming your immune system slowly and will have an adverse effect one day.
Myth : To lose weight you need to eat less!
You can eat to your heart’s content and still stay slim. Nutrition is a science and if you follow this science, there is no reason why you cannot remain slim through out you life. There is a good evidence that eating a healthy and balanced diet can reduce your risk of obesity and illness such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and some types of cancer .
Myth: When you are on a diet you feel weak!
You will be more productive: Eating a healthy balanced diet can make sure your brain has the fuel it needs means more energy and increased productivity at work.
Myth: If you have had a heavy lunch then miss dinner!
Never skip a meal. It provokes your body to gorge on food at any given opportunity thus defeating effectively any weight loss plan .Starving also hampers your metabolism , thus the calories from food are not used up efficiently and hence get stored as fats.The body takes help from its defence mechanism, faced with shortage of calories, it gets worried and begins to conserve fats. Then to protect its fats stores it begins to use lean tissues, to provide it with some of the calories it needs to keep functioning .This directly leads to loss of muscle which in turn lowers metabolic rate, serous health problem occurs you become dizzy, under nourished and may be sick . It can lead to ‘Anorexia nervosa’.
So Ladies/ Men do not focus on only losing weight but how you go about it as well!! Today we have roped in Dietician Pradnya Sonawane from Wellshape clinic, who shares with us simple lifestyle changes that can not only help you lose weight, have a balanced diet but also lead a healthy life.
Some Small Lifestyle Changes That Will Go A Long Way :
1) Moderation is the key word. Have everything in small quantities. Do not reach out for second helpings.
2) Do not confuse thirst with hunger. Reach out for the glass of cold water often.
3) Plan your meal, do your grocery shopping thoughtfully.
4) Allay hunger pangs by eating water rich fruits, like papaya , musk melons, oranges ,apples.
5) Do not add salt to salads. Instead just add a squeeze of lemon or a dash of fresh pepper.
6) Do not drink water immediately after meals, it will dilute your digestive juices.
7) Increase fibre in your diet. Fibre in your body cleans your system. For example if you have had a slice of pizza and have a full plate of salad along with it, the fibre in your body will act as a fat binder and flush out the flour from your body and stop it from sticking to the walls of your intestines. A good way to judge whether your diet is rich in fibre is to check your morning stool. If it floats, all is well . If it sinks, you need to add more fibre in your diet.
8) Last but not the least have early dinners that is before 8 p.m. Even better if you have it before sunset .
9) What we eat has an impact on our brain , fruit like banana will help you to combat with your mood swings as they contain dopamine a chief mood booster. See, dieting can make you happy as well.
10) Including fish and dairy can help replenish protein stores and keep cortisol levels at the bay when the body is in chronic state of stress as it break down protein to prepare for battle. So yes, your diet can help you even combat stress.
6) Simple healthy choices such as replacing soda with water, choosing carrots instead of chips and ordering side salad in place of fries.
Today a woman of fifty can still remain fit and look young, if she so desires, by adopting nutritious ways of eating. She will also foresee effective prevention of some health risks like: osteoporosis , cardiovascular illnesses, cancer and also weight gain .
Pradnya Sonawane is a registered dietician who believes :A healthy outside starts from the healthy inside. Her clinic ‘Wellshape’ offers you customized plans to maintain the weightloss and enhance wellbeing. Her approach to losing weight is very different as she focuses more on you leading a healthy life. She also works on children’s diet plans. You can get in touch with her at her Facebook page
