The word "diet" has gotten such a bad reputation over the past several decades that just mentioning the word makes people cringe! The definition of the word is "the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group" meaning that what we eat determines our diet. It doesn't mean that our ability to enjoy food goes out the window. The world is so concerned about having abs like "the situation" or being as skinny as a stick in order to be a model, but the truth is that having some adipose (technical term for fat) is not a bad thing. Adipose tissue stores energy, provides warmth, and protects our vital organs. Granted that having too much adipose does pose health problems, a good majority of Americans who are considered "overweight" by the Body Mass Index standards can live long and healthy lives without having to have every striation of every muscle showing.
This article I am writing is not focusing on how to achieve a low body fat percentage, but rather how to enjoy the "diet" we consume, without harming our bodies in the process. I will discuss weight loss at a later time. By balanced diet, I mean that each meal should be properly balanced with 1 part protein, 1 part complex carbohydrates, and 1/10 part lipids, or fat.
Here is a typical lunch senerio that most people enounter at some point during the week. You are sitting down at Longhorn Steakhouse for lunch. You order a grilled chicken sandwich, french fries, a sweet tea, and a salad with ranch dressing. Now as your waiting, the waiter brings out a basket of bread with some butter....carbs and fat. Then your salad with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and ranch dressing comes....some good carbs and even more fat. Then you drink your sweet tea......sugar which is more carbs. Your meal comes... You finally get a little bit of protein in the chicken, but the bread brings more carbs, not to mention the fries which also brings carbs and fat. You skip dessert because you are on a diet and don't want the extra calories. This meal was more like 1 part protein, 5 parts carbs, and 2 parts fat! This is not what I would call a balanced diet. This may not be a regular lunch senario but the truth is that many, if not most, people eat like this several meals a day.
So what is the solution? How do we eat to be healthy and still be able to enjoy our food? Well are some suggestions that may be helpful to you:
1. Look at your meal and see if it fits into the 1 protein, 1 carb, 1/10 fat rule, if it doesn't, either modify it or pass on to something else.
2. How is the food prepared? Grilled is always a better choice than fried; is there butter covering your food? How much salt was used in preparation of your food? Ask these questions and try to use as little of the extras as possible.
3. Try to avoid sugars. I know sugar tastes good but your body instantly turns it into fat so I would avoid it whenever you can.
4. Drink plenty of water with your meal. It fills up your stomach and you will comsume less.
5. Try eating 6 smaller meals a day instead of 3, or in most cases, 2 meals because people skip breakfast. Eating in this manner will increase your metabolism and therefore you will lose weight.
You may be wondering where the "enjoy" part fits into the big picture, well here is how: I like to follow the 90/10 rule of eating relatively healthy for 90% of the time, and, if I choose, 10% of the time if I want that special dessert, or ribye steak, etc. I can enjoy it without guilt. Also, when preparing your food, feel free to use any spices you want, in moderation of course, going really easy on the salt, and find new and healthy ways to spruce up your meal!
If you have any questions regarding maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, please feel free to comment below and I will answer any questions you may have. The next topic will be "Proper Water Intake"
In Good Health
Dr. Ara
No comments:
Post a Comment