Diet and Nutrition: 3 Simple Fixes
Lose Weight and Get Healthy with These Easy Changes
Diets don't work, but changing your lifestyle is hard. Here are some basic tweaks you can make to get you started on the road to health.
By now, most of us have accepted that diets simply don't work in the long run. They sometimes don't even work in the short run, but even when we do lose weight on them, we usually gain it back sooner or later. We therefore have to face the fact that any nutrition changes we make must be permanent to be effective. Here are three easy changes that anyone can stick to for good.
1. Drink nothing but water.
Your body has to burn calories to digest your food. Certain foods burn more calories than others, but when you drink sugary sodas, fruit juices, or any liquid that has calories in it, there's almost no work involved in digesting it. The net caloric gain of sugary drinks is probably the highest of any food out there. Also, unless you exercise directly after consuming these beverages, you're not going to use those carbohydrates for energy. Your body is going to convert it to fat instead.
Water, on the other hand, has no calories of its own and, if it's cold, will cause your body to burn calories heating it up so it can process it. It's good for your skin, helps you metabolize the rest of the food you eat and, if you have a fountain at work and a sport bottle, is cheaper than anything you can get at the vending machine.
If your sweet tooth is killing you, you can supplement your water regimen with zero-calorie drinks such as diet sodas and coffee/tea with artificial sweeteners, but you should try to consume at least eight ounces of water per hour that you're awake.
2. Cut out the refined grains.
After you've gotten used to your newly lubricated diet without easily digestible drinks, the next step is to get rid of easily digestible foods. Refined grains include all forms of sugar, but also breads and cereals made from white flour, including most bagels, muffins, croissants, white pasta, and pretty much any bread that isn't made from whole grains. While they may be not as sweet, eating them is pretty much the same as eating the equivalent amount of sugar, as far as weight gain is concerned.
Watch out for imposters: a lot of brown breads say wheat on the label, but are really just white flour with molasses mixed in. Make sure the first ingredient on the list says either "whole wheat" or "whole grain." When in doubt, walk away.
This isn't easy, as the vast majority of restaurants (both sit-down and fast food varieties) use refined rather than whole grains. But it's your body, and you have a right to know what goes in it, so don't be afraid to ask the wait staff what kind of bread and pasta options they have. Also, you can be far more sure of what you're eating (and save money) if you prepare more of your meals yourself.
3. Watch the clock.
Your metabolism lowers as the day goes on. Later in the day, your body will convert more of your food, especially carbohydrates, into fat. Top-load your meals, making breakfast the biggest and diminishing your meals and snacks as the day goes on. Avoid carbohydrates in the evening (unless you work out then) and no grains of any kind after dark.
Adhere to these three basic principles and you’ll find maintaining a respectable waistline doesn’t require you to suffer. If you add them to your life one at a time, you will adjust to them easily. Good luck and good health!
