By Heather Little-White, Ph.D., Food & Nutrition ConsultantAS THE new year begins, many people resolve to lose weight and keep it off. How can this be achieved? Dieting is often a common choice but studies have shown that while dieting may cause phenomenal weight loss in the short run, it does not contribute to permanent weight loss because huge weight gain may follow dieting, creating a yo-yo cycle. What is critical to weight loss and control is the selection of foods to boost your metabolic rate. The metabolic rate is the speed at which your body burns calories.
Of importance also is shifting your menu from calorie-dense fatty foods to foods that are richer in nutrients. In the process of food selection, the emphasis is no longer on diets emphasising quantities but instead selecting the types of foods you can eat until you are full and still keep weight off. Be guided by the fact that you need to keep your metabolic rate up. Ensure that your diet contains at least 10 calories per pound of your ideal body weight. If you are aiming for 140 pounds, your daily menu should contain at least 1400 calories.
FAT-FIGHTING FOODS
You hear about nutrients and may not be quite sure what to select for optimum weight loss in a natural way. You need to select fat-fighting foods without starving yourself to death. Many vegetables are low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals so that it makes good sense to eat lavish amounts of these.
Pay close attention to the fat content in the food you eat. Look at the various sources of fat in your eating plan. The worst kinds are animal fats, mono-saturated, which encourages the body to increase cholesterol. Fat from palm oil, cocoa butter and coconut oil is highly saturated and should be avoided. They are common in processed foods, non-dairy creamers, candy bars and egg substitutes. Vegetable oils contain polyunsaturated fats from fruits and seeds which provide more wholesome supplies of fat.
The nutrition Facts panel on food labels or the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute's Food Composition Tables provide analysis of the fats in foods. A diet for weight control should contain foods with limited fats grains, fruits, vegetables, skinless poultry, fish and lower-fat dairy foods. Limit the amounts of meats and dairy products as these are the foods highest in fats.
COMPLEX CARBS
Be aware of the good and bad carbohydrates. You should utilise more complex carbohydrates, found only in plants. Good choices for carbs are vegetables both raw and cooked, including those you were made to believe were too fattening such as potatoes, corn, yams and peas. While losing weight, keep portions small. Legumes should include lentils, red peas, chick peas [garbanzo beans], soy beans, split peas. Breads to include only whole grain, low-fat, unsalted, without white flour products like bagels, crackers, corn tortillas and pita. Cereals to include whole grain only, including wheat bran, oat bran, oatmeal, wheat meal without sugar and other additives. Pastas to include wheat and vegetable only, not the egg and white flour types and grains such as brown rice, bulgur, millet, barley, rye and corn. Foods with bad carbohydrates include products with white flour bread, rolls, muffins, cakes, pies, pizza dough, croissants, pancakes, waffles, bun, refined breakfast cereals, cake and cookie mixes and fast foods such as hamburgers, fish sticks, fried and breaded meats and cheeseburgers.
HIDDEN SUGARS
Sugar is addictive and consuming refined sugars is like eating poison. Sugars are hidden in many common foods so it is important to read labels. Foods like ketchup, pickles, mayonnaise, canned fruits, breakfast cereals and salad dressings often contain sugar labelled as 'carbohydrates'. Look for words on food labels which means sugar the chemical sugar, dextrose or corn sugar; fruit sugar, fructose; malt sugar, maltose; milk sugar, lactose; the refined sugar, sucrose and glucose, a simple sugar naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables.
HERBS AND SPICES
Another element to watch is salt. Though the body requires a certain amount of sodium, excess amounts that are not excreted lead to fluid retention and compromise weight loss. Flavour foods with herbs and spices instead of salt. Some foods are sodium-free so read labels carefully. Be careful of food with sea salt, baking soda, baking powder, onion and garlic salt, sodium nitrate, sodium propionate and anything with sodium. Pay attention to ketchup, chili sauce and barbecue sauce.
PLANTS FOR PROTEIN
Every part of the body needs protein but protein foods should be eaten in moderation as surplus protein not used by the body for energy or repair is stored as fat. Switch from your primary source of protein fatty animal protein to plant sources such as legumes and grains which contain all the essential amino acids. Poultry without the skin, skim milk products and fish can be consumed periodically.
For lifelong weight management the key is to learn how to eat and not diet, with adequate amounts of physical activity. If you can clear your cupboards of junk foods and high-fat foods and replace them with healthy, fresh foods, low-fat, low-calorie, low-sodium foods and fill your refrigerator with fresh fruit and vegetables you are on your way to acting on your new year's commitment to maintaining a healthy weight for the rest of
your life.
