It is very easy to obtain the foods to provide a balanced diet.  We can eat daily foods that provide protein from both meat and non-meat sources, fat which is large poly- or mono-unstaturated and unrefined sugars. 

A piece of lean meat fried in olive oil and a variety of steamed vegetables – carrots, beans, broccoli and spinach.  Whack on one or more herbs and you have taste sensation thats great for you. 

I see two main challenges.  Firstly, many of us currently rely on bad fats to give taste to our food.  To address this we should move to healthy AND tasty meals.  While low-glycemic diets have been developed for people with diabetes they are appropriate for everyone.  They ensure we get a steady stream of  ’fuel’ that avoids the fluctuations in blood sugar associated with foods high in refined sugar.  

Secondly, whatever we eat we eat too much.  This is a double whammy when the food we eat is high in fat and/or sugar.  This is probably the harder challenge, both initially and in the longer term.  We need to train ourselves to eat smaller meals and limit the in-between snacks.   While there is no alternative to eating only what we are going to burn up during the day we can mitigate over-eating by changing what we eat.  If you are going to have a blow out then eat food that is lower in fat and/or sugar.  For example, fill up on salad greens rather than potatoes.

With attempts to change any ingrained behaviours it does take persistance.  With something as central to our lives as eating most of us do not have the discipline to stick stick to a regime that isn’t pleasurable.  So enjoy losing weight and stick with a healthy and tasty diet.

Keith

Without having tried them I can’t comment on the effectiveness of diet pills.  However I know, through experience, you can lose weight permanently and safely through eating well. 

Interested to hear people’s feedback, Keith

While fat enhances flavour continue to cut fat off meat and cook in good oil.  This coming Winter is going to be season of the slow cooker!  Ok, so I’m following the current fad – but not all fads are bad!  An early trial will be some very lean goat meat I picked up at the local supermarket.  This would probably be tough as old boots if done as a quick fry.  The thought of a rich casserole has me full of anticipation.   I just need to decide on the veges to gone into the pot – don’t want too much carb.

Eat well, Keith

regards, Keith

As parents we are concerned about road safety and stranger danger.  However we seem to be less vigilant about a widespread danger to our kids.  We appear to be compromising their health at an increasingly younger age.  While historically many adults have drifted into obesity in middle age we are raising a generation that will enter adulthood obese.  Not the proudest of legacies!

An investigation of children’s meals at fast food outlets found only 3% met the standards set by the National School Lunch Program.  The average energy density of the meals that failed the standards was 2.3 calories per gram compared with 1.5 in the standards.  Of the meals that failed 65% had too much fat while the levels of a number of key nutrients were inadequate. 

reference: J.M. Mendoza, “Kids, Fast Food, & Obesity: Menu Reviews From a Houston Pediatrician”  Agricultural Research, October 2009

To read the article click on: article

Lets make sure our kids eat well and enter adulthood healthy.  It will then be up to them to determine their future health and hopefully they will follow the guidance provided to them in their formative years.

regards, Keith

reference: J.N. Davis et al, American Journal of Nutrition, November, 2009

While the authors were cautious about generalising from these results its worth considering how they might apply to the rest of us.  How much fiber are you currently consuming?  It is likely many people could improve their overall diet by increasing their fiber levels.  One of the possible benefits might be a reduction in belt size!

For fiber look to fruit and veges as the best sources.  If you eat an orange rather than have an orange drink you get the fiber as well as the vitamin C!

And, if you’re really interested in reducing your belt size consider getting my book Enjoy Losing Weight.  I reduced my waist measurement by many inches (and enjoyed doing it).  Whats more my waist has remained the same size since.

regards, Keith

A Mediterranean type diet has been found to reduce the risk of depression by 30%.  Fruits, vegetables and olive oil were associated with even lower levels of risk.  This was attributed to their effect on nerve cell growth and functioning and the availability and effectiveness of seratonin.

Source: M.A. Martinez-Gonzalez & D. Mischoulon, Archives of General Psychiatry, October, 2009

By selecting fruit and vegetables with a low glycemic index you can combine the benefits of a Mediterranean type diet and a low glycemic diet to lose weight effectively and permanently, and obtain other health benefits at the same time.

regards, Keith

A study of type 2 diabetics who were overweight/obese found 93 percent got too many calories from fat, 85 percent ate too much saturated fat and 92 percent ate too much salt.  Fewer than half ate enough fruit, vegetables, diary and grains.

Reference: M.Z. Vitolins  et al, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, August, 2009.

The challenge is to replace the high fat food we enjoy with other healthier food we enjoy as much or more.  This will require effort to start with but over a short time you can train yourself onto tasty food that will support your weight loss efforts.  

What is clear is that merely being aware you are overweight or finding out you have diabetes is often not enough to trigger a change in eating habits.  I suspect this is because an attractive path to better health is not presented in a format that is compelling.   The book Enjoy Losing Weight could be renamed Enjoy Eating Great Food That Will Help You To Lose Weight.  Don’t see the need to lose weight condeming you to eating boring food. Improve your enjoyment of food and lose weight at the same time.

Happy and healthy eating, Keith

The State Indicator Report on Fruit and Vegetables, 2009 reports that only 33% of adults eat sufficient fruit and 27% eat sufficient vegetables.  The report notes ways of getting us to eat more fruit and veges.  This includes getting us while we are still young through schools increasing student access to fruit and vegetables as well as teaching nutrition.

The report repeats the importance of fruit and vegetables in optimal child growth, maintaining a healthy weight and preventing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, September, 2009

While eating fruit and veges is healthier for you than eating processed food full of refined sugar it is possible to take this further and be selective in the fruit and vegetables you consume when losing weight.  To lose weight successfully focus on the fruit and vegetables with a lower glycemic load.  This is fully covered in my book “Enjoy Losing Weight”. 

So, for overall health and to achieve and maintain permanent weight loss include sufficient fruit and vegetables in your daily diet.

Eat well, Keith

Eat well, exercise and you will keep your brain functioning! regards, Keith