More often than not, dieting doesn’t help you lose weight – it just leaves you tired, discouraged, and hungry for the foods you deprived yourself of temporarily.
What if we told you that the key to maintaining your normal weight is to ditch dieting and instead, start adopting a healthier style? Here are three major tips to help you do just that.
Tip #1: Include, Limit, and Avoid Certain Foods
The trick to making healthier lifestyle changes is to incorporate certain foods into your diet, limit certain foods, and avoid certain foods. Fortunately, the list of foods to avoid is not as large as the other two categories. If you eat enough healthy foods, your body won’t miss unhealthy foods as much. Therefore, don’t starve yourself!
A healthy and balanced diet should include plenty of:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Beans and legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Oly fish with omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, sardines, herring, trout, mackerel, and pilchards)
- Skinless poultry and lean animal proteins
- Plant-based proteins
Limit your consumption of:
- Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol
- Sodium and salty foods
- Fatty or processed red meats – if you choose to eat meat, select leaner cuts
- Refined carbohydrates, such as those found in added sugars and processed grain foods
- Sweetened drinks
- Full-fat dairy products
- Tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil
Avoid commercially baked and fried foods that contain trans fat and partially hydrogenated oils.
Tip #2: Read Food Labels, Choose Foods Carefully, and Watch Your Calories
The ingredients and nutrient content of store-bought foods can vary substantially. So, compare the nutrition information on package labels and select products that have the lowest amount of sodium, added sugar, saturated fat and trans-fat, and no hydrogenated oils. Also, eat only as many calories that you use through physical activity. If you need to lose weight, consume fewer calories or burn extra calories you consume through exercise. Talk to your doctor about your ideal calorie intake level.
Tip #3: Modify Your Eating Habits
Eat reasonable portions slowly, not just to digest your food properly, but to trick your brain into believing you’re satisfied with fewer food portions than you are normally served. This is especially important when dining out.
Cooking and eating more at home is a good way to gain more control over ingredients and preparation methods. When food shopping, look for the Heart-Check mark on items to identify products that can be a part of your overall healthy eating pattern.
Remember, the number of meals you eat per day is not as important as what you eat and how you eat those meals when it comes to decreasing the risk of heart disease and other health problems that stem from being overweight.
Nutrition Counseling Near You in Weatherford, Texas
Dr. Catherine Oseni at Alpha Care Wellness Center has helped many of her clients in the Dallas/Fort Worth area learn the basics of healthy eating, and she can do the same for you. As a clinical integrative pharmacist who is board-certified and fellowship-trained in integrative and functional medicine, Dr. Oseni is a highly qualified weight management expert who offers a 30-day healthy eating plan that can help you achieve balance and move you toward a healthier lifestyle. She can create a customized diet, supplementation, and exercise program tailored to your specific health needs.
For more information about our 30-Day healthy eating plan, call Alpha Care Wellness Center today at (817) 550-6332, or schedule a wellness consultation with Dr. Oseni using our convenient online form.
