Donnerstag, 8. Januar 2015

ARE YOU ON A NEW YEAR'S DIET? RETHINK ...



If you are about, or already have jumped on the annual band wagon of embarking on a fad diet, think again...

You probably have started any form of crazy, fad diet regime for several years by now.

Think of how long you have been able to stick to it. Mid  January? February? The more determined ones among you maybe till March. But after this? It is likely you have blown the diet and binged on cakes or indulgent treats, which resulted in gaining everything back, in some cases leaving you with more weight then pre diet.

You think you lack in willpower and discipline. And you think "This time it will be different. I will be determined and stick to the Gwyneth Paltrow Detox /Dukan Diet etc because it is new and innovative... this will definitely work for me."


Don't fool yourself. And don't think a new diet, which basically includes similar calories and rules as the previous ones at the end of the day, will miraculously turn your life around and make you a healthy, perfect human being over night.


First of all, don't panic if you have overindulged over the holidays and gained a few pounds. Remind yourself that you are not doing this everyday and your body is smart enough to naturally gravitate to your previous weight by itself. You don't need a detox to cleanse your body. If you eat the right balance of nutrition without restricting. Your body is amazing and you should not discount that fact. It is able to rid itself of toxins and redundant fat storages if you just give it some time.

Respect your body by being gentle to it and giving it what it craves - overall you will find that without dieting you will probably even crave healthier foods than on a diet. 
Ironic, right? This phenomena is called Reverse Psychology. Basically your mind tricks you by thinking or making you do the opposite of what you 'should'. 

Use this knowledge and nourish yourself properly. Of course, your meals should focus on balanced, filling meals that cover most nutrient groups, so that ideally you don't get massive sugar cravings. Usually, those are a sign that your body is missing particular food groups or vitamins.

So if you think you are craving this bar of chocolate or this slice of pizza, think about what nutritients you didn't have enough of lately. Did you drink enough water and eat enough fruit, vegetables and starches? In many cases, sugar cravings indicate a lack of chromium (found in broccoli, potatoes and bananas), carbon phosphorous (found in animal products such as fish and pork), sulfur (found in leafy green vegetables and nuts or poultry)  and tryptophan (found in seafood and dairy products)These nutrients stabilise your blood sugar levels, so when you consume enough you shouldn't have any unnormal cravings. ( Source: livestrong.com)


For example yesterday, I hadn't had fruit all day because I ran out of my regular fresh stock and had no opportunity to repurchase anything. I had eaten about 3 portions of vegetable over the day, which was okay, but at about 8 o'clock I suddenly felt depleted of energy and not really myself.

I had a piece of chocolate and found I felt even worse. Suddenly I saw an image of blueberries on a television show about health and sensed an powerful craving to have as many berries as possible. In this case I was clearly lacking in Vitamin C and the sugary chocolate made my blood levels spike up and down, leaving me tired and weak. 
So I whipped up a berry spinach smoothie and afterwards I felt amazing.

Give your body what it wants and craves for, and you cannot go wrong really, as long as you keep a good balance between healthy and indulgent foods. The ratio where I feel the best is usually 80:20.


So think again, before starting any crazy regime , but focus on wholesome and fulfilling meals instead. On a low calorie diet, you get in danger of messing up your efficient metabolism because you basically make your body think it will not get enough food so it starts storing everything it gets. You will miss out on important nutrients and if you indulge (which is sure to happen after a while on an unrealistic plan that doesn't provide sufficient energy), your body will hold onto these extra calories even more, thinking it will go into starvation mode again.


An important question to ask yourself about your current diet is, "Can I see myself eating exactly this way in a year's time, in two years, longer?"

Many people make the mistake of focusing on a short-term fix instead of finding something they are able to do long-term. So if you think this applies to you, don't waste your time and ditch that diet!

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