Many people stick to a calorie-controlled, fat-counted eating plan for months, but usually return to their bad eating habits - and find that the pounds pile back on again. By adopting a different approach you can achieve excellent results . Here are the do's and don'ts for success.
1. Eat more high carbohydrates - potatoes, pasta, rice, bread, and cereals. These provide starch and fibre. Your diet should be based around these low-fat foods so fill up on them - resist smothering them with butter, cream based sauces and/or mayonaise. And: fruit and vegetables are low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals and valuble dietary fibre. Vegetables should be eaten raw or lightly cooked to retain nutrients. It is important to eat more protein - which is concentrated in fish, poultry, nuts, peas, beans and lentils. White fish is very nutritious and low in calories; include it at least three times a week. Dairy products are a main source of calcium but many have a high fat content. Choose lowest-fat options - cottage cheese, yoghurt, skimmed milk. Water is an essential part of any diet and you should aim to drink two litres per day. It works as a diuretic, flushing toxins out of the body so try to have a glass of water before a meal, it can stop you from over eating by making you feel full up sooner. Tip: fizzy mineral water can help satisfy cravings for sugary drinks, add a splash of pure fruit juice to it if you need to.
2. Eat less fat. Substitute high-fat dairy products for their low-fat alternatives - swap full cream milk for skimmed or semi-skimmed versions. Cook using low-fat methods - grilling, boiling or steaming. Reduce your sugar intake - from sweets, pastries and chocolate. Eating sweet things only after meals will help. Cut back on salt - your body only requires small amounts. Adding extra salt to our food can mean we are taking in as much as 1500% more than the body needs which will eventually lead to high blood pressure. Avoid addding salt to your meals, and cut down on unhealthy processed foods, which contain a high amount of salt. If you drink alcohol remember that although it has no fat, it does contains a lot of calories. Health Authority guidelines: half a pint of bitter has 90 calories, ordinary strength lager has 85; a glass of wine has 75 calories and a measure of spirits has 50
3. Change your lifestyle. Altering lifelong habits can take time and patience its best to introduce new foods on a step-by-step basis. Try eating a small piece of fruit a day to begin with going without cream on strawberries and always grill food that you used to fry, is a positive and good beginning. If you work long hours you could be in the bad habit of snacking on high-fat foods - so start to choose fast food that is low in fat, bananas or popcorn are a good example. If you are stressed at work it's likely you could be overeating to compensate - trying to be aware of these things is a good start. If you entertain people at work you might be eating two big meals a day instead of your usual one. Miss out on a lunchtime courses and instead choose healthier options from the menu. Try out new recipes on your family; but note that children always need more fat in their diets than adults do.
Bottom Line: once you've started to get used to your healthy eating plan, you will soon realise that the food is really delicious. Try following the Mediterranean cuisine of southern Italy, France and Spain; these countries are famous for their culinary expertise and diets that consist primarily of breads, pasta, rice, vegetables and olive oil. Most of their recipes are easy-to-follow and quick-to-cook. The reduced rates of heart disease and strokes in these countries are due to their healthy local diet.
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