Jake Edmiston| For the Sun-News, LCPS Health
With a multitude of diets on the market how is one supposed to know which diets are legit?
Today, popular diets are all around us: Paleo (restricts dairy, legumes, grains and oils), vegan (no animal products), vegetarian (allows eggs and dairy, no animal meat), Zone (counts calories and macronutrient percentages), South Beach (carbohydrates initially restricted then gradually added back in, focus on lean meat and vegetables), Weight Watchers (group setting where food is tracked by points), and Atkins (high fat, low carbohydrate diet). If your goal is to lose weight any diet can help in the short term. However, the problem is that people do not often make permanent lifestyle changes with these diets. Instead, people lose a little weight then quit the diet and typically put on more weight than they originally lost.
What is a person to do? What is the secret to picking a diet that will help you lose weight and be healthy? Fortunately, everyone already knows the secret. The “secret” is eat more fruits and vegetables, choose whole grains (brown rice instead of white), eats nuts and legumes (walnuts, almonds/beans, lentils), avoid processed sugary foods and beverages (candy bars, sodas, snack cakes), and consume less animal products.
Following these steps leads to successful weight loss. When whole foods, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains are the star of your plate there is not a lot of room left for unhealthier options.
If you’re the type of person who needs a plan to follow, then it is okay to follow a diet. However, there is one key question to ask yourself, “Can I implement this change for the rest of my life?” Because in truth diets do not work, rather, healthy lifestyle changes will literally change your life. Changes need to be sustainable and easy to incorporate into your everyday routine.
A major barrier people face when looking to make positive lifestyle changes in their diet is the idea certain foods are off limits. For example, “I could never give up macaroni and cheese. That’s my favorite.” Or, “I love my mom’s homemade apple pie. I can’t go on a diet because I know I can’t give up eating that.” This does not have to be the case, however. Lifestyle changes don’t have to mean giving up your favorite comfort foods or treats. Don’t give up eating the foods you love because that is not sustainable. Instead, focus on eating whole, less processed foods, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains most of the time and allow yourself to enjoy the foods you love periodically so you never feel deprived. Just be sure treats do not become a daily occurrence. Above all, don’t let perfection stand in the way of positive lifestyle changes.
Some suggestions for lifestyle changes can be:
1. Drink water instead of sodas/sugary beverages.
2. Eat a piece of fruit like an apple for an afternoon snack daily.
3. Incorporate more salads into your meals, but limit creamy dressings.
4. Try one new vegetable a week.
5. Look up recipes and cook at home using whole foods a few nights a week.
6. Check ingredient lists, looking for fewer listed ingredients and for ingredient names you are familiar with.
Talking to a dietitian can help you come up with some personalized lifestyle changes meeting your individual needs.
Making sustainable changes is hard. Some people do better with making several changes at once, and some do better slowly implementing changes. Think about what strategy works for you. Make goals today to add more whole foods, including vegetables and fruits, to your meals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that a person who increases his or her fruit and vegetable intake has lower risks for chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and others.
So, the next time you are hungry, remember: don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good. Make sustainable lifestyle diet choices by adding more whole foods to your meals.
Jake Edmiston is an NMSU dietetic intern working with LCPS Nutrition Services. He can be reached at hwedmist@nmsu.edu
