If it looks like it’s too good to be true, then it probably is! “Lose 10 kg in 5 weeks”, “Juice cleanse to detox your body”, “Eat these magical pills and reduce your clothing size within a week…” We get bombarded with weight loss tips, teas, pills, powders and “new year, new me”–gibberish, all year around, but it escalates during the Christmas and New Year time. Many people and businesses are willing to go very far to get hold of your money, and well marketed health-claiming products would also have ended up in my cupboard if I didn’t know better. However, instead of pouring out money on products with no function and of bad quality, let’s go back to basics.
- Be sceptical, be curious, ask questions – do not believe everything you hear, see and read
- Check the sources of the products or article. Are they reliable? Do they have scientific back up? Has this been proven or disproven?
- No juices, powders, tablets etc. can help you to detox the body. This is simply a marketing-concept! The liver, kidney and skin is responsible to “detoxify” your body, these organs do work even without the rainbow-pills
- If you lose 10 kg in 4-5 weeks, you have mostly just lost body water. If weight loss is the goal, then time is what you need. Generally, you should not lose more than 0,5-1 kg per week in order to be able to maintain the weight loss and avoid the yoyo-effect
- For a controlled weight loss, it is important that you plan your meals and find a suitable meal rhythm e.g. Breakfast, Lunch, Snack & Dinner.
- Make sure that you have a lot of vegetables/fruits on your plate for every meal
- Carbohydrates are not dangerous, but necessary. Nevertheless, make sure to choose the complex carbohydrates – the ones with a high fibre content, such as whole wheat pasta, wild or brown rice, buckwheat, barley, whole wheat bulgur.
- Have a good protein source at least twice per day, such as fish, meat, tofu, tempeh, dairy products, pulses and legumes.
- Fat is also necessary in your diet, choose foods high in omega-3 and -6 fatty acids e.g. salmon, mackerel, olive oil, nuts and seeds.
- Sugars are not dangerous for the body, but they should be kept to a minimum. WHO recommends not to eat more than 25 g/ 6 tsp. of sugar per day.
- Alcohol can be enjoyed once in a while, but know that it does not provide the body with useful energy, and it is recommended to drink less than 14 units per week. (1 unit =25 ml of spirits, ½ pint, 87 ml wine etc.)
- Make sure to try and always eat at the dining table, preferably spending 20 minutes for a meal, so it can be enjoyed!
- Exercise is not only helpful for a potential weight loss, but also important for maintaining bone health, muscle mass and our cardiovascular system.
- Rest and sleep! This is a must! It is very difficult to lose weight if you are already fatigued. Aim for a good quality sleep of 7-8 hours.
This article is written by Henriette Saevil, Clinical Nutritionist
(IG: @nutritionbyhenny).
If you have any questions or want to book a consultation please feel free to contact me via our website: https://nutrition-az.com/appointments or drop me an email: henriette.saevil@nutrition-az.com