We have a lot of conversations about diet fads. As someone who was once convinced that photoshopped images of models were standards for me to work towards, I have tried just about every kind of diet there is.
Through all of my dieting escapades, I learned a few really important things (besides the fact that I become the hulk when I’m hungry):
Fat is important for our health
Almost all diets encourage removal of fat. We all know that eating a batch of cookies isn’t going to contribute to our health, but there are numerous benefits to eating healthy fats. Good fats help to reduce inflammation, improve metabolism and balance hormones. They’re also important for skin health, brain functioning and stronger bones.
If you eliminate the good fats then you’re also removing nutrients that are very important to your health.
Restriction is not the answer
Many diets have us counting calories – they take into consideration the quantity of food that we eat instead of the quality. We talk about willpower and how it works in our article “Willpower has nothing to do with it” but thats not the only reason restricting calories is a dangerous habit to get into.
Many of the foods that have reduced calories are stripped of their nutrients. For example, low calorie foods become “low calorie” because during processing they lose their nutritious components (some great examples are low fat milk, white rice, white bread)
Sounds great, right? Less calories equals faster weight loss. But think about this – our bodies have to work much harder to digest processed foods than they do whole, quality foods. If you’ve been following our blogs then you understand how digestion works. If our food isn’t digested then what do you think happens? It certainly doesn’t magically disappear!
If you’re trying to lose weight, you can’t let counting calories become more important than eating well balanced, nutritious meals.
Skinny does not equal healthy
I think the definition of “healthy” varies depending on who you ask. But in my opinion, healthy is defined by a number of things. I think it can be in our nature to look at someone who is skinny and think that they are healthy. But what are their energy levels like? Do they eat to support their bodies needs? Do they sleep well? Is their life full of stress? Are they happy?
Being healthy means eating foods full of nutrients that allow your energy levels to be sustained through the day. It means getting a restful, uninterrupted sleep. Life isn’t always stress free but being healthy means finding mechanisms to cope with your stress. Most importantly, healthy people are happy – they aren’t occupied with weighing their food and counting their calories. They enjoy their lives and the food that they eat.
We want to help you take the word “diet” out of your vocabulary. If you’re thinking about what it means to be healthy and you’re not sure where to start come chat with one of our personal trainers!
