Correct basics FIRST for weight loss before trying fad diets.
“How to lose weight healthily?” is a burning issue in our modern society.
People usually opt for experimenting with various diets and eating less to lose weight, but it is challenging to follow for long. Instead, one can expect better results by consistently correcting lifestyle and following the basic rules to keep the body healthy.
Let’s talk today about maintaining or reducing excess body weight by correcting basics. Check the following.
1.) Correct basics:
When it comes to weight loss, people usually focus on following a diet chart about what to eat throughout the day by calculating calories, portion control and removal of unhealthy/junk food. After that, the focus is on consuming a protein-fat-fibre-rich diet and a typical marathon starts.
But we miss an essential point here.
While discussing following a diet for losing weight, “how to eat” is more important than “what to eat and what not to”.
Chewing well, eating with minimal distraction and without rushing is vital for maintaining or losing weight. Chewing well makes it easier for the body to digest and absorb nutrients. And when we consume food without a rush, we get the satisfaction of fullness and can avoid overeating. Further, when we are eating with minimal distraction, we certainly do not miss the message from the brain that we are full. On the other hand, when we are eating in haste and with distraction, the chances are more that we miss the message that we are full, leading to overeating.
And lastly, stop eating when you are 80% full. Eating a bit less is more beneficial to the body.
2.) Understand the role of stomach acid in digestion:
Apart from killing harmful bacteria, stomach acid helps break down food for easy digestion. However, digestion hampers in case of low stomach acid, so one should try to keep stomach acid in balance.
For this, avoid drinking too much water immediately before meals and with meals. Water can dilute stomach acid. To fire up stomach acid, lemon and vinegar can be used. Squeeze half a lemon in a cup of warm water and consume 10 minutes before a heavy meal to ease digestion. Similarly, add vinegar/apple cider vinegar to a salad for faster digestion. However, people with frequent acidity and acid reflux complaints should avoid this.
Note: Frequently popping pills to reduce stomach acid does harm in the long run. In case of acidity, opt for natural remedies over stomach acid-reducing drugs.
3.) Never miss on good fat:
Include good fats like ghee, coconut oil, avocado, eggs, fish, chia seeds, nuts, yoghurt from full-fat milk, and cheese. Good fats help the body absorb nutrients, which helps us feel full for a long time which ultimately helps us avoid overeating.
4.) Paying more attention to nutrition-dense food:
Consume food and drinks that provide nutrition to the body. In abundance, one should consume various fruits, vegetables, pulses, millet, milk and milk products like paneer, white butter, cheese, curd, buttermilk, etc.
Similarly, junk food and fried/sugary food do not contain the required nutrients. One can certainly fill up the stomach by eating this kind of food, but it is difficult to nourish the body. Remember, the nutrition-deprived body demands food repeatedly. That can also lead to weight gain.
5.) The focus on easing up digestion:
Avoid sleeping immediately after eating a meal. Keeping a gap of at least 3 hours is for better digestion. In addition, one can consume green tea or go for a light walk after a meal to fasten digestion. Being active throughout the day and making exercise a part of daily life also helps the digestive system.
When it comes to losing weight, it’s wiser to correct the basics by eating nutritious food correctly and following it consistently for the rest of our lives. It works better than experimenting with diet fads.
Try!
Please share your views with me.
Thank you.