NUTRITION & A HEALTHY WEIGHT

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Healthy nutrition and a healthy weight go hand in hand

A healthy diet critical for achieving of maintaining a healthy weight. Even if you exercise daily, you still need to pay attention to what you eat and drink. You can’t out-exercise a poor diet.

Dieting in the traditional sense is a mistake

Dieting in the traditional sense is almost always counterproductive. Most people gain weight over a longer period of time, but then expect to lose it very quickly. Traditional dieting by definition is temporary. Once the “diet” is over, people go back to their old habits and usually regain even more weight than they lost. The dieting process is then repeated over and over. This back and forth between overeating and undereating is known as the yo-yo effect. Yo-yo'ing can result in muscle loss, metabolism disorders, decreased bone densities and increased diabetes. Studies also show that it increases risk of early death. Additionally, the longer one is this yo-yo pattern, the more difficult it becomes to lose any weight.

If you decide to follow a temporary diet, make sure you do this with the help of a nutritionist. They can help you kickstart a new routine and then help you transition into a sustainable, healthy eating pattern.

Sustainability is key

The best way to achieve a healthy weight is to consume high-nutrient foods that are also low in calories. Undereating by a little has been shown to have positive effects on our health:

  • Helps us achieve a healthy weight in a sustainable way

  • Slows down the aging process

  • Increases longevity

  • Reduces the risk of chronic disease

Mindless eating versus mindful eating:

A lot of the food choices we make are done without thinking. This automatic behavior makes it easy to overeat, especially when we are multitasking. Research has shown that we increase our overall calorie consumption when we when watch TV, are on the phone or when we are in the car. Making a healthy grocery list, buying our own ingredients, cooking our own food and having smaller portions are all strategies that can help us be more aware of what and when we are eating, in other words to eat more mindfully.

Healthy habits for a healthy weight:

  • Drink a glass of water before every meal         

  • Consume at least 3 servings of vegetables every day

  • Consume a total of 2 liters of water throughout the day          

  • Have a healthy and preferably small, dinner

  • Avoid mindless eating

Do you experience difficulties with your nutrition?

If you struggle with your routine or experience difficulties adopting new habits, we encourage you to study these 11 habits. It might make sense to also look at other aspects of your lifestyle.



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Additional helpful resources:

Diet and Weight, Obesity Prevention Source, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 8 Steps to Mindful Eating, Harvard Women’s Health Watch