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Ten Proven Ways To Lose Weight And Stay Healthy

Dr. PJ Prakash

Personal Weight Loss Coach

http://www.HealthySouthAsians.com

http://www.healthysouthasians.com/http://www.healthysouthasians.com/http://www.healthysouthasians.com/

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Background

In this era of high protein and/or low-carb foods, there seems to be a great deal ofconfusion among the consumers as to what would be the ideal diet for losing and maintaining

weight. The consumers are often influenced by the food industry marketing campaigns branding

their low-carb although processed foods. On the other hand, there are numerous diet pills in thepharmacy stores claiming to activate metabolism. The lack of knowledge on the consumers sidein terms of selection of healthy foods often leads their buying decisions to be influenced by these

marketing nudges.

The other problem that is contributing to the obesity epidemic is the fast-food lifestyle inthe western world, and now catching up in other parts of the world as well. We all know by now

that fast food is fattening, yet we sometimes settle for that. One contributing reason for this is the

lack of time to cook food due to stressful and fast lifestyle in the western world. Another reasonbeing, although sad to admit but fast food is cheaper than the healthy food. The third reason is

perhaps that fast food eating places are more accessible to the consumers than the healthy food

places. Imagine a situation when during your long workday, you have only fifteen minutes to eatyour lunch and you dont want to drive too far, and you dont want to spend a lot of money as

you often eat outside and are already spending a lot of money on your food bills, a fast food

eating place conveniently across the street from your work place comes out to be the best option.Sad but true.

Below are the general guidelines for weight regulation and staying healthy. These are

general recommendation for most people for optimum health and well-being. However, it issuggested that you consult with your physician or health care provider in case of any ongoing

medical condition(s) that requires special attention.

1.

Calories in

calories out

Weight loss, weight gain and weight maintenance is no magic. It is simply a ratio of calories-in

and calories-out. By calories-in we mean how many calories you are obtaining from yourfood

on a daily basis, and by calories-out we mean how many of these calories you are burning inthe same day. In order to lose weight, your calories-out should be more than your calories-in

everyday until you reach your weight loss goals. For maintaining weight, there should be nosignificant difference between your calories-in and calories-out on a daily basis. For gaining

weight (for example, for people who are underweight), your calories-in should be greater than

your calories-out until your reach your desired body weight. It is recommended that a big part ofthe calories-in for the people trying to gain weight should come from protein sources, so they

gain muscles rather than body fat.

Now, the question is how do we calculate calories-in and calories-out. Your calories-in can becalculated with the help of a dietician, who would calculate the calorie equivalent of the food

that you consume in general on a daily basis. There are also software available to do the samecalculations that you can search over the internet. The calories-out are in general more than your

resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is the amount of calories that your body burns without any

activity. Many dieticians and gymnasiums offer the RMR calculation test. Also, there are

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software available to calculate your RMR that you can search over the internet. In order to loseweight, the general rule is that you need to consume fewer calories per day that your body burns

naturally anyway. Either with the help of a dietician or these nutrition software, you can come up

with certain foods or their quantity to cut down from your daily diet in order to start losingweight. At this point, it is extremely important to know that you only need to cut down on your

calories-in, but you still need all other nutrients for optimum health. The importance of nutrientslike vitamins and minerals will be discussed in the subsequent sections. If your weight loss plan

includes cutting down on certain foods and / or their quantity, it will be a good idea to includethe supplements of these vitamins and minerals to ensure optimum nutrition.

2. High protein intakeA good protein intake is required for optimum heath as our muscles, which constitute about 40-

50% of the human body mass, are mostly composed of proteins. In addition, proteins areessential as all general functioning of the body are carried out by various specific proteins

produced as a result of gene expressions. A diet high in proteins has been related to weight loss

and weight maintenance in various recent studies. Protein keeps the body satisfied for a longertime, the feeling of satiety.

There is convincing evidence that a higher protein intake increases thermogenesis (the process of

burning fat to produce body heat) and satiety as compared to diets of lower protein content. Theweight of evidence also suggests that high protein meals lead to reduced subsequent energy

intake. Some evidence also suggests that diets higher in proteins result in increased weight loss

and fat loss as compared to diets lower in protein.

However, a careful selection of the protein foods should be maintained as the high-protein foods

are also generally high in fat, for example red meat such as beef and pork. If the diet has to bemodified by including high-protein foods, the selection criteria should include plant-protein food

sources, such as soy, tofu, pulses, and beans. The good sources of animal proteins are fish and

chicken.

3. Carbohydrate (carb) cut downThis is rather a controversial topic. The popular diet plans in the market have contributed

confusion among the consumers when it comes to including carbohydrates in the diet. The

consumers are often faced with a challenge in their selection of carbohydrate foods where they

either dont know what to consume and what to avoid or are perplexed with whether or not toconsume carbohydrate foods at all.

Carbohydrates have been providing energy to the human body since the beginning of theevolution. In other words, our human bodies have adapted to consume carbohydrate foods for

thousands or more years. Therefore, an avoidance of carbohydrate from our diet would not be

ideal. However, a precaution needs to be taken for the selection of good carbs over the bad carbs.

The bad carbs are mainly derived from processed foods and sweet snacks and desserts, such as,

candies, cookies, chips, doughnuts, brownies, Danish, etc. Their sugar content is very high.

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Some of these foods may also be high in fat, salt and overall calories. These bad carb foods, inaddition to being high in calories, are burned quickly by the body and make you hungry again.

Unfortunately, the foods available in the western world are abundant in bad carbs. It has also to

do somewhat with the western culture. For example, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners wouldnot be complete without pies and cakes, the spirit of the month of Christmas is incomplete if

homemade cookies are missing, and taking candies out of Halloween and Ester is like taking afish out of water. So over the time, people in the western world have gotten accustomed to

consuming foods high in bad carbs. A big part of this trend is contributed by the processed foodindustry.

The sources of good carbs are whole grains like rice, wheat, oat, barley, whole grain cereals,whole grain breads, fruits, vegetables, etc. The good carb foods are generally low in sugar, fat

and salt the three main enemies of good health. The good carb foods like fruits contain a

complex form of sugar that is not so readily absorbed in the human body and thereby keeps yourblood sugar levels low. The good carb foods are also in general high in fiber, the importance of

which will be discussed in subsequent section. Therefore, replacing the carbohydrate portion of

your daily diet with these good carbs would be a step towards better health.

4. Fat cut downIt is now widely know that foods high in fat content lead to increased body weight and heartrelated problems. The correlation of body fat to increased risk of heart diseases was first

discovered in the famous Framingham study. Excessive levels of fat consumption lead to the

deposition of fat cells in the arteries, the vessels that supply blood to the heart. As a result of thisdeposition or blocking of the arteries, the heart function is impaired that may lead to heart

failure. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that intake of total fat be limited to no

more than 30 percent of total calories by choosing lower fat options and increasing the amountand variety of grain products, fruits, and vegetables. When it comes to including fat in the diet,

caution should be taken not to include foods that are high in saturated fats that have been seen to

be associated with heart related problems. A consumption of foods rich in unsaturated fats, suchas polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats, is beneficial for heart and general health.

Polyunsaturated fats are frequently found in vegetable oils and monounsaturated fats are often

found in oils such as olive and canola. Polyunsaturated fats also include omega-3 fatty acids(alpha-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid or "EPA") and omega-6 fatty acids (linoleic acid

and gamma-linolenic acid). The food sources rich in omega-3 fatty acids are fish and flax, and

omega-6 fatty acids are vegetables oils from sesame, grape seed and soybean. In order to

consume good sources of fat, your diet may include eating fish at least twice a week, cookingfood with vegetable oils, and adding olive oil in salad.

5. Salt cut downCommon salt found in the food is composed of two minerals sodium and chloride. These

minerals also help maintain the electrolyte balance in the blood vessels that maintains the bloodpressure. While there are no adverse effects of high chloride content reported, high levels of

sodium have been related with an imbalance of electrolyte activity resulting in a high blood

pressure. High salt intake can also increase the bodys need to retain fluid. The more salt you

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consume, the more water your body retains to dilute it. Your body uses water to dissolve saltsthat were originally part of your diet. By drinking ample amount of water, you give it the means

to wash these salts from your system, so that less water needs to be retained. Water takes away

excess sodium through the kidneys. So a cut down on the salt intake and drinking more waterwould help to lose and maintain weight.

6. Water intakeWater plays a major role in weight loss and also in weight maintenance. Water suppresses the

appetite and helps the body metabolize stored fat. As we know, the role of the kidneys in the

body is to flush out extra water along with toxic urea in the form of urine. However, the kidneyscannot function properly without enough water in the body. In that situation, the function of the

kidneys is passed on to liver. In the event when liver gets busyplaying some of kidneys roles, itcannot complete its own primary function, which is to burn fat. Thereby, the fat metabolism goesdown and the body tends to gain extra weight.

Often times, people correlate water intake with fluid retention. That is, they avoid drinking waterfor the fear of fluid retention. But the fact of the matter is that more water you drink, moreweight you lose and it also helps the body getting rid of extra fluid retained. In the lack of water

intake, body tends to store every single drop perceiving it as a threat to survival. Water is stored

in the extra cellular spaces (the space between cells). This extra storage of water outside the bodycells shows up a signs of swelling that is reflected in legs, feet and hands. On the other hand,

when the water intake in the body is appropriate, the water handling process (utilization and

excretion) is normalized leading to a loss of fluid retention. In general, a water intake of about 72ounces per day is recommended for adults.

7. High fiber intakeFiber is composed of a variety of dietary materials that are either soluble or insoluble in boiling

water. Fiber is neither digested nor absorbed in the small intestine, but is fermented by bacteriain the colon. Fiber is essential for normal bowel function. Adequate fiber prevents constipation,

diverticular disease of the colon, and hemorrhoids. Consumption of diets high in fiber may

prevent a variety of conditions including obesity, diabetes, gallstones, coronary artery disease, orcolon cancer.

Many health organizations recommend 20-35 g/day. Foods that are rich in dietary fiber include

whole grains (particularly the bran portions), legumes, and some fruits and vegetables. Mostfoods contain mixtures of both insoluble and soluble fiber. Examples of foods rich in insoluble

fiber are wheat bran, nuts and barley. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, melons, and dried fruits.

Beans are good sources of both fiber types. Cooking does not decrease the amount of fiber infood but changes its three-dimensional structure.

8. ExerciseExercise and nutrition always go hand in hand for optimal health and general well being.

Exercise increases your metabolism, the process of burning calories obtained from food.

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Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, plays a major role in the weight management process. Ofcourse, one should not just rely on exercise for weight loss and overlook the power of balanced

nutrition. Exercise and balanced nutrition complement each other by increasing each others

effect synergistically. With moderate exercise, the blood circulation is improved and that resultsinto proper distribution of the nutrients to all the body organs for their proper growth. Exercise

also helps the body with the elasticity of the muscles. A lack of exercise may result into tissueinjuries, such as pain in the lower back, neck and shoulder areas. Lack of exercise due to the

busy and stressful lifestyle in the western world is the second biggest factor leading to weightgain and obesity, after excess calorie and fat intake. Therefore, cutting down on total calorie and

fat intake, incorporating moderate exercise in daily schedule, and consuming a diet balanced in

macro and micro nutrients would lead to a healthy weight management.

9. Vitamins and MineralsVitamins and minerals are nutrients provided by food that are essential for proper growth and

functioning of the human body. For example, vitamin A is essential for eyes and vitamin D is

essential for bone formation and growth. Mineral calcium is essential for the formation andgrowth of bones and teeth and mineral iron is essential for blood formation. A deficiency ofcertain vitamins and minerals leads to certain types of disorders. In a desperate attempt to lose

weight and also due to lack of nutrition awareness, people sometimes place themselves on a

starvation program. That is, they start cutting down on their food quantity intake or start skippingmeals. When you skip meals, your metabolism also goes down. By decreasing the food intake, it

is possible to lose weight but it also results in undesirable health effects as a result of vitamin and

mineral deficiency that are provided by food. Therefore, a weight loss program based on dietshould be followed in the expert care of a dietician. An ideal diet program for losing weight

would entail cutting down on the overall calories and yet ensure a balanced dose of vitamins and

minerals optimal health.

The nutrition recommendation is that we should consume 7 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables

per day. The statistics, however, indicates that less than 15% Americans are following thisrecommendation. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, anti-

oxidant carotenoids and other phytonutrients. These carotenoids, flavenoids, and phytonutrients

have been shown to reduce the incidence of certain types of cancer in numerous human, animaland cell-culture studies. These nutrients have anti-oxidation properties that seem to provide

protection against cancer. Carotenoids are the colored pigments found in green-leafy vegetables

and orange-yellow fruits, such as, carrots, spinach, broccoli, tomato, mango, papaya, etc. The

important carotenoids that may have anti-cancer properties are beta-carotene, lycopene,canthaxanthin, lutein, etc. In general, a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables is imperative for

good health.

10.Frequency and amount of foodThe amount of food consumed is directly correlated with the weight. The more food you eat,more calories you get. If those calories are not burned, you gain weight. This is more or less a

known fact. What is not so widely know is the relationship of the frequency of food intake with

body weight. Metabolism, the process of burning calories obtained from food, activates with the

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stimulation of food intake. That is, an intake of food of essential to keep your metabolism up.People often place themselves on a starvation program to lose weight by skipping their daily

meals. As a result of this, the metabolism goes down due to the lack of food stimulus. Therefore,

the food eaten is not fully burned and the body tends to gain extra weight. The nutritionrecommendation is to consume 3 to 5 meals, i.e., small frequent meals.

Summary

Weight loss and weight maintenance are neither magic nor difficult, theyre simple. They are

simply an adoption of healthier lifestyle, which comprises of both optimal nutrition and exercise.

On the nutrition side, one has to cut down on the total calorie intake while still obtaining all otherrequired nutrients. The nutrients to cut-back for decreased calories are bad carbs, saturated fats,

salt and sugar. The nutrients to increase in the diet are good carbs, proteins, fiber and water. A

good balanced diet should also contain 7 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day to obtainall the required vitamins, minerals, fiber, anti-oxidant carotenoids and other phytonutrients. In

case you are not able to consume these many fruits and vegetables servings daily, it is advisable

to take multi-vitamin supplements to compensate for that. Your diet should also include drinking70 to 80 ounces of water per day. Instead of eating 1 to 2 big meals a day, one should take 3 to 5small well-balanced meals. And last but not least, one should exercise for 15 to 20 minutes a day.

This should preferably be aerobic exercise, if not daily at least 3 to 5 times a week.

About author:

Dr. PJ Prakash holds a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition from the University of Rhode Island(U.S.A.)

and a Post-Doctorate in Human Nutritional Biochemistry from theTufts Medical School, Boston(U.S.A.). He previously worked as a nutrition scientist at theUSDA Human Nutrition Research

Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston where he published several research papers in

prestigious nutrition journals. Currently, he is a nutrition consultant and personal weight losscoach (http://www.HealthySouthAsians.com/) and also a freelance writer in the field of human

nutrition.

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