Are you constantly thinking of losing weight? Do you battle constantly with food? Do you struggle to lose weight, only to put it on again a few months later?
Not only is this bad for your health, but it is also bad for your self-esteem. It makes you feel a failure. Research has shown that if you go on a sudden, low calorie diet, your body feels as though there is a famine, and, for its survival has a huge desire to regain any lost weight. The solution is gradual weight loss, eating for life, and by routine, as your body loves routine. Some celebrity diets suggest cutting out food groups as a short cut to losing weight. You should never do this, as it will harm your health in the long term.
A Plan for a Healthy Life
Eat from each of the food groups — recommended daily allowances are:
• Bread, cereals, potatoes — at least 5 portions.
• Fruit and vegetables — 2 portions.
• Meat, fish, eggs and protein alternatives.
• Food containing fats and sugar — eat sparingly as treats.
• Milk and dairy — 2–3 servings a day. Choose low fat products.
Every Day
• Eat regularly — 3 balanced meals — Don’t be tempted to skip meals.
• Start the day with a healthy breakfast from at least three food groups.
• Try to eat simple, healthy food as close to its natural state as possible.
• Plan your snacks so that you can look forward to them — but remember that these are treats and should not account for more than 250 calories a day.
• Drink 8 — 10 glasses of water — 1 glass skimmed milk — 1 glass freshly squeezed fruit juice.
Contact me direct for a more detailed, healthy eating plan by sending an email to [email protected].
Join Me in My Weekly Task
Try to restrict tea and coffee to four cups or less a day.
Why? Tea and coffee contain caffeine that acts as a diuretic, drawing fluid from the body.
How? Try to keep tea and coffee for set times during the day, and replace some of your intake with water and fruit juice.
Recipe of the Week
Salmon Chowder
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 slice uncooked beef bacon, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cups clam juice or fish stock
6 small red potatoes
450 g salmon, cut into 1 cm pieces
2 cups skimmed milk
1 red pepper, diced
1 teaspoon chopped, fresh dill
Method
Put the beef bacon in a large saucepan and heat over low heat. Add the onion, celery, thyme and bay leaf, turn heat up to medium, and cook until vegetables are soft. Dice the potatoes and add them to the soup pot with the clam juice. Simmer until the potatoes are just tender. Add the milk, peppers, salmon and dill and cook until the salmon is just cooked through. Remove the thyme and bay leaf. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Ask Alva
I really appreciate all the health information you are tackling in your column. It is the first thing I turn to. I am 125 lbs, 5’ 2” tall and 24 years old. Am I overweight? And how can I lose weight in a healthy way? When I lose weight, will my body start sagging? Because of my sedentary lifestyle, I have gained weight and my stomach is bulging. How can I flatten my stomach? Miles
Thank you for writing and I am so pleased that you look forward to my column. Although you are not overweight, it would not hurt you to lose 3 — 4 kilos to be really fit and healthy. As long as you take exercise to tone your body while you are losing weight, there is no reason why it should sag. You need to do some exercises for the abdominal muscles, including curls, sit-ups and crunches. Please email me at [email protected] for a free copy of my Mini-Morning Workout. It has been specially created to tone the whole body while losing weight. Alva