For those of us desperate to lose weight, we can be easily tempted by the latest diet on the market. I have been looking at the latest research into different diets — low fat, low carb, Atkins, to name but a few. Most involve cutting out a food group which will indeed help you lose weight but at a cost to your health. The young believe that they are invincible and health warnings do not apply to them, but cutting out a food group can damage your health and affect your immune system. What you want is to lose weight permanently and be healthy — rather than a quick temporary fix which is the result of most of these diets. Research by Dr Donnelly in the US has shown that despite many claims, the reason the Atkins diet works is because the dieters feel free to eat as much as they like of certain food groups and so do not feel deprived. But they can only eat a certain amount of protein and as a consequence they eat less. Also protein takes a long time to digest and is more filling. Cutting out carbs and loading up on protein may prove to be damaging for the kidneys and is not recommended for people who have had kidney stones. Many overweight people eat because they feel hungry and this leads them to constant eating. If you can eat by routine at set times during the day, you will gain control of your appetite.

Food Triggers

TV: Many people feel that they need to be snacking while watching TV — this is unsurprising given the fact that many commercials involve food.

Lack of Sleep: Many women and men are desperately tired. Lack of sleep makes it hard to control weight. When you are tired you feel hungry — you want more energy so you eat, but what you really need is sleep.

Eating Too Little: Many dieters feel good by eating small meals but these do not give them the energy they need to get through the day. Think like a car — Eat at breakfast time to fill up on fuel for the day ahead; Eat lunch to have energy for the afternoon, but eat a light supper because you are going to park the car in the garage overnight. Email to [email protected] for a free copy of my Healthy Eating Guide.

Exercise Hint:

Walking

Why walk when you can jog? Wouldn’t it burn more calories if I ran? Surprisingly experts say that walking done at a good pace and in the right way can burn more calories, so don’t feel bad if you don’t enjoy running — get out every evening for a brisk walk and sleep better!

Recipe of the Week

Healthy Tabbouleh

Ingredients

100g bulgar

1 large tomato, skinned, deseeded and chopped

6cm piece of cucumber, chopped

handful of chopped fresh flat-leaved parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

2 spring onions, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

black pepper

juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

Put the bulgar in a large bowl, pour over boiling water and leave to soak for 30 minutes, or according to packet instructions, until plumped up. Drain. Mix the bulgar with all the other ingredients in the bowl. Allow to stand, covered, for up to an hour before serving.

Slimming Lifestyle

Switch to Organic

Organic food can be expensive so if you are only going to buy a few items, include these: milk, cheese, yoghurt, chicken (as these can be given antimicrobials and antibiotics to fight infections and speed up growth), eggs, fruit and vegetables (some crops are sprayed repeatedly with chemicals so if you can’t afford organic, wash your fruit and vegetables well)

Ask Alva

I have lost some weight but my stomach still looks bloated. Do you think food allergies are making me gain weight? J.K.

No — you can’t gain fat unless you are eating more calories than you need. But it’s possible that a food intolerance could be causing symptoms such as constipation, wind, bloating or water retention which could lead to your carrying a few extra pounds. Alva