Having worked in the nutrition industry for many years I am very used to all the hype that surrounds the latest new celebrity endorsed diet. Hollywood celebrities are promoted as super-humans who manage to look perfect. How do they do it? You want their secret. But the diet industry is a big business and magazine pictures containing slimmed down, elongated legs and pictures are airbrushed to perfection.

The diet industry thrives on short-term success so that you will be ready for the next trendy diet that promises success in a matter of weeks. Only someone with super-human willpower will be able to eat in this unnatural dieting manner. A diet that suddenly switches your body to completely new food can send the body into shock. Your body works best when it is able to rely on you to provide a regular dose of nutrients that it can depend upon. The body wants a routine of nutrients to maintain energy, and fight disease. The body does not like sudden change. It is always worth protecting your health and eating a balanced diet and losing excess gradually. Your body is adaptable and it can learn to accept changes that are gradual. But it does not like the sudden shock of a crash diet as it will think there is a great famine.

When I hear from people who tell me they are on a cabbage soup diet, the Atkins diet or a no-fat diet my heart sinks because I know that eating will soon become an obsession and that all the hard work will lead only to short term success. Generally the quicker people lose weight the quicker they put it back on.

Low fat diets and the Atkins diet, which is a high protein diet, have often been high profile. People on the Atkins diet do lose weight but eating a high protein diet is not what your body is looking for. Your body is looking for a balanced diet so that it has all the nutrients it needs for growth and repair and to protect it from illnesses. It is always worth looking for scientific proof rather than taking a celebrity’s word to reach the ideal weight.

Crash diets and sudden weight loss can lead to loose skin, which will not look nice. When you lose weight gradually and exercise your skin gradually adjusts.

Let’s look at low fat diets that began in the 1990s. Low fat was the new golden way to lose weight. The idea was that if you ate less fat you would carry less fat on your body. People tried to eat less fat as it is high in calories and big business moved in to produce food that would sell well as they were labelled “low fat”, “reduced fat” or even better, “fat free”. To make these foods more appealing manufactures had to add extra sugar, colorings and artificial flavoring. Many people came to believe that they were being very healthy by following a diet that was almost fat free. But the body needs fat in order to function and be healthy.  In fact it is scientifically proven that eating below the daily fat intake can put your physical and mental health at risk. Just like over-eating dietary fats can lead to problems, so can under eating fats. People seem to forget that moderation is the key when it comes to dietary fat intake.

To lose weight you simply need to get into a gradual regular routine where you eat less and take regular exercise to tone your body as you lose weight. If you would like a copy of my healthy eating plan e-mail me at [email protected].
 

Many tall young men do not walk tall but this changes when they become used to their new found height. To suddenly be so tall and even taller than your parents can be a bit of a shock, so give him time and then gently tell him that good posture is important and to be proud of his height and walk tall. We should all walk tall. When you walk, look forward and let your gaze fall straight ahead, not down at your feet. Walk tall by keeping your back flat, avoiding swayback, which can stress the hamstrings.