To help you choose the right diet, we asked local health experts — a nutritionist, an internal medicine doctor and a health coach — what plan they believe is best.
Rayan Karkadan, a Jeddah-based health coach, known for coining the Twitter hashtag #McJigger, which allows people to post their healthy habits, exercises, questions and concerns, says that many people, often in a rush for the best or fastest diet, are tricked my misleading marketing ploys.
“After we spend some time on Google, we then head to the supermarket in search of ‘diet’ foods. These foods are either fresh fruits or veggies or products that are marked in big bold red font as ‘low fat’ or ‘sugar free.’ This is where the problem starts. You see, the food companies are well aware that we are going through what I like to call a health revolution in Saudi Arabia and around the world. These companies start offering products that have clear attractive labels that force us to believe that they are healthy,” said Karkadan.
What’s the problem with these labels? They don’t tell the whole story. And with the absence of real and strict supervision, many food companies continue to mislead consumers. And while people are making healthier choices by watching what they eat and joining gyms and health clubs en masse, Karkadan said it is important to distinguish between different types of diets and their effects on the body. Low fat diets assert that the limit of fat in food intake is limited in quantity or your meal contains limited amounts of fat. Low calorie diets presume that a person would settle for a diet that contains fewer calories than needed to maintain weight or less than the daily recommended intake of 1,200 calories for an adult.
“We go back to the original question: What foods/products should I buy? Low fat? Low carb? Sugar free? In light of all of the misleading information provided by food companies, we need to spend a little more time re-learning some simple basics: For example, there are three main components of food that all diets and meals should contain: Carbohydrates, proteins and fats. “Always have 50 percent of your food made of carbohydrates, 30 percent of proteins and 20 percent fats,” said Karkadan.
However, he warns that not all fats are the same and the artificial trans fats that are commonly listed on packaged foods are deadly. Consumed fats should be either unsaturated or saturated but never trans fats. The inclusion of useful nutrients — vitamins, minerals, fibers and antioxidants found mostly in vegetables and fruits — is also very important.
Karkadan said one of the biggest mistakes people commit is completely eliminating an entire group i.e. no fat or no carbs. “Our body needs all of them equally and in the above-mentioned percentage: 50-30-20. Carbs can easily sky-rocket our total calorie intake per day, which in turn forces our cells to store them as fat and that brings us back to square one. So the myth that all we need to do is eliminate fats from our diet is completely false.”
Sheima Bukhari, a nutritionist in Jeddah, said the answer really depends on what your lifestyle looks like and what you want it to be. She asked: “Are you eating too much or eating too much of the wrong thing? A regular double cheeseburger for instance is packed with more pounds than a double quantity of steamed broccoli. Change your eating habits. You will automatically know what you are doing wrong.” She said a low calorie diet is the right option if you have a problem with over-eating. If you have a problem with eating the wrong things, then adopt a low fat diet.
According to Karkadan, fats are not the culprits behind poor health but high calorie intake per day, which is in turn stored as fat. High calorie intake has also been proven to cause what is called oxidative stress, which over the years accelerates aging and has been tied to many cancers.
“I think the most effective diets are those that come as a result of us actually learning what is going into our bodies, and not ones that eliminate a whole food group such as low carb or low fat diets. This also means we should all know how many calories we’re allowed to have. Many dread the idea of counting calories this early on in life. Frankly, with the way we’re eating these days, it’s inevitable. I’d rather do it when I’m young and have the clarity of mind and energy than doing it after disease makes its way to our bodies,” he said.
Jeddah-based internal medicine doctor, Dr. Ahmad Alawi, said people following the low fat diet may not be getting as many essential nutrients as they should. He said young people who lack awareness about diets place themselves at a greater risk for osteoporosis, pregnancy-related problems and other diseases.
“Low fat diets are used to fight obesity and combat heart diseases as well as diabetes but following a low-fat diet at the expense of nutrients is not a wise choice.” He said people should adopt a diet that is varied and balanced, low in fat and high in essential nutrients. “They should take supplements like calcium and iron and remember low-fat foods can be constructive in overall health.”
He suggests people adopt a right balance of both and focus on maintaining weight for the rest of their lives. “You cannot be on one diet then another. It is a lifestyle change,” said Alawi, suggesting you make sure the diet you follow is rational, manageable and sustainable.
Remember: Achieving a healthy weight is your goal and the steps you take will reflect in the results. Treat yourselves because we all need motivation and a push from time to time. Sit down, contemplate your eating habits and comprehend the plan of action you need to reach your accomplishments. Cut your calories with a balanced diet plan and burn off more calories with exercise. After all, Gandhi did say: “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
