The Practical Nutritionist, LLC

Audrey J Pellegrino, Med, MHN

Holistic Nutritionist and Lifestyle Educator

603-768-3214

Whatever you do this year DO NOT go on a diet!

If you are like most of America, you read the title of this month’s article and said to yourself, “Yes, finally a nutritionist who is talking my language!” I do not know one person who goes on a diet and doesn’t wait with baited breath for it to end. As soon as we reach our goal we breathe a sigh of relief and stop the pain-infliction. Diets are deprivation, difficult and temporary, at best. This year plan to make a lifestyle change, not just a temporary diet change.

At any given time 25% of the US population is on a diet. Of those on a diet 85% or more will gain the weight back plus some extra, when their diet is done. This often begins a vicious cycle which has you starting a new diet, which you eventually stop and then you gain even more weight. This cycle continues on until you despair and quit trying at all. There are many biological and chemical reasons why people gain weight after being on a diet. The most common one is that your metabolism slows down when you deprive your body of food. When you begin eating your regular diet and foods, your body hoards the food and stores it as fat, afraid the deprivation cycle will begin all over again.

You did not gain the extra weight over night and you will not lose it overnight. You may see a large weight loss at the beginning, but that will likely be water loss not fat loss. As you continue to deprive your body you may lose lean muscle tissue, which decreases your weight but also slows down your metabolism. By now you are asking, “So what do I do?” There are ways to change your lifestyle habits so you maintain your lean muscle mass (which helps you to burn calories) and loss your body fat.

There are a lot of small changes that you can do right away, which will help you to achieve optimal health and optimal weight. Adding 1/2 cup of wheat germ on top of your macaroni and cheese, your salad or in your oatmeal cookie recipe may help to reduce blood cholesterol and aid in your body’s cell respiration, because wheat germ is full of essential fatty acids. Adding more ginger and cinnamon to your foods may boost your body’s circulation, especially important with the January cold. By increasing your fish intake you will be boosting your Omega fatty acids, which is believed to help your body burn stored fat. Changing fried foods for baked, steamed or broiled cuts your fat intake while maintaining the health benefits of your food. Changing chips for sunflower seeds decreases your fat and sodium while it increases your calcium and protein. Adding vegetables to omelets or pasta sauces (in place of fatty meats) increases your vitamins and minerals and decreases saturated fats, both things which help your body to burn its fuel more efficiently, increase your energy and decrease your fat stores.

Taking small steps and making life long changes are things which can make a difference in your overall health and well being. Deprivation diets are not one of those things, as they send your body out of balance and increase your cravings. Make your resolution this year to bring your body to its optimal health level!