Source: Holford P., Joyce F., 2008. Food Glorious Food.

A balanced plate

2/4 Vegetables (low in starch)

¼ protein and fats

¼ Carbohydrates

TABLE 1

Quick Healthy Snack

2-3 spoonfuls of natural nuts and seeds + 1 medium size fruit or 2 small ones

Weigh that won’t go away. And even if it does, more of it returns.

A constant battle with weight, endless diets, hunger with gluttony tantrums and eventually the pounds stay on. Deadlock? Learn how to break the cycle. Slow metabolism can often be responsible for our suffering! This isn’t news; you probably hear it often.Even severe restriction of calories often does not work and the pounds seem “nailed” on us. Many studies and clinical experience have shown that repeated low-fat, protein and calorie restriction diets alternating with binge eating lead to a decrease in metabolism and often the result is even more weight than what was lost.

A lack of protein and good quality fat from our diet may cause “profound” hunger, which you can not fool with various tricks like eating sweets or drinking coffee and soft drinks. This is real hunger. Every cell of our body desperately asks for the nutrients it needs to function, so we should not leave out these two great food groups and replace them with carbohydrates.

The food group of fats should be represented mostly by the beneficial unsaturated fats such as Omega 3, Omega6, Omega 9 which are found in foods like olive oil, eggs, oily fish, natural nuts and seeds and whole grains.As for saturated fats, I would like to mention the beneficial properties of pure, organic animal butter, when consumed in moderation of course, for the function of our intestines, thyroid, adrenal, cholesterol, metabolism, the vascular, immune, reproductive and nervous systems. It is a rich source of vitamins such as E, K, A, D, antioxidants, selenium and iodine which are essential and rare nowadays, and it helps the better absorption of minerals and metals.

To get an idea about the usefulness of the proteins and fats in our body let me note that they are basic elements of our hormones, our blood, the immune, nervous, digestive, reproductive systems, our brain function and more!

Proper nutrition or quick diets?

These extra pounds seem to be glued on us! It is no coincidence that this happens often to those who go on diets very low in fat and protein, or on the so-called fast diets which promise them that they will lose the pounds they want until next weekend. As you will see below, many researchers conclude that a balanced or proper diet is the one effectively approaching the ideal diet for weight management in the long term. One of the key elements is the quality and quantity of carbohydrates.

This includes in every meal and snack the three basic food groups as shown in the Balanced Plate and the Quick Healthy Snack above, as well as fiber, minerals and trace elements. For example, zinc is a trace element essential for the adrenals which support us in stressful situations such as illness, accidents, stress, mental disorders, and they have many other important functions. Rich sources of zinc are pumpkin seeds, oysters, beef, pork, chicken, beans.

So we understand that weight management is not the only important think we should be concerned about. Research and clinical experience agree today that a proper or balanced diet is the solution which will support our efforts for successful weight management and will also preserve our supreme possession, our health.

Something else that can make the difference in weight management and more are food allergies and intolerances. See more by just one click.

Breakfast is essential for a proper diet

The beginning is half the battle. Let’s not repeat what you have heard many times: the need for breakfast, a meal that sustains us all day, that it should be the biggest meal of our day etc.

It can give us energy for several hours of our day as long as it is within a balanced diet. What is a balanced breakfast then? The answer is easy... just check again the Balanced Plate and the Quick Healthy Snack, consult Table 1 above and create one that suits your taste and digestion. That means that you can easily digest it and it does not make you feel heavy in the stomach for hours; instead it supports you in everything you do in the day.

The role of carbohydrates

The effect of carbohydrates on insulin secretion is one of the keys that can lock or unlock our metabolism, i.e. the burning of fat, and affect weight loss. The more processed the carbohydrates we consume, like foods from white flour such as pasta, bread, pastries, as well as large consumption of sugar and sugary foods, the greater the negative effect of insulin on our weight and our health, with a possible contribution on the occurrence of chronic diseases that are typical situations of our time, such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer.

But let’s not generally blame the group of carbohydrates, because it is important, since whole grain carbohydrates such as brown rice and potatoes give us energy, sugars that are absolutely essential for brain function and fibers which are necessary for the smooth function of our intestines and the excretion of toxins and excess cholesterol. Carbohydrates are as necessary a group as the other two groups of foods and they should be present in our diet, provided they are of good quality. (Table 1).

Insulin makes conscientious efforts

Let’s not rush to blame insulin. It’s doing its job properly. Its job is to rise as soon as the blood sugar rises, like it does after eating carbohydrates, in order to protect the body, by sending a “signal” that the extra sugar is to be driven in our fat storages and be stored as fat, so that it is available when we need it! Do we need it? Of course we need it, for many functions of our body, such as the function of the nervous system, energy production, the mechanical protection of our organs, as long as it is maintained in normal levels.

Apart from the continuous storage of fat, increased levels of insulin may cause hypoglycemia so that we feel weakness, irritability, have a bad mood and go looking again for something sweet, something quick or a coffee or a refreshment to make us high; soon we are hungry again. It’s a vicious and very obsessive cycle.

A bit more on insulin’s job

Imagine high insulin levels talking and telling the fat to not be mobilized but stay in the fat storages and explaining that we do not need it for energy as we have available enough sugar in our blood for this job! Do you suspect now a little more what happens? The more carbohydrates we consume in the day the more the availability of sugars rises and the more insulin will try and do its job of storing fat; if it becomes chronic in addition to our weight gain there is risk of type II diabetes and other unpleasant situations. Remember... our health is our ultimate possession.

A mineral and a spice can help regulate insulin

Research has shown that chromium and cinnamon may contribute to the regulation of insulin and thus to the regulation of blood sugar and the metabolism of fats. However, most of us have very low levels of this element. This may be due to the evolution of the modern times in which we live. A Scandinavian research of volunteers showed that even 1 tablespoon of cinnamon with each meal resulted in the decrease of insulin.

Unfortunately, as with many other nutrients like minerals, trace elements and vitamins, intensive agriculture and new technologies for the production and packaging of food may deprive us of them, causing malfunctions in our body. However, I will mention foods that are rich sources of chromium: whole grains, meat, cheese, eggs, spinach, onion, lettuce, tomato, potato, preferably organic. We can fulfill our needs by adding the appropriate dietary supplement that contains many minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. This doesn’t mean it can replace a balanced diet; you should ask the scientific expert for more information.

Hunger and binge eating or steady proper nutrition?

It is important to understand that our body works tirelessly for us, trying its best to maintain itself in balance and operate smoothly. To accomplish this you need, among others, proper food, water, a clean environment, exercise, rest.

So when at some point we follow a strict diet and at another point we binge eat anything we like, our body doesn’t know what to expect anymore... Will it “burst” with food and should store the excess in fat storages or will it go hungry and should be prepared for famine? Knowing its job well, when there are these alternations between hunger and excess of food, it is forced at the times of abundance to preserve its integrity by storing as much fat as it can in order to endure if hunger comes... Another reverse dimension of the impact of food deprivation is what happens when this deprivation is followed by eating a normal amount of food –even slightly less than regular- and not binging. Well, the results are similar to the previous case, and again we store fat instead of excreting it! This means that our metabolism is not in balance.

The scientist who knows the principles of a balanced diet can ensure its proper implementation, taking into account the particular needs of each inpidual in order to attain the best result.

Does stress make us gain weight?

If we look a little deeper into the issue of metabolism blocking, I just have to mention the multitude of relevant research results indicating that stress is the cause for the overproduction of cortisol. Increased cortisol raises blood sugar and insulin and it is produced at the expense of the production of thyroid hormones, leading to the reduction of metabolism.

More simply, what is happening in our thyroid is that when our adrenal glands produce cortisol (stress hormone) to cope with a difficult period of intense stress, the thyroid receives the command to lower our metabolism in order to save energy that we need so we can cope in this difficult phase.

Did you notice the so-called “lovehandles” around your waist? If you struggle to lose them and you can’t, consider whether you live in constant pressure or in any form of stress, if your meals are balanced between the three food groups and if you consume each day many stimulants such as coffee, tea, soft drinks. Many studies have shown that stimulants affect stress in our bodies. Awareness of what is happening to us can bring us very close to the desired result, don’t you agree?

Heavy” & environmental toxins

I should also mention that the latest scientific research into the causes of obesity are turning to the study of the effect of environmental toxins, including heavy metals, to which we can be exposed as early as in fetal age. These toxins may be contained in various products such as solvents, pesticides, herbicides, components of the optimization of plastic, emulsifiers and dyes, among others. The negative impact of these on thyroid function and in general on our hormone system has already been investigated enough.

And if you found what you read about toxins reasonable, what about reading that environmental toxins include aspartame, otherwise E951, a substitute for sugar in various “sugar free” foods like yogurts, cereals, biscuits and pastries, soft drinks, chewing gum, candy, prepared foods, even medications. How would you feel if you knew that among the many side effects of aspartame that are investigated are its negative effects on brain function and the slow but steady rise in weight? What if I told you about margarines, artificial trans fats used in many foods to increase shelf life and as a butter substitute in different diets, or about MSG or Monosodium Glutamate (E621), a common flavor enhancer in ready meals?

You can investigate a little more; search the web for relevant research and start now by reading the labels of the foods in your home.

Closing with the hope that we went beyond what you knew about weight loss until today

A fresh and at the same time old idea about how to address our weight management is the application of a proper or balanced nutrition within a healthy lifestyle in which exercise and relaxation will be valuable elements. Moreover, since our health is complex and it depends on ensuring our physical, mental and emotional health, why should we think unilaterally on the management of our weight, insisting on the stressful and often without results regular dieting?

There are reliable laboratory tests that can reveal toxicity and other food intolerances that may block us and favor extra weight. The proper nutritional scientist can advise you on the appropriate tests and proceed to integrate the results in the creation of an inpidual diet plan.

See Laboratory Tests

Small but effective tips

◎ Three main meals, as indicated above in the Balanced Plate: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Dinner should be smaller than the other two meals and it should be eaten before 9:00 p.m. so that your body is allowed to manage it and not sent it directly to its fat storages because of lateness and volume! Let’s be understanding; it wants to rest sometime too! Have two snacks within the day; please be sure to include fresh fruit as shown above in the Quick Healthy Snack. As for the portions… I said there should be personalization.

◎ Do not forget to include fresh vegetables in the vegetables of your Balanced Plate. Put in all the colors; Use your imagination and make it like a rainbow: for green... surely you know ... for orange carrot, for yellow... lemon, for white? For white onion, garlic and fennel.

◎ By eating calmly and chewing slowly we help our digestive system to work as it should, getting the food nutrients we need, and feel saturation which will help us avoid overeating.

◎ A 15 minute slow walk after meals helps digestion a lot.

◎ Let’s try not to skip meals or snacks in order to avoid being desperately hungry afterwards and make mistakes.

◎ Alternate daily the protein you eat.

◎ Avoid fried or overcooked foods, foods cooked in very high temperatures and margarines.

◎ If you like them a lot, try to reduce them: dairy, cold cuts and precooked or ready meals.

◎ Put more fish on your plate and in your life, you will gain health and if you are careful... you will lose weight!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Bennettt W., 1987. Dietary treatments of obesity.
• Dwyer J., Lu D., 1993. Popular Diets for Weight Loss: From Nutritionally Hazardous to Healthful.
• Gurin J., Bennett W., 1982. The Dieter’s dilemma: Eating less and Weighing more.
• Holford P., Joyce F., 2008. Food Glorious Food.
• Heindel J., 2003. Toxicological Highlight. Endocrine disruptors and the Obesity epidemic.
• Baiilie- Hamilton P., 2002. Chemical Toxins A Hypothesis to explain the global obesity epidemic.
• Taubes G., 2008. The Diet delusion: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Loss and Disease.
• Kahn B., Flier J., 2000. Obesity and Insulin resistance.
• Gittleman AL., 1996. Get the sugar out: 501 Simple Ways to Cut the Sugar Out of any diet.
• Mark K., 2008. Fat doesn’t make you Fat.
• Blaylock R., 1994. Excitotoxins: The Taste that kills.
• Furtado M., 2009. The surprising ingredient causing Weight Gain.
• Falon S., Enig M., 1999. Why Butter is Better.
• Βαlk Ε., et al 2007. Effects of Chromium supplementation on glucose metabolism and lipids: a systemic review of controlled randomized trials