By Dr. Steven Warfield
We’ve all tried them at one
time or another. Sometimes they work in
the short term only to come back with a vengeance a month or so down the
road. And sometimes they don’t seem to
work at all. What I am referring to are
Christmas diets. These are begun with the
best of intentions around Thanksgiving only to be tossed out as most people’s
first New Year’s resolution. The reasons
that Christmas diets are almost always doomed to failure has more to do with
the essence of the diet plan than it has to do with the myriad of holiday
treats that abound during this time of the year.
Forget Fad Diets
Doing a quick sweep of the
web I found a number of fad diets being touted in 2013. Everything from juice fasts and Baby Food
Diets to Hot Yoga Workouts, body wraps and Alkaline Diets are making the rounds
trying to entice you to give them a whirl.
The problem with most of these regimens is that they are just that:
Regimented. Unless you can strictly
adhere to their many rules chances are that the only thing you are likely to
shed with these diets is up to $75 per day in fees.
Worst of all is the fact that
while some fad diets will help you lose a few pounds in the short run, their
long term prognosis is that you will put the weight back on once you stop dieting. Some of these diets can be downright
dangerous since they tend to adversely influence blood chemistry. (People with diabetes, compromised livers or
those taking heart or cholesterol medications should consult their physician
before starting a diet.) Restricting food
intake also disrupts your metabolism, which convinces the body that famine conditions
have been encountered. This means that
once you cease dieting your body has now calibrated the digestive tract to
squeeze every ounce of nutrition out of the food that you eat. This is the prime reason that most diets are
doomed to failure.
If your diet urges you to
forego certain kinds of food, then this can also result in nutritional deficits
that can have a negative impact on your overall health. Typical low carb or low fat diets can cause
lethargy and/or mood swings that can take a toll on you as well as those around
you. Immune response can also be
adversely affected by poor nutrition resulting in an increased risk of catching
a seasonal cold or the flu. Everything
from reduced muscle tone to hair loss can be attributed to less than optimal
nutrition.
Besides, not all fats are bad
for you. Beneficial fats such as
omega-3fatty acids that are contained in Salmon, flax seeds, walnuts and shrimp
are vital to your health. They are known
to reduce inflammation, fight cancer, maintain cell vitality, decrease the risk
of blood clots and fight hardening of the arteries. People suffering from medical conditions such
as depression, Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease or joint pain need to
consume foods rich in omega-3 as part of their treatment.
A blog entitled The World’s Healthiest
Foods states that, “Research indicates that omega-3s may be
better absorbed from food than supplements. Norwegian researchers compared 71
volunteers' absorption of omega-3s (EPA and DHA) from salmon, smoked salmon,
cod (14 ounces of fish per week) or cod liver oil (3 teaspoons per day). Cooked
salmon provided 1.2 grams of omega-3s daily, while cod liver oil provided more
than twice as much: 3 grams of omega-3s per day.”
Other nutrients found in food
such as Vitamin C and D are also vital to your health and well being. Even those who do not diet find it hard to
maintain a sufficient level of Vitamin D during the winter months. It is a fact that health care professionals
such see a significant uptick in the incidence of health-related problems
during the fall and winter months. This
includes everything from colds to higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels,
autoimmune issues, depression and even heart attacks. Since the Sun is responsible for the
production of Vitamin D, during the times of year when people’s exposure to
sunlight is reduced this is the prime reason for Vitamin D deficiency. The other is due to avoiding food that
contains Vitamin D.
Foods Highest in Vitamin D
1. Fish Oil and Cod Liver Oil
2. Salmon, Catfish, Mackerel, Sardines, Halibut, Tuna and
Herring
3. Oysters and Shrimp
4. Milk, Soy Milk
5. Orange Juice
6. Cereal and Oatmeal
What’s the Correct Way to Diet?
The reason that most diets fail
has to do with the feast and famine repertoire to which dieters subject
themselves. Particularly during this time
of year when everything from Christmas cookies to pumpkin pie beckons, the urge
to splurge is nearly as irresistible as gravity. So if you are looking for a way to avoid the
roller coaster effects of dieting, here are a few items to stick in your
Christmas stocking.
·
Eat More Often – While
this tip sounds counterintuitive, the reason you put on weight is due to the
fact that when you burn less calories than that contained in the food you
consume then weight gain is inevitable.
Therefore the secret to shedding pounds is to divide your calorie intake
into smaller and more frequent packets.
This way you will avoid the risk of having hunger pains that can lead to
binging. Studies have shown that people
who eat four to five small meals per day are better able to control both their
appetite and their weight.
·
Keep Treats at Arm’s
Length – Trying to go cold turkey is one of the worst ways to curb any habit.
(Ask any smoker who’s tried to quit this way.)
The problem with total denial is that it leads to binging. Instead of a complete ban on goodies, allow
yourself an occasional treat. Better
yet, have a treat when you are out and about.
For instance when you are shopping at the mall you could buy a cookie
then go about your shopping, which will enable you to walk off some of those
calories. Portion control and exercise
are the keys to handling holiday treats.
·
Protein is Your
Friend – Diets high in protein and moderate in carbs not only
help you shed
pounds, it can also help you preserve muscle mass and encourage the body to
burn fat. So the next time you need a
snack, reach for nuts, cheese or yogurt instead of chips or cookies. Your bathroom scale will thank you.
·
Exercise is Key
to Weight Loss – Exercise can spell the difference between taking the weight
off and keeping the weight off. Now I realized
that a lot of people have an aversion to exercise. Just remember that exercise is not a
four-letter word. It also doesn’t
necessarily equate with a visit to the gym or the hiring of a personal fitness
trainer. Everything from daily walks to
bike rides around the neighborhood can help burn calories and fat. The trick is to find an activity that you
enjoy. This way you won’t throw in the
towel after a couple of days.
The
single most important piece of advice I can give to anyone who really wants to
lose weight is not to go it alone. Also don’t fall for the next magazine article
or TV spot touting the latest, greatest diet ever. What you need in order to formulate a diet
that really works is to speak to people who truly understand the big picture
when it comes to dieting. What you don’t
need is to listen to a pitchman or someone trying to sell more magazine
subscriptions.
If
you are looking to lose weight over the long haul then your local chiropractor
can help steer you in the right direction.
Not only does he or she have years of training and experience in
nutrition and exercise, but they can also tailor a plan to your individual
wants and needs. This way when the
season of giving rolls around in years to come you won’t be forced to wrestle
with the Ghost of Christmas Diets Past.
Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments
for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also
treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies. For more
information visit http://endyourpain.org or http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com
