OK – so it’s that time of year again!
You’ve over-indulged during the festive season, and are now ready to throw yourself into the New Year with a healthy eating plan to get fit and healthy for 2011.
This is the time of year when we see all those fad diets re-emerge as people look for ways to quickly lose the excess kilos. But what should you look for in a healthy diet and who do you turn to for advice?
The truth behind detoxing
Detox is certainly a big buzzword in the dieting world and this approach often becomes popular at this time of year. The idea behind it is that we need to periodically clear the “toxic waste” from our body in order to stay healthy Some of the claims made in relation to detox diets include: rapid weight loss; improved digestion; improved hair, nails and skin; improved energy levels; boosted immune system; banishment of cellulite. Detox diets can last from one day to around one month and may involve:
- Fasting for short periods of time.
- Consuming only fruits and vegetables.
- Cutting out wheat and dairy foods.
- Consuming a limited range of foods.
- Avoiding caffeine and alcohol.
Our body constantly filters out, breaks down and excretes toxins and waste products. These could include alcohol, medications, products of metabolism and digestion, dead cells, chemicals from pollution, and bacteria. This is achieved by our in-built ‘detoxifiers’: the liver, the kidneys, skin, intestines and lungs. If we generally follow a healthy diet and lifestyle, they work in harmony to do the job rather well and we don’t need special help. Detox diets are marketing myths rather than nutritional reality. They sound like a great concept and it would be fabulous if they really delivered all that they promised. Unfortunately, many of the claims made by detox diet promoters are exaggerated.
The facts about fasting
Fasting, or severely restricting what you eat, limits intake of energy and important nutrients needed for health and wellbeing. Rapid weight loss can occur, but this weight loss is largely water and glycogen (the body’s carbohydrate stores), rather than fat. You may feel fatigued and dizzy and it’s likely you’ll have less energy while you are following an extreme detox programme.
Further, if you are fasting, your body won’t have the proper fuels available to carry out sustained exercise and activity – an important aspect of general wellbeing and healthy weight management. At the end of the programme, if you return to your old eating habits, any weight lost is likely to go straight back on!
Basic guidelines
So what's the best advice for getting rid of the extra pounds and keeping them off? You need to think about not only the food you eat but also your lifestyle and the amount of activity you do. You also need to think carefully about ways of changing your behaviour and developing new healthier habits if you are to lose weight and keep it off in the longer term.
- Keep a diary and become more aware of habits and problem areas.
- Choose lower-fat foods, such as lean meat and lower-fat dairy products.
- Watch those portion sizes!
- Fill up on vegetables and fruit with meals, as snacks, and for desserts.
- Have regular meals, starting with breakfast.
- Become active: aim for at least 30 minutes daily of moderate activity. If you can mange more than that, even better. Ideally, aim to build up to 60 minutes a day.
- Be realistic about weight loss; aim to lose 0.5-1kg (1-2lbs) a week.
Amanda Johnson, Registered Dietitian