Stop the Never-Ending Cycle of Dieting!

There are so many mixed messages about dieting. Seek a health professional for weight loss advice, and a tailor-made plan that suits your needs and lifestyle.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman, the author of The End of Dieting, shares solid nutrition advice to help you live a longer and healthier life.

Dr. Fuhrman has a health equation:

This is an equation equivalent to calculating food value. It is not about counting calories, but to recognize the nutritional value of the food consumed.

Similarly, the focus of the newest dietary guidelines for Americans is nutrient-dense foods, and making every bite count.

We can learn from the slogan “Make every Bite Count” with the four guidelines:

• Follow a healthy eating pattern at every life stage.
• Customize and enjoy nutrient dense foods to reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions and budgetary considerations.
• Focus on nutrient-dense foods and stay within your daily caloric needs.
• Limit foods high in sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages.

Currently: 75% of people have dietary patterns low in fruit and vegetables.

• 63% exceed the limit for added sugars.
• 77% exceed the limit for saturated fat.
• 90% exceed the limits for sodium.

The foods and beverages we consume have a profound impact on our health. Yet we are still not following a healthy dietary pattern. It is never too early or too late to improve food choices.

Follow these three key dietary principles:

• Meet nutritional needs primarily from nutrient-dense foods.
• Choose a variety of options of fruit and vegetables, whole grains and protein. Consume plant-based nutrition more often.
• Pay attention to portion size.

We consume too few carbohydrates in the form of fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes. Only one in ten adults eats enough fruit and vegetables according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. A study in the Journal of American Medical Assoc. attributed tens of thousands of deaths annually to consuming too few fruits, too few vegetables, and too few grains. Low carb diets can lead to early death.

A low carb diet, high in animal protein and fat, has been linked to increase risk of diabetes, weight gain, atrial fibrillation, and heart disease. The risk of death from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and cancer are increased by 51 percent, 50 percent and 35 percent respectively.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine recommends:

• Do not include a low-carbohydrate eating pattern or recommend limiting consumption of carbohydrates.
• The beverage of choice is water.
• Limit red meat and processed meats.
• Promote plant-based eating patterns.

Keeping a focus on making every bite count, ensures that our food choices are nutrient-dense, and provides the daily nutrition our bodies require. No diet is necessary. Do not fall prey to the latest fad diet, particularly the Keto diet.