Posted on: February 16, 2007
Back to Basics
Low-carb diets, fitness and all-out laziness may make you feel good in short-term, but all we really need to do to win the battle of the bulge is eat simply and move
By Bev Bennett
CTW Features
A peek inside the typical kitchen cupboard will give you a short history of American weight-loss fads. Every promise for a skinnier life, from fat-free to high-protein to reduced-carbohydrate foods, is reflected in a product tucked in the back of the shelves gathering dust.
“People are spinning, they’re latching onto gimmicks and many aren’t getting anywhere,” says Dr. Ann Kulze, a physician who specializes in nutrition and weight loss.
The numbers prove her point.
Only five percent of the 50 million Americans who go on diets every year manage to keep the weight off. And, despite the flood of low-carbohydrate, weight-loss promoting foods on the market, more than 60 percent of the population is overweight.
Instead of looking for the “magic bullet,” you’ve got to return to the basics, say Kulze and other health professionals. As you discard the fads and embrace a common-sense routine you’ll feel better, look better and improve your chances for a healthy future.
Diet basics
The fundamentals of weight loss are immutable. You have to eat fewer calories than you burn. Unfortunately some diets distort the reality by claiming you can eat all you want, except for one food category.
For your good health and steady, slow weight loss, Kulze offers three messages:
1. Eat carbohydrates that are rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes.
“Vegetables are essential to combat your struggle with weight loss,” says Kulze, author of “Dr. Ann’s 10-Step Diet” (Top Ten Wellness and Fitness, 2004).
“Vegetables have bulk to suppress your appetite. You can go through a plate piled high with broccoli and be full on 150 calories,” she says.
2. Eat lean proteins such as fish, shellfish, skinless poultry, low-fat dairy, beans, legumes, soy, nuts and seeds.
“[But] Look to see what else is in the [protein] package, such as fiber from beans. Select protein that’s low in fat and especially saturated fat,” she says.
3. Include healthy fats in your diet. The fat-free diet craze of the last decade didn’t transform Americans into a svelte nation. A small amount of fat in your meals is satisfying, so you eat less.
Consume monounsaturated fat comes from olive oil, canola oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, but don’t overdo it. “Fats are a concentrated form of energy.”
Exercise basics
“When people tell me they’re too busy to get exercise, I tell them they’re too busy to not exercise,” says Dr. David Pratt, medical director for General Electric in Schenectady, N.Y.
However, the more complicated the regimen the more likely you are to drop out. If you have to squeeze into Spandex and drive to the gym, you’re going to find excuses, according to Pratt.
His solution is simple.
“We tell people to get 30 minutes of motion a day. It can include parking a couple of blocks from work, climbing the stairs to your office, walking to the fountain for a drink of water. Put activity into your life,” Pratt says.
If you can’t motivate yourself, grab colleagues or friends and take a walk or play a game of volleyball together.
“I know that exercise is more likely to be followed if it’s done as a group,” Pratt says.
Stress-management basics
The bad news is stress doesn’t go away. It’s part of life.
“Anyone who says he will reduce your stress levels should be avoided,” says fitness expert Joe Piscatella.
The good news is you can deal with stress through a variety of simple strategies, says Piscatella, president of the Institute for Fitness 7 Health in Gig Harbor, Wash. Doing so brings physical and psychological benefits.
“When you manage stress you prove you have control of one area in your life. That’s good because people feel so out of control,” says
Piscatella, co-author of “Take a Load off Your Heart,” (Workman Publishing, 2003). You’ll also reduce a major risk factor for heart disease.
“Stress undermines cardiovascular health. Stress increases your blood pressure regardless of your cholesterol levels and diet,” Piscatella says.
You don’t have to sign up for a plush spa, lovely as that would be, to unwind.
Exercising and deep breathing will alleviate a lot of pressure. When you engage in physical activity your body builds up endorphins so you’re in a better mood, Piscatella says. The activity doesn’t matter as much as the consistency, so choose something you enjoy and will stay with.
Breathing. Everyone breathes, but when you turn off the computer, take the telephone off the hook and take a few deep breaths with your eyes closed so you can clear your mind of a dozen distractions. It’s free, fast and effective.
And, if you’re so estranged from the basics that you can’t function without your cell phone constantly on and your computer plugged to a wireless connection, maybe it’s time to tune out.
“People are creating a lot of self-induced stress because they have so many things they’re supposed to do,” Piscatella says. “Make the choice to exercise and cope with stress. It will help you keep everything in balance.”
Health by the numbers
Four easy-to-remember numbers – 0, 5, 10 and 25 – are all you need to follow for good health, says Dr Pratt.
0 is for smoke cessation. If you smoke, stop.
5 is the minimum of number of servings of fruit and vegetables you should be eating every day.
10 for the 10,000 steps (walking, running, doing errands) to take daily.
25 or less should be your body mass index (a ratio of your weight to height).
To find your BMI, multiply your weight in pounds by 700. Divide the result by your height in inches. Then divide again by your height in inches.
