Our eating habits are deeply personal – something we’ve learned from decades of family or cultural traditions, others we’ve discovered through personal exploration and by listening to what our bodies are telling us. The same is true for our dieting preferences. What works for one person may not have the same results for another. A successful eating plan needs to be flexible and suit your lifestyle. You should also truly enjoy eating. So if you can’t imagine giving up carbs, then the keto diet might not be for you. On the other hand, if you crave savory items like olives, fish, and red wine, then maybe you should give the Mediterranean diet a go.
The bottom line is this: there are too many things that already make many of us-especially women – feel bad about ourselves. Nobody needs to take on the extra baggage of trying to stick to a diet they don’t like. Who knows, you may try one, love it, and follow it for the rest of your life. Or maybe you’ll hate the first three you try, only to find success with number four. And that’s okay. It’s all about finding what works for you. But in a world with countless product claims (especially on food) it’s hard to know how to make the best choices. So, here are ten important things to keep in mind when choosing a new diet.
1 Use Social Media As a Resource, Not a Guidebook.
This may seem obvious, but it’s tougher than most of us realize! Use social media to inspire your diet goals by considering which parts make it easier to eat the way you choose to, and which ones are just background noise that makes you feel confused instead of confident. The only thing to get rid of : generalizing just because one eating style is generating a lot of buzz, doesn’t mean it’s universally applicable to everyone.
2 “Healthy” is Subjective.
It also means something different to every single one of us. Emotional, mental, and physical well-being all play a part in being healthy, so you don’t want to be sacrificing one of those to prioritize another. Instead, take the time to find out what makes you feel best.
3 Ditch Hidden Sugars.
One common belief across most nutrition experts in the dangers of processes sugars. And when you are dieting, the sugar trap can be even easier to fall into. That’s because many low-fat or fat-tree “diet” foods are often loaded with sugars. Says a registered nutritionist in UK.”
Although it’s high in calories and has no nutritional value, we are hardwired to love sweet things and find the combination of fat and sugar-like that in cakes and cookies-particularly hard to resist. And to make matters worse, over the past couple of decades foods have been getting sweeter — drinks. Snacks and processed foods are often packed with sugar -even when they are not supposed to taste sweet. You should also be cautious with natural sugars like honey, agave syrup, maple syrup and coconut sugar. As far as your body’s concerned, they’re all just sugar and they will be dealt with in exactly the same way.
4 Drink More Water.
It’s vital to stay well hydrated, especially when you’re dieting, because it can help you snack less and avoid overeating. The part of the brain that deals with sensation of hunger and thirst are very close to each other, so it can be easy to confuse one with the other and think you need to eat when you actually just need a drink. Several studies have linked drinking plenty of water before eating and while dieting with greater weight loss. It probably works in several ways – by suppressing your appetite, so you eat fewer calories, and by helping you feel fuller, so you aren’t able to eat as much -Explains Bean.
5 Think “Transparent “over “Clean”.
You know what’s great about candy? It may not be ideologically aligned with a healthy diet, but it accurately represents itself as an indulgence. No one bought a candy bar thinking it was anything other than a treat. No matter which diet you follow, make sure your food is what it claims to be. For example, is your “paleo-friendly, high-protein energy bar” really a candy bar in disguise? If it is, put it back.
6 Eat Food, Not Food Claims.
Brands make a lot of money by putting “health” claims on their products -some of which are totally legit, while others seem redundant (produce has always been gluten-free, for example). We derive better health from food, not simply from the individual nutrients that food contains.
7 Consider “Whole Over Fresh”.
Fresh food is wonderful for all of the obvious reasons, but often we forget about items that are just as nutritious in their preserved state. Canned or frozen veggies, fruit, and lower-sodium beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas all retain their peak nutritional quality and cost a lot less. With any eating plan, you should focus on eating more real, whole food that’s as close to its natural, original version as possible. A combo of marketing and processing is what makes fresh oranges into fresh orange juice, so consider that when you check labels for sneaky, added source of sugar, saturated fat, or sodium.
8 Stop Treating All Packaged Food As the Enemy.
It’s easy for experts to say things like, “look for a short ingredients list or ingredients you can pronounce,” but there are some important exceptions. The best example: 100% whole-grain bread stuffed with tons of different 100% whole grains. Plus, quinoa and amaranth (two ancient grains that appear frequently in some diet plans) are downright unpronounceable for some.
9 Forget About the Cheatday.
To date, this hashtag appears more than 3.3 million times on Instagram, but simply because it’s popular doesn’t mean it has truth to it. Indulging “something” is 100% part of eating in a healthful way. While moderation is a trope in its own right, think of foods that taste great ( but don’t always make you feel that great as food you eat “sometimes”- not “always” or “never”
That said, it’s pretty impossible not to make some mistakes—- eating as you’re dashing out the door, digging into a pint of chocolate ice cream, or serving up too-large portion of your favorite food. In fact, it’s common to slip up from time to time; you wouldn’t be human ( or normal!) if you didn’t. The key is to let go of the guilt and get back on track ASAP.
10 If You’re in a Bind, Think: Easy, Nutritious, Delicious.
IF making better-for-you food choices for you and your family is often a massive time, energy, and financial suck, ask yourself: How does any meal or snack make it easier to add more produce and maximize whole food on your budget? Think of it in these terms, and more often than not, you’re already off to a great start.