Fitness New diet on the the block: Is baby food loss? solution to weight
There was a time when celebs such as Jennifer Aniston, Lady Gaga and others were obsessing about the baby food diet. The reason? Weight loss. If reports are to be believed, some of them saw good results, but they couldn’t sustain it. However, nutritionists believe it is nothing but a fad.
WHILE SOME FITNESS ENTHUSIASTS HAVE SEEN RESULTS, HEALTH EXPERTS BELIEVE THIS DIET IS NOT SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG RUN
WHAT’S A BABY FOOD DIET?
It simply involves replacing normal meals with baby food, such as fruits and vegetable purees and a few meat gravies made of chicken, turkey, etc. One can also include rice and dal puree in addition to fruits and veggies. In other words, it is all about having food low on calories. almost zero sugar, fats or any salt. But, nutritionist Parul Malhotra feels this kind of a diet is neither sustainable nor a healthy way of losing weight.
“The only benefit of having baby food is that it’s low on fat and calories, helps with easy portion control and requires minimal cooking,” says Malhotra, and lists some side effects of such a restrictive diet plan.
It is not sustainable.
Being low on calories, you may experience low energy.
It is low on protein and fibre, which can lead to low satiety levels and later, cravings.
A restrictive diet like this can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
WHAT DOES A BABY FOOD DIET PLAN LOOK LIKE?
“Baby food meal plan consists of as many as 14 jars of pureed baby food of all types, including fruits, vegetables, and meats, distributed among breakfast, lunch and evening snack. One regular adult meal per day (at dinner) should be consumed, emphasising on protein and complex carbohydrates,” says Malhotra.
However, the expert feels that this kind of food is not enough to fuel an adult. Also, a sustainable weight loss plan involves a balanced diet and fitness regimen. And to supplement your workout regime, you need to consume a proper meal that is balanced. Another factor is that this kind of a diet will lead to major fatigue and can impact your overall productivity, too. Additionally, a fad diet like this one can, later on, lead to emotional eating, which can further result in eating disorders and weight gain in an individual.
“Bottom line is, for a sustainable and healthy weight loss, nothing works better than eating a well-balanced diet with a mindful approach, along with regular exercise and a good sleeping pattern,” says Malhotra.