Plan meals to keep weight off
Portion-size control is imperative, along with daily exercise, to maintain a healthy lifestyle
WHETHER you like it or not, healthy eating is one of the latest trends as more people become health-conscious.
Despite the willingness to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the reality is that willpower often fails many and they remain stuck in their old unhealthy habits.
Even nutritionists agree that changing old habits can be difficult, but it’s doable.
Louii Engelbrecht, a health coach and dietitian, says to make an easy transition to a more healthy and clean eating plan, you should start with portion-size control and meal planning.
“It’s unplanned events and impulse purchases that make people fail to stick to their diet plans. Planning five days of eating, including consumption of veggies, can result in you being healthy for five days.
“When doing so, keep portion control in mind,” says Engelbrecht.
Healthy eating is topical across the globe this week as April 7 marked World Health Day, declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to draw attention to the importance of global health. This year’s theme is “Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere”.
What are some of the bad habits that people can eliminate to kick-start clean eating?
Engelbrecht says coffee is a major no-no. “It’s a health risk that people need to do away with, especially those who tend to replace breakfast with it.
“Dieting or a healthy lifestyle should not be a punishment, it should actually be fun.
“There are so many options readily available that one can do to make healthy meals. One of the best ways is to go organic… the fresher, the better,” says Engelbrecht.
Although we are told about the benefits of getting our five fruit and veg a day, some new research suggests that, in some circumstances, certain fruit and vegetables may actually be bad for our health.
In an article in the Daily Mail, Dr Mark Vanderpump, a consultant endocrinologist at The Physicians Clinic in London, was quoted as saying grapefruit juice, for example, could interfere with statins – increasing the risk of side-effects.
“Raw cabbage, along with cauliflower and kale, contains goitrogens – substances that can affect thyroid function by blocking the production of the hormone thyroxine,” he said.
People who are sensitive to latex can also have an allergic reaction to avocado. Latex comes from the sap of the rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis. A study of 137 patients with rubber latex allergy, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, found that 21% are also allergic to particular foods, including banana (18.3%) and avocado (16.3%).
This is because some of the proteins in latex that cause allergic reactions are also present in these fruits.
The same cross-reactivity can happen with kiwi fruit, says Professor Jean Emberlin, the scientific director of Allergy UK.
“The proteins are very similar in the latex and the fruit, so they can trigger similar reactions,” said Emberlin.
Letshego Zulu, South African fitness fanatic and health advocate, says there are many ways to keep our bodies healthy. Top of her list is drinking lots of water. This, she says, has a long list of benefits but for her specifically it keeps her skin hydrated and it helps with detoxing.
Second, she says, a healthy, filling breakfast is very important. “Many people underestimate the importance of breakfast. The reason behind it is that it simply breaks the fast from last night’s dinner and it helps to kick-start your metabolism,” says Zulu.
For a healthy skin, she recommends a good sunscreen with a high SPF level. “We spend most of our time in the great outdoors. Your face specifically is your reception on a daily basis. Take care of your skin by applying sunscreen daily.”
To keep fit, she recommends burpees – a physical exercise consisting of a squat thrust made from and ending in a standing position.
“Many people don’t realise the benefits of even just 10 minutes of functional training versus basic cardio. Functional training burns calories, tones and strengthens your body in a shorter period than other forms of exercise,” says Zulu.