W. Headley* says maintaining New Year diet resolutions at work can be difficult, but dieticians have six helpful tips they recommend.
Photo: Thought Catalog
Over a month into the new year those of us who swore fidelity to our diet resolutions are facing our first true test: post-holidays, back-to-work.
In fairness, it’s hard for some of us to fight the good fight when even the experts can’t seem to really make up their minds about what we should and shouldn’t be consuming day to day to stay healthy.
For now, the best we can do is stay informed as much as possible.
Here are six things from dietitians to help you be better equipped to chose for yourself.
- Sorry. Carbs still suck
A recent study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health attempted to get to the bottom of exactly why carbs are such a hindrance to losing weight.
Carbohydrates are converted into sugar pretty quickly which in turn causes us to feel hungry more readily.
The study concluded that people who cut out carbs in particular (as opposed to a simple, low-fat diet) not only lost weight quicker, they also maintained the weight loss more efficiently.
More importantly, a low carb diet was found to reduce fat carrying cells in the bloodstream making for a healthier heart and a significant boost to protective HDL cholesterol.
Lowering your carb intake will help you burn fat and not feel so hungry.
Necessary minerals can alternatively be found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Have you considered bacteria?
Dr Raphael Kellman is a physician and author of the Microbiome diet, which utilises friendly and unfriendly germs to improve gut health, digestion and brain functionality.
In addition, the diet also aims to boost metabolism and reduce cravings.
It’s broken up into three phases.
The first intends to expel harmful bacteria and toxins and supplant them with probiotic and prebiotic rich foods to fill your stomach with healthy bacteria.
No eggs, no grains, no legumes or dairy, no starchy fruits or vegetables.
Load up on things like leeks, garlic, onions in unison with supplements (zinc, vitamin D, grapefruit seed extract, wormwood-just to name a few).
This phase lasts for 21 days.
Phase 2, which persists for 28 days, frees you up a bit.
You can consume free range eggs, most fruits, and vegetables, dairy, legumes and gluten-free grains.
The final phase is identical to the first phase except for this time around your gut is restored.
This phase permits you to eat whatever you please for 30 per cent of the time.
One meal out of the day to indulge.
This will ensure you keep that weight off.
- Nixing red meat
This diet is more focused on general health rather than weight loss though the results certainly overlap.
Recently, EAT (a panel of nutrition, environmental and agricultural experts) proposed red meat to be the nucleus of many of our health and environmental woes.
Studies that linked red meat to a series of health problems coincided with studies that observed its production as a direct catalyst to toxic greenhouse emissions like methane.
The panel declared a plant-based diet to serve the overall good of both humankind and its home.
This stipulation is not without its detractors, namely the Chair of Disease Prevention at Stanford University, John Loannidis who simply stated: “The evidence is not as strong as it seems to be.”
The report deemed a massive food transformation necessary by 2050 less we face grave consequences.
Whole grains, beans, fruits, and most vegetables should do the trick according to EAT, which hopes to slash global meat consumption in half in the near future.
- More macadamia nuts
Macadamia nuts — a certified superfood — lower the risk of heart disease, are packed with dietary fibre and protein and contain just 1g of natural sugar.
And their oil is a great resource for palmitoleic acid.
A study conducted on sheep over the course of 28 days saw the subjects’ weight gain decrease by 77 per cent as a result of the oil.
Not only do tree nuts, (particularly macadamia nuts) aid immensely in your pursuit to cut back on calories while also meeting your daily dose of nutritional needs, they’re also reported to help prevent cancer.
- Be mindful of how and what you eat at work
Recently the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that roughly 25 per cent of adults get food and beverages from work at least once a week.
Given the kind of foods and drinks typically available in most workplaces, the study surmised the number of calories consumed per week to be around 1,300 per person.
The results implore people to bring in pre-cooked food from home despite the inconvenience.
Subbing baked chicken for the fried chicken that might be offered at the office, or green tea for Coke, will present tangible results.
- Tea
A study was recently published in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences that cites green tea as a good method of boosting metabolism.
Subjects who drank four cups of green tea every day over the course of two months were shown to exhibit a decrease in body weight, mass index and waist circumference.
It is suggested that you consume green tea before every meal to maximise results.
Sencha, matcha, and Fuji are all excellent and delicious options for a start.
Alternatively, peppermint tea is reportedly great for reducing cravings.
The scent triggers chemical responses in the brain that combat feelings of hunger.
White tea, widely hailed as the healthiest of teas, contains compounds that halt the formation of fat cells altogether.
Tea offers a healthier substitute to sugary processed drinks with some habit reforming ingredients to boot.
All things to consider as we persist in the new year.
Diet, more than most areas of studies, remains at the perpetual mercy of re-examination.
Be sure to make an effort to be up to speed as often as you can.
* C. W. Headley is a reporter for The Ladders.
This article first appeared at www.theladders.com.
