December 2019 - Issue # 073 - 7 Things Successful Diets Have in Common

Happy Festive December All, so glad you’re back.

Well, if you are starting to work on your New Year’s Resolutions and if losing weight is one of your goals, picking the right weight loss diet can make all the difference.

But What Makes a Diet Successful?

Here are 7 things that successful diets have in common.

Successful Diets are Low in Sugar

Having a diet that is low in sugar is crucial for both weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.

Processed sugars are filled with calories that offer zero nutrients and any sugar that isn’t used up gets turned into fat.

Our bodies need some good sugars though to support energy levels and proper brain function. Just that thought alone helps me justify my sweet tooth.

But we need to know the difference between good sugar sources versus the bad ones that create weight gain.

Depending on the source, sugar can be called by other names such as sucrose, glucose, dextrose, fructose, lactose, maltose and many more. This whole thing can get quite complicated.

For instance simple sugars are called monosaccharaides and refined sugars are called disaccharides.

See what I mean……too complicated, so I’m going to keep it simple.

Good sugars are found in fruits, vegetables, natural sweeteners, dairy products and whole grain products.

Almost everything we eat today contains some level of sugar. In fact, it seems that meats and oils are about the only foods that do not contain sugar and of course manufactured products that are specifically made to be sugar free.

Bad sugars are found in processed foods, refined foods and greatly altered foods that should be avoided for the most part.

Unfortunately this section is huge. Refined and processed foods may taste delicious but have been altered so dramatically, they are literally stripped of their nutritional goodness.

Many of these foods contain a lot of calories but offer little or no nutrients for what our bodies need to stay healthy and energetic.

Think of it this way, the more processed or altered a food is from its natural state the less nutrition it will provide.

Successful Diets are Low in Processed Foods and Junk Foods

The same reasons as listed above apply to these foods. They are usually high in calories, sugars and fats and are usually limited in nutrients.

Successful Diets are Low in Fried Foods

It’s hard to resist some fried foods because they are soooooo very tasty.

On occasion I love to sit down to a plate of spicy chicken wings with a side of slightly crunchy and salty French fries.

But the word occasionally here is key, because fried foods are usually high in calories and trans fat, so eating a lot of them can have a negative impact on your health.

Fried foods loose water and absorb fat when they are being fried and are typically high in trans fats because of the oil the food industry uses.

And even frying with healthier oils will not change the very high calorie content in those foods as they still absorb the fat during the frying.

Eating fried foods regularly has been linked to many health problems from obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and more.

Healthier oils are believed to be coconut, avocado and olive oils, but these oils are still huge in calories.

Oven baking and the latest air fryers have become good alternatives

Successful Diets are High in Vegetables, Fresh Fruits, Lean Meats (or other protein alternatives if Vegan), Legumes, Whole Grains and Whole Foods

We know that these food choices are all healthy and nutritious. We can eat a lot more of these foods as many of them are lower in calories and provide roughage for the digestive system while providing energy and nutrients to the body.

Successful Diets Include Some Commitment to Exercise

No matter how small the commitment our bodies were meant to move. With all the desk jobs today we must add at least one activity to our daily routine.

A nice walk after dinner would do it, or perhaps before breakfast. However simple or involved of an exercise program you choose, try to incorporate it into your daily life.

Successful Diets Make Clear the Importance of Portion Size

Overeating carries a heavy price on our bodies and our digestion. Simply avoid eating too much at one sitting if at all possible.

Overeating means taking in a lot more calories and we all know what that means.

Even when we eat too much of healthy foods are bodies only need so many nutrients daily and whatever extra isn’t stored is eliminated.

Eating too much also causes the stomach to expand beyond its normal size to adjust to bigger meals, making it easier to accommodate even larger portions of food in the future.

Ever feel really stuffed after a big holiday meal? That feeling when your pants get uncomfortably tight and you feel weighed down, sluggish and tired. Yup, that familiar feeling always comes when eating too much at one sitting.

Your digestive system and organs (like your liver and kidneys) have to work harder when there is more food to break down. That’s part of the reason we get more tired.

To break down the food we eat, our stomachs produce acid to do that job. If you overeat this acid may back up causing heart burn or acid indigestion

Successful Diets Help Focus on the Realization That This is a Lifestyle Change

Any time you can do a diet for a few days, a few weeks (or perhaps more), then YES, do it. Every bit of effort helps to avoid weight gain or perhaps even obesity.

But we all know that these are only band-aid solutions that are great for short duration, but not the long haul.

To be at our ideal weight and to stay that way means we need to change our lifestyle. This will not be a temporary change; it’s usually a lifetime one.

Test some of them out and see which ones suit you and your new lifestyle the best.

Wishing You All A Very

Happy, Safe, Healthy, Wonderful

Holidays and New Year’s!!!!

See you next year

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