Diet diary: 15 diet mantras for the New Year

Some tips on how to stick to a healthy diet and make it a way of life in the coming year.




The ‘year end’ is here, along with new year vows, waiting to be broken sooner than later! Is it possible to make your diet resolutions in the new year actually work for you? The answer is surprisingly a ‘yes’.

With the right approach to diet, it is possible to make it a permanent part of your life. If you adopt the following tips, there is a good chance that you can make your diet a partner for life.

The word ‘diet’ actually comes from an ancient Greek word that means ‘a mode of living’. It refers to the overall sum of the food consumed by a person. Even though the term has been used by the weight-loss industry, it has nothing to do with weight loss/ gain. It means quite literally a way of life. If one goes “on“ and “off“ diets, there is no long-term benefit from it.

The first and most important way of keeping to a diet is to redefine it. It must be something you can do and live with. Only then can it be sustained. Of course, one needs to establish both short-term and long-term goals.

15 diet mantras for the New Year:

1. Remove or restrict addictive foods (sugar, wheat protein, milk protein, caffeine and chemical additives). Avoid sugars, sweets, sweetened beverages and fruit juices. These are barriers in your journey

2. Introduce enzyme-rich live foods and raw foods like vegetables and fruits.

3. Address nutritional deficiencies (magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, Vitamin B-12, Iron, folic acid, chromium etc).

4. Ensure adequate protein and good fats (desi ghee, butter, virgin coconut oil, olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado).

5. Ensure fibre-rich foods: vegetables, fruits, seeds, whole pulses, lentils and cereals.

6. Minimise refined flours, choose unpolished rice and millets.

7. Address adverse reactions to food and food sensitivities to items such as wheat, dairy etc.

8. Chew well and eat slowly.

9. Hydrate well: It helps to get rid of toxins from the body and calms the nervous system.

10. Regular physical activity helps balance hormones and keeps energy levels high.

11. Yoga and meditation relaxes the mind, which helps in controlling eating behaviour.

12. Fasting also helps rid the body of toxic waste and energises the body.

13. It rebalances the body and restores functionality.

14. Mindful eating: Eating with awareness and focus on what you choose helps make better food choices. A food diary helps immensely to track your eating patterns.

15.Seek professional help if needed and be regular with routine checkups.

These tips individually and collectively help to not only keep to your diet, but also bring adequate nutrition and promote good health and well0being. It helps reduce cravings, appetite and changes your palette. Once this happens, there is no need for fighting with your will-power. Your diet becomes easy to sustain over time.

For all the latest Lifestyle News, download Indian Express App

Source: Read Full Article