"You are what you eat" is still a universal truth.

When you are trying to achieve an optimal weight, it becomes even more important to eat the correct foods. Most people have a definite awareness of foods that may contribute to weight gain. Although carbohydrates have been vilified, it is important to judge carbohydrates according to their nutritional value. In general whole grains and vegetable carbohydrates are part of a healthy balanced diet. Whole Grains include foods like brown and wild rice, quinoa, buckwheat, teff, oats, rye, organic corn, spelt and millet. All vegetables are part of a healthy diet, except for potatoes that are high on the glycemic index and not good for blood sugar balance. Most of our carbohydrates should be obtained from veggies.

Every balanced meal should also include proteins and healthy fats. Examples of good proteins are chicken, fish, low fat dairy, eggs, beef and seafood, preferably from an organic source. Examples of good fats are avocados, healthy oils like avocado, olive or nut oils, nuts and seeds, fish and coconut oil/milk.

As said before every meal should include a protein, fat, protein and complex carbohydrates. A  carbohydrate should never be eaten alone, always in combination with a protein. Doing this will ensure that blood sugar levels remain stable. Weight loss can only be achieved if blood sugar levels are stable.

Another common obstacle to weight loss is a  "too long" feeding period. The body needs a break to process the glucose in the system and body cells. You might have heard of intermittent fasting and the advantages of it in weight loss. A 16 to 18 hours break in eating after dinner has been proven in studies to be beneficial for weight loss. This means that if you eat dinner at 7, that your fast should only be broken at 11am or 12am respectively. Over a period of time implementing intermittent fasting, the body will become more sensitized to insulin and achieving a healthy blood sugar balance becomes the norm. This will then be very favourable for weight loss.

All of this might seem daunting and you are thinking that you are going to be starving to death with all these changes. On the contrary, the amount of food that you eat per serving is not the biggest concern, the type of foods as well as when you eat still remains of more importance. Like any new habit, the change to healthy foods will begin gradually and in no time you will feel equipped in stocking your fridge and cupboards with different foods as well as preparing different foods for meals.

Eating a healthy diet is an important factor when you want to achieve an optimal and healthy body weight. Please contact the Naturopathic health care centre for more guidance with weight loss.
Dr Marike de Klerk
Homeopath