It is not a secret that the key to a healthy body is a balance of everything; a balanced diet and balanced exercise. Therefore, we all must practise healthy living to be healthy and fit. This is why many kinds of exercise and diet plans have been formulated to help many people achieve their goals.
In these trying times, especially with the pandemic that the world is experiencing, many of us have been required to stay indoors. Hence, physical activities have been limited, which gave us time to enjoy the things that relax us, such as movie marathons while eating our favourite snack. Such a perfect combination to pass the time! However, activities like these have led us to gain extra pounds, and it is not a secret that to improve your health, you must maintain a healthy weight.
Maintaining a proper body mass index is beyond physical appearance. Having a healthy body means avoiding the risks of having health problems, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It also diminishes your blood pressure and cholesterol level.
Starting a healthy lifestyle again is never too late! Aside from exercising at home, you can also achieve your weight goal by following a diet plan. Remember that to maintain a healthy weight, it is suggested that you should focus your 70% on the food that you eat and 30% should be your amount of exercise. It is important to lose weight properly so the body can adjust the right way, and you can start this with a food plan that suits your needs.
Diet Plans
Here are some diet plans that you can choose from to start your weight loss journey. Bear in mind that it is always recommended to consult your dietitian before starting any weight loss program to have proper recommendations.
Low-fat diets
While the body needs fat to be able to function properly, this kind of diet plan is commonly for people who need to follow a low-fat diet due to some health issues, such as high cholesterol and trouble digesting or absorbing fat. The main objective of this kind of diet is to avoid consuming unhealthy fat and cholesterol to help control your fat, carbs, cholesterol and calories, which in turn can also help in losing weight. While this plan encourages the intake of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, a moderate amount of meat is allowed. This includes lean and low-fat meat, dairy products, fish and poultry.
Low-carb diets
This type of diet plan focuses on protein and fat intake instead of carbohydrates. Scientific studies suggest that low-carb diets can help with weight loss better than conventional low-fat diets as it includes high protein intake as protein can help lessen your appetite, increase your metabolism and conserve muscle mass.
Low-carb diets are ideal for those who want to lose weight. In addition to this, low-carb diets can help lower the risks for heart disease like high cholesterol and high blood pressure levels. It can also help enhance blood sugar and insulin levels, which are the main problem of people with type 2 diabetes. There are various low-carb diets out there, including the Atkins diet, ketogenic (keto) diet, and low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet.
Plant-based diets
This kind of diet plan focuses on foods primarily from plants. It is important to note that eating plant-based means completely avoiding animal products, but instead, it does have a limited amount of animal-source foods. However, there are popular practices of a plant-based diet that only consume fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes and beans, which is veganism.
While veganism completely avoids animal foods, vegetarianism includes eggs and dairy foods, but without meat, poultry, fish or seafood. These practices do not include any animal product mainly due to health, ethical and environmental reasons. Plant-based diets are said to support heart health, including a lower risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, and can increase life’s longevity.
How to Stick to Your Plan
- Do not pressure yourself and start with realistic and reachable goals.
- Have a solid motivation to help you strive in following your diet plan.
- Don’t tempt yourself, and start by not including unhealthy foods.
- Avoid an ‘all or nothing approach.
- Make sure that you are choosing healthy snack options.
- Don’t just plan the diet. Combine it with exercise.
- Plan the type of foods that you’ll eat if eating out.
- Not because you are travelling, you will skip your diet routine.
- Always be conscious of the foods that you eat.
- Track and monitor your progress to see if you are going forward.
- It’s more fun and motivating if you have a partner to join you.
- Go for a high-protein breakfast.
- Don’t be in a hurry. Adjust moderately and consistently to your habits.
- Trial and error are not wrong. It is okay to test options to see what works best for you.
Supplements That May Aid Weight-loss
Glucomannan
This compound is a water-soluble dietary fibre that is made from the konjac plant. And because it is a dietary fibre, it is said to help you lose weight by not allowing fat and protein from your food to get absorbed into your body. Furthermore, it is said to delay stomach emptying and create a feeling of fullness, leading to reduced calorie intake. It is suggested that Glucomannan is best taken before a meal and by combining it with a weight-reducing diet.
CBD
Also known as Cannabidiol, CBD is commonly used for pain and anxiety. This cannabinoid is a compound that can be extracted from hemp plants. Many people also use CBD for sleep, skin health, nausea and many other health problems. Unlike THC, CBD does not have psychoactive and intoxicating effects, making it popular amongst those who are sceptical about Cannabis. According to scientific evidence, CBD can also boost metabolism and reduce food intake as it interacts with the receptors in the body, which play a role in metabolism. What’s more, today, CBD is available in many formats, starting from an oral tincture and infused capsules to CBD e-liquid and edibles.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea is one of the most consumed kinds of tea around the world. Aside from its antioxidant properties, it can also promote heart, liver, and brain health, including skin improvement and cancer risks. According to studies, green tea extract contains catechins and caffeine, which are related to its weight-loss effect. These compounds are seen to demonstrate the ability to regulate the hormones that enhance the process of your body to burn calories to digest food and produce heat called thermogenesis.