Healthy Eating not Dieting

Dietitians of Canada say that fad diets eliminate many foods and food groups. The fads and cleanses that circulate the Internet do not have evidence on health or weight loss claims they make. Dieting could have harmful effects on the body, which is why it is important to eat nutritious meals. Often people engage in dieting because they want to lose weight however diets may give short term weight loss but it is not a long term solution. To maintain a healthy weight eating healthy and managing portion sizes is the key.  Spokesperson for Dietitians of Canada Krista Leck Merner recommends using smaller plates and containers and measuring out what a portion size looks like on your plate. More so than fad diets no products or pills are going to cause weight loss.  

For many the motivation to diet or eating healthy is weight loss. It is important to remember that the best way to maintain health is to eat nutritious foods and eat enough for your body. Steady weight loss is a sustainable change rather than dramatic weight changes. Diets that limit you to certain food and quantities restrict you from food groups, which deplete essential nutrients for your body’s functioning (Eat Right, 2014). Also eating a specific combination of foods will not cause you to gain or lose weight. Lastly, the best pairing with healthy eating is regular physical activity to maintain a healthy weight.

Eating healthy is about eating it all! Your meals should be a mix of all food groups. Don’t just eat the same fruits and vegetables everyday, you should be eating the rainbow. A balanced diet is the best diet; eating a variety of foods and eating how much works for your body. The 2014 Brazil food guide is different than traditional food guides in that it does not recommend amounts of foods by numbers since everyone is different and this is difficult to remember (FAO, 2014). Instead they recommend limiting your consumption of processed foods and making natural foods the basis of your meals. The use of oils, fats, salt and sugar should be in small amounts for seasoning. They also recommend being wary of food advertising and marketing, by being critical of how food is being marketed.  

References

Dietitian of Canada. (2015). Three resolutions from dietitian to help you save money and eat better in 2015. Retrieved from http://www.dietitians.ca/Media/News-Releases/2014/NewYears2015.aspx

Eat Right. (2014). Staying away from fad diets. Retrieved from http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/weight-loss/fad-diets/staying-away-from-fad-diets

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2014). Food-based dietary dietary guidelines - Brazil. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-dietary-guidelines/regions/brazil/en/