Weight loss is a topic that never gets old. Many desire to lose weight faster and easier, but the challenge remains to lose weight and keep it off.
We often read about the next diet trend and new ways to make it easier to stay lean and look good. Our self-image is influenced heavily by what we perceive as ‘healthy’ on magazine covers, social media and television. But what does good health entail? Is it limited to the number we see on the scale?
WHY IS IT NOT ADVISABLE TO FOLLOW A GENERIC (‘MAGAZINE’) DIET?
- Diet/ meal plans in magazines or on the internet have not considered your body type, medical history or family history before starting a project.
- The plans aren’t based on your individual goals or needs.
- They don’t consider your unique schedule, food intolerances/allergies and likes or dislikes.
- The more a plan is structured around what you need as an individual, the better you’ll be able to follow it.
WHAT ARE MACRO-NUTRIENTS, AND WHAT DO I NEED TO FUEL MY BODY?
Our body’s fueling system works similarly to how your car works. Your car’s fuel needs to be replaced often, but it needs oil and water to function correctly. If one of the components is depleted, adding one of the others won’t restore that component. Also, adding too much of any one of the components won’t make it run better. There is no extra storage facility for adding too much petrol, oil or water to a car. Our bodies, however, do have this system. This system stores excess energy and can make us gain weight unintentionally.
Macro-nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins and fats. They are the three components that give our bodies energy, build muscles and sustain life. All types of food will be grouped in one or more of these groups.
If we could choose one macronutrient that has been picked on most in recent years, it would be carbohydrates. This group is widely blamed for weight gain or for struggling to lose weight. Various diet plans advise you to cut carbohydrates out of your diet, and ‘voila’, you have the perfect body. But is it so simple? Carbohydrates are also called “complex sugars”. As shown in the picture, many sugar molecules are attached and should be broken down in the body before sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. The only way to use carbohydrates would be for your body to break them down to glucose (the more scientific name for sugar). In your bloodstream, it is referred to as blood sugar. All carbohydrate-containing foods are classified as low, medium or high glycaemic index (GI). The glycaemic index refers to the digestion and absorption of sugar (glucose) from the small intestines to the bloodstream. Carbohydrate-containing foods include starches, fruit, dairy, vegetables and regular sugar. Typically added sugar is the least valuable to your health as it has no fibre, vitamins or minerals and provides calories. Starches are classified as either refined or unrefined. We ideally want to include unrefined alternatives to ensure slower digestion and absorption of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. This process keeps blood glucose control intact and prevents fluctuations in glucose levels. This control, in turn, prevents insulin spikes which can lead to insulin resistance and, eventually, diabetes. These include high-fibre bread and crackers, sweet potatoes, brown rice and whole-wheat pasta. These are generally referred to as low GI starches. Refined carbohydrates include white bread, white pasta, pastries, biscuits, potato crisps, and lower-fibre crackers. These cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels as the body has little difficulty digesting and breaking it down. The higher availability and presence of insulin means the insulin will rapidly pack the glucose away in the cells. Any glucose that isn’t used will be converted to fat, leading to weight gain. It happens quickly with high GI foods. Most dairy products fall under the low GI group as they contain protein, slowing down glucose absorption. Fruit is also classified into the low, medium and high GI groups. Generally speaking, the low GI group includes all berries, citrus fruit, apples, pears, and grapes (in controlled portions). These fruits contain more fructose (fruit sugar) and less actual glucose. Fructose must be taken to the liver before processing and using it. It means that a smaller quantity of glucose is absorbed and influences the blood glucose levels. Medium GI fruit includes bananas, pineapples and paw-paw. They have a higher glucose content, affecting blood glucose levels faster. Fresh fruit in the high GI group contains only watermelon. It has the highest glucose and lowest fructose content.Carbohydrates
Protein-rich foods are needed to maintain our body’s muscle content, but they do so much more than that. Just as the building blocks of carbohydrates are glucose molecules, the building blocks for proteins are amino acids. There are three groups of amino acids: essential, non-essential and conditionally essential. Twenty-one amino acids can form proteins in our bodies, falling into these three groups. Our bodies cannot form essential amino acids; we need to consume them through our diets. They include Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan and Valine. Foods that contain all nine essential amino acids are called high-quality proteins. High-quality protein can be found in animal foods and certain plant foods. Your body can form these amino acids, and you don’t need to get them from your diet. They include Alanine, Asparagine, Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid and Selenocysteine. Your body makes these amino acids, but their levels aren’t sufficient under certain conditions, and you need to get additional amounts from your diet to meet your requirements. These conditions can include illness, intensive exercise or young age. The amino acids in this group include Arginine, Cysteine, Glutamine, Glycine, Proline, Serine and Tyrosine. Certain amino acids act as messengers in your nervous system, while others form a part of your haemoglobin and DNA. Amino acids have a large variety of functions. Vegans and vegetarians can lack some essential amino acids as they exclude animal products from their diets. There are, however, some plant foods that are richer in certain amino acids than others. These people need to include various plant foods to obtain the required amounts.Proteins
9 Essential amino acids
5 Non-essential amino acids
7 Conditionally essential amino acids
Fats have been criticised for weight gain and reversely hailed as the wonder macro-nutrient for weight loss in the last 20 years. Who do we believe? The truth is, we all need fat as part of our diets. It is, however, relatively high in calories: one gram of fat provides more than double the calories that one gram of protein or one gram of carbohydrates provides. The two main groups of fats include saturated fats and unsaturated fats. These descriptions are linked to their chemical structure. Because of their differences, they have various actions in our bodies, some helpful and some harmful. Saturated fats are primarily found in animal products – meats, chicken, dairy and eggs. Coconut (milk, flesh, oil), palm kernel and oil, and Brazil nuts are the few plant foods containing saturated fats. Unsaturated fats are primarily found in plant products – most nuts and seeds and their oils, olives, and avocado. Fish and fish oil are The only animal products that naturally contain unsaturated fats (omega 3). A high intake of saturated fats increases a person’s risk of developing elevated blood cholesterol levels. In contrast, unsaturated fats have a protective effect, raising healthy cholesterol levels and decreasing unhealthy cholesterol levels.Fats
Micro-nutrients are the smaller particles that ensure our cells function correctly and that our immune system is strong enough. Micro-nutrients include vitamins (organic substances) and minerals (inorganic substances). All vitamins are essential, whereas minerals are grouped into essential and non-essential. A person can develop a deficiency of minerals and vitamins if they aren’t consumed in sufficient amounts or if the body uses a more considerable quantity than what is consumed in the diet. Micro-nutrients exist in different macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) in different amounts. Therefore it is essential to have a varied diet and include all three food groups to ensure you get all the micro-nutrients your body needs. Micro-nutrients can be supplemented if necessary, but they are the most available and straightforward to absorb from our food.WHAT ARE MICRO-NUTRIENTS, AND WHERE DO THEY FIT IN?
WHAT DOES A HEALTHY PLATE OF FOOD LOOK LIKE?
The portioning should ideally look similar to this picture at your main meal. Most of our meals should always be vegetable-based and consist of cooked vegetables, salads or both. This group contains many vitamins and minerals but is low in calories. You fill your stomach with food that won’t cause weight gain. Neither the protein nor the starch portion should be too large, as these contribute significantly more to your calorie intake. On the other hand, we still want to include them as they provide essential carbohydrates and proteins to our bodies to sustain our basic bodily functions.
WHAT DIET IS THE HEALTHIEST TO FOLLOW?
A ‘diet’ refers to the complete combination of foods we consume every day, although, with the constant longing for weight loss solutions, this has become a concept that refers more to a weight loss program than the initial meaning.
A healthy diet looks different to everyone. We are all individuals, so a solution that works for one person won’t necessarily work for another.
Recent well-known diet regimes include:
The Low GI diet: A diet plan that includes a balanced amount of all macro-nutrients, including low glycaemic index carbohydrate-rich foods.
The low-fat diet: A diet plan where fat intake is limited to 30% of your total calorie intake while ensuring that fat sources include primarily unsaturated fats.
The high protein diet: High protein diets focus on a higher than usual intake of protein-rich foods and often restrict carbohydrate and fat intake. Popular high-protein diet plans include the Dukan Diet and the Atkins Diet.
The Banting diet/ LCHF diet stresses large amounts of fat and keeps to a deficient carbohydrate intake (low carbohydrate, high fat).
Generally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has put together a few basic guidelines to help guide us in what to follow when it comes to a healthy, balanced diet:
A healthy diet entails protecting a person from all forms of malnutrition, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.
- The calorie intake through food must be balanced with the energy used in physical activity.
- Total fat intake should be close to (ideally not exceed) 30% of the total calorie intake and should primarily be consumed through unsaturated (healthy, plant-based) fats.
- Free sugar intake should be limited to 10% of the total daily energy intake, and further health benefits are reached when limiting this intake to less than 5%.
- Salt intake should be limited to less than 5 grams daily to help reduce hypertension and heart disease, and stroke risk in the adult population worldwide.
- A healthy diet should include a variety of vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole-grain starches and nuts.
- Fruit and vegetable intake should be at least five portions in total daily.
Some general healthy eating tips that are suggested for all South Africans in the Food-Based Dietary Guidelines :
- Enjoy a variety of foods daily to ensure the intake of various nutrients.
- Make starchy foods the basis of most meals and focus on using low GI, high fibre alternatives.
- Fish, chicken, lean meat or eggs can be eaten daily.
- Enjoy dairy (e.g. milk, maas and yoghurt) every day
- Eat a variety of fruit and vegetables every day (aim for five portions daily)
- Include dry beans, split peas, split lentils and soya often
- Limit the intake of salt and foods high in salt
- Use fats sparingly. Choose plant oils rather than hard fats (e.g. canola oil, olive oil or lower-fat margarine)
- Use sugar ( foods and drinks high in sugar) sparingly.
- Drink lots of water (6 – 8 glasses per day)
- Live an active lifestyle and aim to do 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.
WHAT CAN HELP MY WEIGHT LOSS ALONG?
- Weight loss is induced when your metabolism speeds up and your energy intake (food intake) is less than your energy expenditure (activity/ exercise).
- Drinking clean, safe water regularly throughout the day and eating small meals increase your energy levels and manage blood sugar levels better to lower your risk for too low blood sugar and a sluggish and tired feeling.
- Avoid overindulging in rich, high-calorie meals and focus on filling your plate with many colourful vegetables.
- Manage your starch intake by having smaller portions and focusing on fibre-rich alternatives. It makes you feel fuller and prevents hunger soon after your meal.
- Limit sugar intake, as sugar doesn’t add nutritional quality (vitamins, minerals or fibre) to your meals.
- Limit alcohol use to 3 weekly units for women and six for men.
- Be as active as you can and build activities into your day when going about everyday life, e.g. park your car further from the shops and force yourself to walk; carry groceries rather than pushing the trolley when you buy a smaller amount; take the stairs when possible.
- Visiting a registered dietitian is always recommended when you’d like to embark on an individualised diet plan and weight loss journey. They will consider your needs, medical history, family history, preferences, lifestyle, culture, religious beliefs and social circumstances when working out a plan that best suits your needs. Avoid ‘crash’ diets that omit food groups or require strict regimes.
- Ensure you have nutritious food in your fridge and cupboard – you’re going to eat what’s available.
“If you keep good food in your fridge, you will eat good food.” – Errick McAdams.
Author: Lidia de Klerk RD(SA)
References & Resources
Nutrient Reviews. 2016. Amino acids. http://www.nutrientsreview.com/proteins/amino-acids.
Nutrient Reviews. 2016. Fats. http://www.nutrientsreview.com/lipids/fats.html
WHO. 2015. Healthy Diet. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs394/en/. Updated September 2015.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2012. Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. http://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-based-dietary-guidelines/regions/countries/south-africa/en/.