With the New Year just days away, we may all be tempted to embark on a new diet in order to lose the weight gained during 2020.
Since the world shut down in March, we have all over-indulged and let our exercise plans go out the window.
So, when better than the New Year to get back on track?
Well, according to the experts, the New Year is the worst possible time to start a new diet.
Speaking to Extra.ie, Director of Nutrition at Viridian Nutrition, Aimee Benbow, noted that the idea of a New Year diet and fad diets could have a negative impact on our relationship with food.
After over-indulging during the festive break, much of the population feel the need to set strict boundaries and resolutions in relation to food consumption in January, she explained.
Although it is great that people feel motivated to get healthy, in doing so, this can impact our relationship with food and lead to unhealthy attitudes.
Restriction of certain foods often leads us to crave them even more. When we break our resolutions we mentally beat ourselves up and feel more discouraged.
This leads us to eat more unhealthy foods as a pick up and so creating a negative cycle of behaviour.
Fad diets are often popular for a moment in time but are often not formulated or designed by a trained nutritionist or dietitian.
They are devised to assist with fast weight loss and are often promoted as the magic bullet to weight management.
Usually, these types of diets cannot be maintained long term and in fact can lead to increased food intake and a higher consumption of unhealthy foods.
Aimee went onto explain that fad diets can also neglect some food groups and this, in turn, can impact both weight loss and our bodies.
If you do want to lose weight in the New Year, the nutritionist said there are some golden health rules to keep in mind when looking at your diet.
One of the most important considerations when wanting to lose weight is ensuring healthy dietary choices are adhered to, Aimee told Extra.ie.
Opting for a colourful diet rich in fruit and vegetables, plenty of fibre, good quality protein and essential fatty acids are all a step in the right direction in obtaining weight loss.
Work to eliminate highly processed foods rich in refined sugars and hydrogenated fats from the diet and if you need a snack, select unsalted, unsweetened nuts and seeds.
Exercise also plays a crucial part in the weight loss journey. Aim for 150 minutes of activity a week.
So, if you do want to embark on a new diet in the New Year, make sure you do it safely and dont be too hard on yourself.
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Expert reveals why New Years diets could do more harm than good - Extra.ie
