Healthy weight management.

MANAGEMENTHey Weight By Mishkah Gool B-Well Chef

Each one of us are incredibly unique individuals, with our own characteristics, quirks and looks due to our hereditary history, individual circumstances and lifestyles. When it comes to our bodies and weight, especially in these current times where we are equipped with endless dietary studies, self-love techniques and body acceptance, it is no question that “skinny trends” are so last season, and being healthy, loving oneself and personal self-development are definitely what it is all about. This article is definitely not for weight loss, it is for weight balance and management for the individual, wherever you're at on the scale. Most diets have not proved to be successful or sustainable, many diet plans can leave you feeling hungry or unsatisfied especially if it's to lose weight. Extreme limitation diets can encourage, lead or trigger eating disorders and just doesn't develop nor encourage good relationships with food.

Instead, we are focussing on two main factors- one, that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and we have to honour that and not compare our bodies to others; instead maintain fat levels that keep us healthy and feeling good since excess fat is hard on your joints, heart, and brain, regardless of where it's stored.

Secondly, that our bodies are astonishingly intelligent and efficient, and there are foods that complement, sustain and nourish the body and its functions and there are foods that lead to imbalances, disharmony and disease of the organs and systems.

Health and overall wellness go beyond diet, it requires ongoing lifestyle changes, which rely on healthy eating and physical activity to help keep one's weight in check. According to the National Weight Control Registry, that noted a study of participants who maintained a significant weight loss, reported improvements in physical health as well as energy levels, physical mobility, general mood, and selfconfidence. It's important to note for naturally lean bodies, even if one doesn't look overweight, they could have a high percentage of body fat, which equally makes one vulnerable to many diseases and health problems. Even a modest weight loss of 5 to10 percent of your

total body weight is likely to produce health benefits, such as improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars.

Besides diagnosed eating disorders, eating too fast, always clearing your plate even when full, eating when you are not hungry and skipping meals or skipping breakfast can also cause imbalances in the whole body's working system. This not only leads to weight problems, but also hormone imbalances leading to a myriad of conditions like mood swings, skin break outs and fluctuating energy levels.

So, where would one begin? Before we even lead into which foods best complement the body, it is only fair to mention that feeding and nurturing oneself is much akin to feeding a young child, it is best done with care, urgency and mindfulness as to what is needed for specific outcomes. For example, the baby will need nutrient-dense breast milk/formula for growing, food intake is to match the needs. This is the same for us, there are certain foods that encourage certain mechanisms in the body that match our body's natural flow.

So, let’s dive in to some of the foods and natural ways of intervention needed for the body to function optimally, keeping the two aforementioned factors in mind.

First, detox is essential for moving closer to your healthy weight. There are an array of foods that assist the body's natural detoxification process that rids the body of excess toxins and includes roughage and fibre-rich foods, like psyllium husk, soaked chia seeds, leafy green etc, to assist in a colon cleanse and get debris moving out of the gut, or certain probiotic-rich, fermented foods to assist the natural biome that exists within the large intestine and improve gut health. An easy way to assist your body in detoxifying is to start the day with hot vitamin C-rich lemon water, and increase your antioxidant-rich foods like leafy greens, berries and by cutting back or eliminating fats, oily, sugary foods. Detoxing removes additives and other substances that are not needed as our bodies naturally prefer whole, unprocessed foods. Now we can look at what our body and its intricate systems require to be healthy, restored or to function optimally. Our bodies require macro-nutrients like fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and micro-nutrients, like vitamins and minerals. There is a general consensus that the best way to achieve this is by diversifying our meals and challenging the old taboos of how we think of food, meals and meal prep.

Fat has gained a bad reputation over the years due to ignorance, misleading studies with not enough scientific evidence and lack of updated knowledge. Our bodies, especially our endocrine system that is involved with our development and proper growth require fat to convert to energy. An example is the natural “hourglass” figure which may be due to higher levels of female hormones like oestrogen and progesterone. While they can have health benefits, oestrogen is also a fat-storing hormone that can lead to weight gain, which increases oestrogen even further. If your natural hormonal rhythm is disrupted, the stress hormone cortisol is released, which can lead to an increase in appetite and sweet cravings.

It's important to know that not all fats are equal, some types of fat are harder on your health than others and may respond differently to different dieting techniques.

Laura Cipullo, RD, a registered dietitian and the author of Everyday Diabetes Meals recommends to focus on eating healthy fats, says, “Forget the old diet advice that eating fat will make you fat: Monounsaturated and omega-3 fats will help you feel fuller, lead you to eat less, and help you trim your tummy and reduce your risks of heart disease and diabetes. Fat has a minimal effect on insulin levels, so you'll get fewer blood-sugar spikes”. This also translates into few cravings and more energy. Oils like the B-well Pure Canola Oil or B-well Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or even using 'fatty spreads like mayonnaise,

the B-well Mayonnaise range is created with monounsaturated oil, allergy-free and both are naturally cholesterol free which make it an excellent route to adding good fat to one's diet.

Here are some examples of other good fats for the body: Avocados, nuts, seeds, salmon, tuna, sardines and trout. A small portion of fat is required for the body to be well sustained, why not cook with it or drizzle some over your meal like in a dressing.

Like fats, not all carbohydrates are equal and have the same effect in our bodies. Carbs are essentially sugars, starches and fibres which then fall into two categories: simple and complex carbohydrates. Our bodies require both of these, and essentially the complex carbs will be broken down by the body into simpler molecules. The breakdown of it gives a clue to how long these foods will keep you fuller. Simple sugars such as fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose) and table sugar (sucrose) get broken down by the body quickly. Ultimately we want to limit these for weight management because once the body takes these in a lot of excess energy from other sources is turned into stored body fat. Complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potato, pumpkin, wheat bread, whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, beans, peas and oatmeal, are preferrable and provide a range of micronutrients as well.

An easy way to start looking at your diet is to eliminate items that have sugar that does not serve any purpose. Sugar ends up in a lot of processed, pre-made foods like pasta sauce, ketchup, bread, instant oats, and peanut butter are notorious for hidden sugar. One easy rule of thumb: Avoid any food that has more than 3 grams of added sugar on the label. says Keri Glassman, RD, a celebrity nutritionist and brand ambassador for the healthy bouillon company BOU.

Next is proteins. This is nutrient is needed to build and maintain bone, muscle and skin. Too much protein from animal meat can result in an excess of “bad” saturated fat-which is only needed in small amounts. The body does require a good amount of protein, since it breaks these down in to the essential building blocks, called amino acids. Going predominantly plant-based is an excellent way to balance the body and naturally shed excess weight. This can be done by supplementing with healthy protein powders like hemp, pea or by adding chia, hemp, pumpkin or flax seeds to your daily meals. Otherwise it is a better idea to rely on lean protein from good ethical meat sources, like chicken, ostrich or fish.

The last of the foods come with colour: the vibrant vegetables that ought to fill up half of the plate. This is where one can experiment, have fun and also get extra creative as this will diversify the required micro-nutrients - phyto (plant) nutrients and polyphenols going into the body.

These come with special properties that assist the body and organs in remarkable ways that complement its natural function, like adding in flavonoids through colourful veg to assist in combatting histamines from seasonal allergies, or eating omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods to help support brain and heart function (like found in all B-well products).

With food comes water, and while the standard recommended 2 litres per day can be daunting for some, it is important to remember that water creates movement and just like it cleans the outside of our body, so does it clean the inside. Water not only hydrates but also assists in weight maintenance, weight loss, and it is required for overall health and wellbeing of the entire body, including the skin.

One can also enjoy naturally hydrating foods such as fruit and vegetables. It is best to stop drinking soft drinks and commercial fruit juices as well.

Preparation. Life is busy - go in unprepared and you will be hungry and more likely to opt for quick and convenient food that is not good for your body. Preparation is therefore important. Assign time during the week to buy ingredients and prep your food so you can create a convenient, easy selection of healthier options. Peel and grate carrots and other fresh ingredients wash lettuce heads, make your own date balls and granola.

All it takes is some love, self-love while you learn to love and nurture your beautiful body the best.