The desire to lose weight and achieve what the media sells to us as sexy (read skinny) has led multitudes to adopt various habits that are not considered healthy.  Sorry but not sorry for the toes we will step on because a lot has been sold and even fed to desperate clients whose desire is to lose weight right now. 

The idea that has been sold to them is that slimming pills are better and engaging in the various fads like the celebrities do is the way to go but unluckily, these do not work. Among the ‘crazy’ fads include starvation, continuous drinking of apple cider vinegar, juicing for long periods and the recently the ketogenic diet (a diet originally designed for epileptics) which evolves around proteins and fats with no starch. 

The majority of the people are unaware about the effects that these have. If you are to choose a diet, kindly consult your registered nutritionist or dietitian and get your body well assessed.   Being skinny does not necessarily equate to being healthy.  Our aim is to ensure that our bodies are well nourished, in the right form and able to perform as desired.

In line with that, a diet we highly recommend is the Mediterranean diet.  It improves your heart health, reduces risk of cancer, helps you maintain a healthy weight and is sustainable as the food products are easy to find and are affordable.  Unlike the ketogenic/ keto diet which completely avoids starch your body still needs it.  The Mediterranean ensures that your body is nourished from all food sources however, the portions are controlled. 

The Mediterranean diet highlights the following;

1. Primarily eating plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals and flours, legumes and nuts. The aim is to acquire as much fiber as possible as this helps prevent colorectal cancer, reduce the bad cholesterol, give you a feeling of being full for longer periods after meals which contributes to weight loss.
2. Using healthy oil such as olive oil. This ensures that the amounts of saturated foods are minimized or even avoided.  Fats with high levels of unsaturation should be used instead as they are heart friendly.
3. Minimizing salt intake by using herbs and spices. In case you did not know, herbs and spices besides adding flavor contain various properties that improve heart health, bone health, and immune system
4. Limiting red meat intake to at least once a week as this helps minimize the level of saturated fats. However, when consumed, the meat should be lean.
5. White meat intake to at least twice a week. Please be advised that pork is not in any way white meat. Fish, chicken, and rabbit (if your religion allows) can be consumed.
6. Enjoying mealtime with family as this also helps improve mental health since a safe space is provided to air out issues and besides that, there is also a sense of accountability for healthy eating.
7. Snacking with fruits and nuts. A handful of nuts is enough for the whole day.
8. In the case of dairy and dairy products, low fat or skimmed should be highly considered.
9. Plenty of exercise. Cardio workout or aerobics can be accompanied with strength work out.  Aerobics comprise exercises that help improve the heart rate and metabolism such as cycling, brisk walking, rope skipping, swimming, dancing, jogging and running.  Strength workouts are basically for muscle.  A high muscle percentage is an indication of how one is able to easily break down fat.

From all that, you can now understand our deep love for the Mediterranean diet.  So out with all the fad diets and in the Mediterranean diet.  From us here at Winnie’s Pure Health, we support this through our whole grain flours and natural spices and we take this platform to welcome you to the Mediterranean way of life.