Seven diet changes to lose weight and gain health

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Although we see them already far away, the truth is that it has not been so long since we have left the holidays behind. And the ravages of excesses that we have been able to commit are still there, probably in the form of a few extra kilos. The good news is that we are in time to reverse these consequences with making simple changes in our diet, variations that have benefits that only go unnoticed when one does not know certain keys. These are some of the changes for the new course that promise better results to lose weight and gain health.
Stop counting calories

Although it may seem the ideal way to lose weight, and there are those who promise that diets in which calories are counted (such as CICO, Calories In, Calories Out, which consists of burning the calories ingested) are the best way to lose weight, not It’s like that. The problem with this concept is that the quality of the food consumed is not taken into account.

As explained to BUENAVIDA María Neira, nutritionist and author of the blog Nutriendo mi change, "if in the CICO diet we include ultraprocessed foods, regardless of nutritional quality, we could ingest few calories with an excess of sugar, low quality fats, salt and additives The effect can be seen on the scale, "but we would also be raising cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure and, in the medium term, we risk cardiovascular disease." In addition, "very low-calorie diets — even if they include quality foods - if they are maintained over time they can cause anemia, dermatitis and gastrointestinal problems due to the loss of vitamins and minerals. "
Choose foods well

A frequent mistake when we want to lose weight has its origin in the choice of what we are going to eat. We opt for products labeled as "0% fat", which actually contain sugars to make them tastier; or by the "light", which in no case mean "no calories", but simply contain some less.

On the contrary, there are many very healthy foods that we can include in our diet without practically noticing their effects on the scale and that also bring various benefits to our health. There are for all tastes, from vegetables such as zucchini and spinach to a delicious octopus dish. There are also others that help us to satiate ourselves more easily, such as fruit, yogurt (natural and unsweetened), cooked potatoes and pasta al dente (always whole grain).
Pay attention to the amounts (and nuts)

That a food is healthy does not mean that there is a free way to eat it in large quantities. In fact, this is precisely one of the main mistakes we make in the diet, an important reason why we gain weight. An example is nuts, which are essential in a healthy diet — they are a source of mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as omega 3, fiber, protein, minerals and vitamins, among other things. But they also provide numerous calories. That is, if we abuse, we can exceed the daily calories recommended by the World Health Organization: 2,000 to 2,500 daily for an adult male, and between 1,500 and 2,000 for women.
Plan the meals

Spending a little of our time should be enough. As advised by BUENAVIDA Mercedes Sanchis, researcher at the Institute of Biomechanics of Valencia and coordinator of the area of application of knowledge of health promotion, the ideal is to organize food according to the week we will have: "If it is more stressful , for example, we will introduce more carbohydrates "because, the higher the energy expenditure (whether physical or mental), the more hydrates the body will require. Instead, people with sedentary or less stressful jobs, by burning fewer calories, should discard hydrates.
The importance of the clock in food

It is not the same to eat in the morning than in the afternoon. According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, satiety hormones find their lowest hour in the afternoon, while those of hunger come up. The key time, the conclusions of this investigation point out, are three in the afternoon. The research participants lost almost two kilos more when they ate before that time, although the calories ingested were the same.
Eating as a family helps not get fat

According to a study by the universities of Minessota and Columbia, in the United States, eating with the family can protect against obesity and overweight because, apparently, we tend to eat foods that are usually healthier.
The coffees, alone and without sugar

Some studies indicate that coffee may have the ability to accelerate metabolism and, therefore, help us lose weight. However, as Ramón de Cangas, a dietitian-nutritionist member of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, explained to BUENAVIDA,