If you’ve ever “contributed” to the $132 billion diet industry in the United States, you probably feel pretty cheated. No matter what miracle diet you try, no matter how much you shell out of your hard-earned cash, you end up weighing the same or more, over time.
Obesity is an epidemic in this country, and it’s not because nearly half of the women, men, and children eat too much. They’re just not eating well. In fact, in countries throughout the world that adopt a Westernized diet that emphasizes fast foods, junk food, and convenience over nutrition, both obesity and diabetes skyrocket.
Although everyone deserves to be happy in their body, if your body isn’t healthy, it’s hard to be happy. Obesity raises your risk for chronic and acute diseases. Being overweight or obese may also complicate your life in numerous ways, including making it harder to get the exercise you need to stay healthy.
At Florida Woman Care of Jacksonville, our expert doctors, Daniel McDyer, MD, FACOG, and Julian Stephen Suhrer, MD, conduct well-woman exams at our two Jacksonville, Florida, offices. If you’re obese, overweight, or have a chronic disease that may be influenced by your diet, we also offer nutrition counseling.
Do you eat nutrient-rich foods that promote vitality and keep you at a healthy weight? Or does your diet make it impossible for you to sustain health? The following questions can help you decide if nutrition counseling is right for you.
If you’ve lost weight in the past, but tend to gain it back or gain even more weight, you’re not alone. In fact, traditional “diets” set you up for that yo-yo pattern of losing, gaining, and gaining more.
When you limit your calories as a way of burning off fat, your body senses that it’s being deprived and interprets this as a starvation state. You may feel initially excited to see the pounds slip away as you attain your goal weight. But, once you reach your goal and start increasing your calories again, your body stores all the extra calories as fat.
In fact, a calorie-restriction diet actually trains your body to hold onto fat, not burn it. That’s because it just came through a “starvation” period and doesn’t want to go through another. And that’s why traditional diets don’t work. And never will.
No, we’re not referring to the colorful packages of processed foods that fill up your grocery cart. In fact, those colorful packages should go straight in the trash. Almost any processed food is filled with sugar, chemicals, and adulterated fats, such as trans fats, that trigger inflammation in your body and make you gain weight.
If you eat the rainbow, that means you’re filling your cart and your fridge with fresh fruits and vegetables that burst with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients you need to fuel your cells. During every meal, your plate should be filled with colorful, nutrient-rich foods such as:
It’s not easy to switch from the convenience of fast foods that you can eat straight out of a box or bag to preparing fresh foods yourself. But we help you find ways to incorporate vegetables and fruits easily into your new, lifelong diet plan to keep yourself and your family healthy.
Healthy proteins and fats provide satiety and also fuel your cells. You need plenty of protein to build muscle, which also speeds up your metabolism. In fact, you actually need more protein as you age, otherwise you develop sarcopenia (i.e., lost muscle mass), which puts you at risk for balance problems and falls.
How much protein you need daily depends on your age and weight, as well as your lifestyle. You also need to divide your protein throughout the day, by including such items as:
As part of your nutritional counseling, we calculate the number of grams of protein you need each day to stay (or become) strong and lean. We also help you develop meal plans so that you get the right amount of protein at the right times.
Attain and maintain a healthy weight for the new year by contacting our supportive team today for nutritional counseling or a well-woman exam at our Jacksonville, Florida, location nearest you. Or, use our online appointment form.
