NUTRITION ADVICE FOR WEIGHT LOSS NUTRITION TIPS AND RECIPES INSIDE

Transcription

1 NUTRITION ADVICE FOR WEIGHT LOSS NUTRITION TIPS AND RECIPES INSIDE

2 What is a healthy body weight? There is no such thing as the perfect body or the ideal body weight. Healthy people come in many shapes and sizes, depending on their unique genetic build. The most important thing is to live a healthy life and to be the healthiest version of yourself you can be. Generally, though, we can use the body mass index (BMI*) to check whether we might be over- or underweight. The BMI measures your body weight in relation to your height. You should aim to have a BMI of between 18,5 and 24,9 to have a low risk of developing chronic diseases. However, remember that the BMI is just a screening tool. Chat to your doctor or dietitian about whether you are a candidate for weight management. PERCENT PERCENT A staggering 65% of South African women are obese or overweight, as are around 31% of men. With the obesity epidemic everexpanding in South Africa, so too are its associated chronic diseases, like diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. In many cases, chronic diseases are preventable if you maintain a healthy body weight. If you do have diabetes, heart disease or hypertension and are overweight, one of the first steps in your treatment plan will be to achieve a healthy body weight. Your body weight is determined by your balance of energy what you take in versus what you use: The more energy (kilojoules) you get from food and beverages, the more you will need to use through physical activity to maintain a healthy body weight. If you are overweight, your intake of energy is more than you are using up. Ready, set, go! Get moving. One of the key benefits of physical activity is that it helps you to maintain a healthy body weight. While following a fad diet may help you to lose weight in the short term, this approach to weight loss is unsustainable and usually ends in disappointment and the weight being regained. By adopting a healthy lifestyle, you can ensure consistent, healthy and sustainable weight loss and feel better than ever. Follow these tips to get started: Set a realistic and attainable goal. Aim to lose just 10% of your current weight as your first goal. Once you have maintained your new weight for six months, look at the next 10%, if necessary. Steady, consistent weight loss of about 0,5-1 kg per week is considered safe and healthy. Losing weight any faster than this may mean that you are exerting yourself too much, and that is not sustainable. Make lifestyle changes, one step at a time. For example, perhaps this week your focus will be to eat a healthy breakfast every morning. Once that becomes a habit, add the next lifestyle change, such as packing lunch for work instead of buying from the canteen. These gradual changes are the foundation of your long-term healthy habits. *Use this equation to calculate your BMI, then compare your results with the table below. Weight (in kg) Body mass index = Height 2 (in m) BMI Classification 17-18,4 Underweight 18,5-24,9 Normal 25-29,9 Overweight 30-34,9 Obese class Obese class 2 Allow room for life. Not every day will be a perfect eating plan day, and that is okay too. Food is meant to nourish you and be enjoyed, not obsessed over. If you do have a treat, acknowledge it and continue with your healthy habits for the rest of the day.

3 Meal planning for weight management Portion control is one of the biggest keys to healthy weight management because we often eat more than we really need in one sitting. Use this handy guide to estimate the right portion sizes. Choose your portion with caution. ½ plate vegetables Small amount of healthy fats ¼ plate lean proteins ¼ plate high-fibre carbohydrates ¼ plate high-fibre carbohydrates ½ plate vegetables ¼ plate lean proteins Examples: All fresh and frozen vegetables (served as a raw salad, steamed, fast-boiled, stir-fried or roasted), tinned vegetables (brine drained and rinsed) A serving is usually about the size of your palm, or ½-1 cup of milk or yoghurt. Examples: Low-fat milk, beans, lentils, chickpeas, poached and boiled eggs, dried and tinned beans, tuna in brine, low-fat mozzarella (30 g serving), lean cold meats, fish (not battered or fried), lean beef, ostrich fillet, lean minced meat, skinless chicken breasts and thighs ½ plate vegetables ¼ plate lean proteins ¼ plate high-fibre carbohydrates A serving is usually about the size of your fist, ½-1 cup, or 1-2 slices of bread. Examples: Oat porridge, high-fibre bran cereals, low-gi wholegrain bread, wholewheat wraps, rye and wholewheat crackers, baby potatoes (with the skin), sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, brown and wild rice, quinoa, wholewheat pasta A serving ranges from 1 tsp to 1 tbsp, depending on the type of fat. Small amount of healthy fats Small amount of healthy fats Examples: Seeds, almonds, peanut butter, avocados, low-fat tub margarines, olive and canola oils, unsalted raw nuts, nut butter, olives, low-oil dressings, low-oil mayonnaise

4 More weight management tips Eat regulary. Eating regular meals and snacks each day will help to fuel your metabolism and prevent you from feeling so hungry that you make poor food choices. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit. Vegetables and fruit are nutrient-dense, meaning they are good sources of beneficial nutrients for relatively few kilojoules. Increase your vegetable and fruit intake to at least five servings per day. Focus on fibre. Whenever you choose a starchy food, ensure that it s also a source of fibre. White starches are too refined. Increased fibre intake helps protect against long-term weight gain, aids blood glucose control, and can help you feel fuller for longer. Choose high-fibre cereals, wholewheat pasta and bread, brown rice, and baby or sweet potatoes with their skin. Limit your sugar intake. When eaten in excess, sugary foods can lead to weight gain. Save sweets, cakes and fizzy drinks for special occasions only. Choose fats wisely. Fats play an essential role in your diet, but it is important that you choose fats of good quality. The essential fatty acids in fatty fish, such as sardines, pilchards, mackerel and salmon, have numerous health benefits and protect you against heart disease. Choose monounsaturated fats, found in olive and canola oils, avocados and some nuts, more often. Beware of an excess intake of saturated fats (mainly found in animal fats), and avoid trans-fatty acids wherever possible (mainly found in hard margarines, takeaways and commercially prepared food). Increase your fluids. It is possible that you are mistaking the feeling of being thirsty for hunger and are eating unnecessarily. Ensure you drink at least eight glasses of water per day so you are properly hydrated. Sample meal plan To make your menu planning easier, here are some meal suggestions. Choose one option per meal and one mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. Remember to keep your portion sizes in check. Breakfast * Oats cooked in low-fat milk with added raisins and flaked almonds * Bran flakes with fat-free milk or yoghurt and sliced banana with raw nuts * Low-GI wholewheat toast with baked beans and sliced tomato * Poached or boiled egg with a slice of low-gi wholewheat toast and grilled tomato and mushrooms * Smoothie: Blend fat-free yoghurt or milk with fruit, peanut butter and oat bran * Super greenie smoothie Snack * Fresh fruit and fat-free fruit yoghurt * Dried fruit and nuts * Wholewheat crackers with cottage cheese, cucumber and hummus or peanut butter * Anchovy paste on low-gi wholewheat toast * Low-fat flavoured milk Light meal * Low-GI wholewheat bread (open sandwich) with tuna (brine drained), skinless chicken, lean beef or cottage cheese, plus salad vegetables with avocado or olives * Mini wholewheat pitas filled with egg mayonnaise (using a boiled egg and reduced-fat mayonnaise) with a green salad * Bean or lentil vegetable soup and grated mozzarella, plus low-gi wholewheat toast * Sardines on rye or wholewheat crackers, plus a mixed green salad and small avocado * Wasabi-laced coleslaw with smoked salmon * Roast vegetable chickpea salad Dinner * Tuna pasta * Baked sweet potato or cooked brown rice with skinless chicken, lean beef, pork fillet or fish, plus vegetables or salad * Stir-fried vegetables and beef, pork or chicken strips prepared with canola oil and soy sauce, and served with chickpeas, brown rice or wholewheat spaghetti * Grilled tuna steaks with pineapple and citrus salsa * Roasted beetroot and ricotta pasta * Spiced couscous-crusted pork with warm coleslaw * Optional dessert: Fruit with fat-free yoghurt Recipes available at

5 Tuna pasta Serves 4 Using wholewheat pasta increases the fibre content of this dish. Ingredients 1 glug olive oil 1 bunch spring onions 1 garlic clove 2 x 170 g cans tuna in brine, drained Finely sliced peel of ½ fresh lemon 1 fresh lemon, juiced 125 ml chicken or vegetable stock 1 cup cherry tomatoes (optional) 80 g rocket leaves 1 handful basil 1 handful fresh parsley 1 dash salt and milled pepper 500 g wholewheat spaghetti, cooked Method Heat the olive oil. Fry the spring onions and garlic for a second or two. Add the tuna and lemon and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the stock and tomatoes and cook for a minute. Add all the herbs and season. Toss the hot spaghetti with the sauce. Great things to add: Shaved baby marrows, fresh chilli, broccoli florets, olives and/or capers This dish was cooked by Justine on Just Cooking, season 1, episode 13. Did you know? Pick n Pay employs a registered dietitian to provide free nutrition-related advice to the public. Contact our Health Hotline on or healthhotline@pnp.co.za to start your nutrition conversation. * You can also visit to find a dietitian in your area who is registered with the Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA). * For more recipes, go to * Shop online at Disclaimer: The information in this leaflet is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please visit your healthcare professional for advice specific to your individual requirements.