Top Health Tips for Weight Maintenance

Recent studies on Obesity have confirmed much of what we already know about weight maintenance. It also highlights that approaches to health have strength in synchronicity. Meaning that if you opt for many different ways to improve your wellbeing, success is more likely. We water plants to keep them alive, but they also need sunshine. While soil provides nutrients, adding fertilizer makes them thrive. The same principles can be applied to the human body.

Research into preventing and reducing overweight and obesity is applicable to people of all shapes and sizes because in the end, the information gained aims to improve current health and prevention of chronic diseases.

Here are some simple approaches and why they matter:

1. Let’s get Physical. Exercise isn’t a groundbreaking tip. When weight maintenance is hard and healthy eating isn’t “working”, often this step is missing. Take a firm look at your physical activity. Energy in vs Energy out is an old weight maintenance adage that can be applied to your lifestyle, but works more effectively when nutrient dense (i.e. healthy) food is consumed.

2. Low addictive foods. Foods high in carbs and fat with low nutritional value are like crack! They are addictive and leave you wanting more. They also lead to what’s called Hedonic eating, which is snacking when you’re not hungry. Eating Hedonically initiates dopamine release, which makes us feel good. Foods considered the least addictive include, but are not limited to; vegetables, fruit, beans, brown rice and salmon. Besides lowering chances of unnecessary eating, there are many advantages of making vegetables the food group you eat the most. Watch your health transform.

3. Protein. Are you getting enough in every meal? Protein foods fill you up and increase your metabolism. Making sure there is an adequate amount in each meal improves compliance to eating healthier long-term, among other health benefits. A Nutritional consult will confirm your needs and help to adjust your requirements for protein intake.

4. Follow your Appetite. A low appetite might be your body telling you that you’re eating too much of the wrong foods as well as a need to increase physical activity. Do a health recap using tips #1 and #2 and you might get your answer.

5. Avoid extreme diets. Drastically reducing your food intake for an extreme diet typically slows down your metabolism and unfortunately this effect can often last for years. Such action can also cause an unhealthy relationship with food. The body’s regulatory systems want to keep you at the same weight you’re currently at (no matter what that weight is) by modulating appetite. This is why bingeing is a common outcome following diets involving starvation. How to repair your metabolism from past extreme diets? Up your exercise levels and apply a sensible eating plan. It’s never too late.

6. Sleep. 7 to 8 hours of sleep supports a healthy weight and appetite with 8 hours being ideal for cognitive function. Faulty sleep hygiene can negatively impact every aspect of your life so it’s important to address any problems here.

Need more health advice that is individually tailored to you? Email enquiries@purpletreetheapies.com.au if you would like to know more or to book a consultation.