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The weight loss journey is never an easy one. You need to focus on multiple aspects like exercising, having restricted diet plans and controlling your urge of overeating. When you are looking for weight loss supplements, herbal juices are quite popular in the market. Made from a variety of ingredients like fruits and vegetables, these juices will help you lose weight or burn fat quickly. With a variety of weight loss juices available online, you can easily choose the right one for you based on your flavour preferences according to the ingredients.

To help you lose weight quickly and effectively, we have a list of some of the most popular weight loss juices available online in India. Have a look at this list and go for the weight loss juice that fits in your budget.

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Weight loss juice: 8 Herbal juices that you can add to your diet plan - Times of India

I'm roughly 64 kg at the moment. I work from home so I don't do much exercise or get much time to exercise. How much weight is healthy to lose per week to get to 55 kg?

If you're looking to lose weight 0.5 kg to 1 kg a week is considered healthy. Losing large amounts of weight quickly can increase your risk of putting the weight back on again, and more, so losing weight steadily is generally recommended. You can do this by cutting out refined carbohydrates such as white flour products and sugar, ensuring you have protein with every meal, healthy fats such as oily fish, avocado and olive oil and filling half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as greens and salad vegetables. Although you don't have much time to exercise try to go for a brisk walk for 20-30 minutes a day, which will help weight loss as well as promote good health.

I recently had major surgery and was left so weak and without any nutritional help. I am looking for some help to get my body back on track.

Wed suggest foods rich in nutrients to help your body to recover. Specifically, you need foods rich in protein, calcium, vitamins C, B, D, magnesium, manganese and zinc. So, this means including lots of fish, lean meat, eggs, nuts, and seeds for added protein, vitamins and minerals, plus green vegetables and fruit. Perhaps in addition you could consider taking a multi vitamin and mineral supplement, if you are not on any medication to boost your intake. If you are on medication, speak to your doctor before taking nutritional supplements. Avoid fizzy drinks and other high sugar foods.

What are the best foods to eat before and after working out?

Before working out, fast release carbohydrates will help you out to obtain the energy your muscles need. You can drink home-made orange juice with fresh (e.g. bananas) or desiccated fruits (e.g. raisins). Another option would be white bread sandwiches with fat-free cream cheese. Fat would not help you at this stage. Therefore, in case you drink milk, choose skimmed and lactose-free milk. After working out, a combination of fast release carbohydrates (similar to the ones mentioned above) and protein (fat-free yoghurt, skimmed lactose-free milk, cottage cheese) will be ideal to refill you glycogen deposits and also promote the muscle formation.

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ASK A NUTRITIONIST | EXPERT ADVICE - MAG THE WEEKLY - Mag The Weekly Magazine

We all know that exercising is a great way to improve mood as during workouts, our bodies release serotonin, the 'happiness hormone'. You are probably also aware that having a healthy, balanced diet can help you lose weight and boost metabolism too. But what you might know is that you can reduce stress and improve mood by eating the right type of food. Is it possible to eat yourself happy?

Few people are likely to turn to diet and nutrition as a way to combat poor mood. The link between mental health and nutrition is well underestimated, however increasing evidence suggests that good nutrition can significantly support mental health. The food we eat can impact a number of mechanisms involving neurotransmitters, hormones and other biological processes in the body.

To help us better understand the effects of our diet on our mental health, we asked James Collier, Head of Sustainable Nutrition and co-founder at Huel, to explain the ways in which food affect our mood and how we can use this knowledge to take better care of ourselves.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Most importantly, why do we get hungry? Biology lesson time!

There are two hormones that play a major role in when and how much we eat: leptin and ghrelin. A research paper published in 2006 in Obesity Review tells us that "Leptin is a mediator of long-term regulation of energy balance, suppressing food intake and thereby inducing weight loss. Ghrelin on the other hand is a fast-acting hormone, seemingly playing a role in meal initiation."

Basically, the body produces ghrelin to make you hungry and leptin when it's time to stop eating. It's important to understand that ghrelin is a signal hormone and it activates in regular intervals to remind you to eat. It is essential for us to eat and the body secretes ghrelin when you usually have food. It doesn't mean you need to eat straight away: ghrelin levels drop after a while, regardless if you have food or not. This is why you can feel really hungry but not eat and when you actually get around to eat, you aren't hungry anymore.

Leptin has an opposite effect to ghrelin: it signals when the system is 'full' so you stop eating. Leptin signals are slightly delayed so it is beneficial to eat slower to allow the body to react to nutrients.

Another hormone to mention here is dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that gives rise to positive feelings of pleasure. As James explains, "Dopamine causes us to seek pleasure and start hunting for food, which these days, when food is available in abundance, means running to the snack cupboard for a chocolate biscuit.

Not only this", he adds, "but dopamine causes our brain to remember how pleasurable the chocolate biscuit was, causing us to want to eat it again and ultimately chasing foods that give us the highest dopamine surge. Thats why, when we feel stressed or sad, we seek foods that will give us the most pleasure and comfort eat.

James top tip: Try incorporating turmeric into your diet, such as in curries or even a latte. Its active ingredient, curcumin, has been found to increase levels of dopamine. And if you are finding yourself reaching for the biscuits too often as your body tries to chase down a dopamine surge, then it is worth relooking at what youre eating more generally in the day. Opting for satiating foods at lunchtime will help keep ghrelin, the hunger hormone, at bay.

We already mentioned serotonin earlier and it's time to return to the subject of the 'happiness hormone'. According to hormone.org, "Serotonin is the key hormone that stabilizes our mood, feelings of wellbeing, and happiness" but "Serotonin also helps with sleeping, eating, and digestion."

Its possible for some of us to have lower levels of serotonin, due to aspects such as our genetic makeup or adverse life events, however good nutrition can be beneficial in increasing serotonin levels and stabilising moods", James says, "Foods rich in omega-3 fats, low-GI carbs and soluble fibre have been shown to increase serotonin levels. "

GI refers to 'glycemic index' and "it shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own", as defined by the NHS. High-GI food 'spikes' blood insulin levels and are generally recommended to reduce the amount of these in the diet. Low-GI foods are a different story.

As James explains, low GI foods will give you sustained energy and stabilise your mood throughout the day, rather than high GI foods (like cakes and sweets) which will make both your energy and mood crash. Recent evidence has also found that most of the serotonin in our bodies is produced in the nervous system, such as that of the intestines. This is partly linked to the gut microbiome, so looking after this with soluble prebiotic fibres and probiotics could have a bigger impact on your happiness than you may think.

Jamess top tip: For a hit of omega-3 fat, low-GI carbs and soluble prebiotic fibre in one meal, try a mix of chia seed and oat porridge for breakfast, or salmon, lentils and green beans for dinner.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

As well as hormones, certain micronutrients can a significant impact on how we feel and think. One of these is magnesium, and as James explains, "its main function in the body is energy regulation, muscle and nerve function. However, there is some evidence to suggest it plays a role in regulating stress too. Low levels have also been associated with anxiety, whilst those who have been found to supplement with magnesium have shown mood stabilising effects."

Interestingly, a study called "Anxiety and stress among science students. Study of calcium and magnesium alterations," published in 2006, found that students undergoing stressful exam conditions had increased amounts of magnesium in their urine, suggesting that magnesium plays a role in the bodys stress response and levels are ultimately left lower. "Scientists agree more research is needed, but as dietary intake of magnesium has been shown to be insufficient in Western populations, theres no harm in upping our intake, Jason concludes.

Jamess top tip: The Recommended Dietary Allowance for magnesium in the United KIngdom is 300 mg for men and 270 mg for women. A 50-gram serving of spinach contains around 40 mg of magnesium and one avocado provides 58 mg.

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This is part of T3's Fit for 2021 programme, which will be running throughout 2021 to get everyone fit and healthy. We aim to bring you tips on diet, lifestyle and exercise that will help you shape up for what is certain to be a challenging year for many. One thing we can guarantee: it WILL be better than last year. And hopefully we'll help you get the most out of it.

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Originally posted here:
Eat yourself happy: Nutritionist explains how eating right can reduce stress, improve mood and more - T3

For as long as I can remember, I've driven myself over the edge trying to bring my weight down.

As a petite woman who is barely five feet tall, even the slightest uptick is visible on my tiny frame. I have always been very conscious of looking plump, which acquaintances don't fail to point out. "Oh you look lovely, but a bit chubbier than before," they say nonchalantly while sipping their coffee.

I hated every minute of it. People talk about feeling a great adrenaline rush from the gym, but I felt the opposite. I felt suffocated, as if someone was sitting on my chest. I have always felt like your body knows when you hate something, and so mine remained defiant. It wouldn't shed any pounds, no matter how hard I tried. It knew I hated going to the gym. I wanted to scream at it.

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I obsessed over their Instagram feeds and sent screenshots to my friends. "Will he still want to date me if I don't have a thigh gap like that?" I asked them. A small waist, flat tummy, big booty and a thigh gap: that's what I was aiming for.

Instead of monitoring my food habits or dieting, I started going for runs for the sake of sanity. This time, weight loss was not a motive: I had never been able to bring my weight down before, so I finally stopped focusing on it. Sometimes, I didn't even run, but walked endlessly at a languid pace, taking in the surroundings and allowing myself to breathe as the world crumbled in the wake of coronavirus. It helped clear my mind, and I was hooked on it.

I focused on not caring about a number, and ate whatever I wanted without feeling guilty. Getting through the day was hard enough, and I didn't have it in me to obsess about an ideal body anymore. It feels sad now, remembering how I equated my self-worth with a number. I judged myself and let myself wallow in self-loathing, even though I was perfectly healthy.

No matter how hard I tried to push past it, deep down, I refused to believe that my body would change as I got older. I still wanted to be able to say in a cooing voice, "I don't have a diet or a work-out routine, it's just natural." But nothing I was doing to my body these last few years was natural.

My pandemic experience taught me to respect, not punish, my body. I started loving my body, even if that meant not having a thigh gap or a tiny waist. I still go for runs - not because I want to lose weight, but because I want to remain healthy and feel relaxed. At the end of the day, it's about listening to your body and respecting its likes and dislikes.

It's been constantly raining where I am, and I haven't gone for a run in about a week. But I am not losing my mind over it, or worrying about putting on "quarantine pounds." The batteries of my new scale ran out again last month, and I haven't felt an urge to replace them anytime soon. I don't know my weight, but I know that no matter what, I am not scared of it anymore.

Read more:
After years of dieting, I finally stopped obsessing over my weight - and lost 20 pounds - Business Insider India

Coffee is the most popular morning beverage consumed around the world. In fact, the global population consumes over 160 million bags of coffee in a year.

Though the drink is most popular for boosting energy, it can also be healthy and help with your weight loss goals.

"Coffee, when consumed in moderation and without too many added sweeteners, can help with weight loss and be beneficial to your overall health," says Ashley Shaw, RD, a registered dietitian at Preg Appetit.

Here's what you should know about coffee and weight loss, and how much you should drink to lose weight.

Coffee contains nutrients such as niacin, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants which can improve digestive health, support muscle function, and lead to better heart health. It also contains caffeine, which boosts energy, lowers insulin sensitivity, and promotes weight loss.

Here are some health and weight loss-related benefits of this energy-boosting drink:

Black coffee is a low-calorie beverage. Weight loss is associated with a calorie deficit, which is when you consume fewer calories than you burn. A popular way to help achieve a calorie deficit is to consume fewer calories than your usual caloric intake.

Black coffee is an ideal beverage to drink for weight loss as it contains less than 5 calories per serving (one 8-0z cup). However, it's only low-calorie if you drink it black.

"While black coffee is low-calorie, it can quickly become high in calories, sugar, and fats when different milks and sugars are added to it," Shaw says.

Caffeine boosts metabolism. Metabolism is the process in which the body breaks down nutrients and utilizes foods' calories throughout the day. Caffeine, a stimulant found in coffee, is one of few substances that may increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR), also known as the rate at which you burn calories while resting.

A small 2018 study found that participants who drank various measures of coffee over the course of two months had greater metabolites, a product of metabolism. A higher or faster metabolism will allow you to burn more calories at rest or during physical activity, which may help lead to weight loss.

"There is a growing body of research on how coffee consumption is positively associated with BMR, however it's important to keep in mind that we metabolize foods and beverages at different rates. Coffee may increase one person's metabolic rate but not another," Shaw says.

Caffeine may decrease feelings of hunger. Appetite is influenced by a variety of factors, including the type of food you eat, physical activity levels, and hormones. While there is not sufficient research to determine a cause-effect relationship for caffeine reducing appetite, studies have shown that it may reduce levels of ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry.

A small 2014 study found that participants increased feelings of fullness and reduced their food intake just within four weeks of drinking coffee daily based on their ghrelin levels.

"Caffeine also stimulates the satiety hormone peptide YY (PYY). More PYY means you will feel satiated and less hungry," Shaw says.

Coffee has many benefits that promote weight loss, but there are potential drawbacks, Shaw says. Here are some of the downsides of coffee to be mindful when incorporating it in your diet:

Some coffee drinks contain lots of calories and sugar. When drinking coffee for weight loss, it's best to avoid adding calories to your drink. It may be tempting to add milk or sugar into your coffee, but these can quickly add calories to your drink, Shaw says.

Many popular coffee drinks are already high in calories, including Starbucks' very own Mocha Frappuccino and Caramel Macchiato which contain 370 and 250 calories, respectively. Consuming more calories than your normal intake prevents you from achieving a calorie deficit for weight loss and instead leads to weight gain, Shaw says.

Caffeine can reduce sleep. Poor sleep is often linked to increased appetite and hunger, specifically for high-calorie foods. Studies have attributed lack of sleep to an increase of ghrelin, the hormone that regulates feelings of hunger, which can result in greater calorie consumption and weight gain.

"The caffeine found in coffee blocks adenosine receptors that bring on drowsiness, causing you to feel more awake. I suggest cutting off your caffeine at least six to seven hours before bedtime for quality sleep and hormone regulation," Shaw says.

To receive the health benefits of coffee and achieve weight loss, Shaw recommends drinking no more than four 8-oz cups of coffee a day, which equates to 400mg of caffeine.

"Four cups of coffee a day allows the benefits of feeling more awake and better fat metabolism while not being too much to impact sleep and hunger," Shaw says. Drinking a cup every couple of hours would be reasonable to feel the lasting effects in each interval, she says.

However, if you like strong coffee, drink fewer cups accordingly to get no more than 400mg of caffeine per day. "Coffee that is identified as 'strong' is higher in caffeine content because there is a greater concentration of coffee per serving of water," Shaw says.

Black coffee is best for weight loss as it does not contain added sugars or fats that can contribute to weight gain, Shaw says. However, if you like your coffee sweet, here are some low-calorie alternative sweeteners to use:

If you are new to drinking black coffee, it may be helpful to reduce your pumps of sweetener until you get used to the bitter taste. If you have a sensitive stomach, it's best to eat food alongside your coffee as this acidic drink may cause gastric distress, says Shaw. Too much stress on your digestive system can cause weight gain, she says.

Overall, coffee is an energy-boosting beverage with numerous health benefits. The few calories and caffeine content in the drink can help with weight loss.

However, it is important to be mindful of what and how much you drink. Consume coffee beverages that are low in calories by minimizing added sugars and fat content in your drink. Make sure you are having no more than 400mg of caffeine a day and avoid it several hours before bedtime.

Coffee impacts everyone differently. The effect it has on you may not be the effect it has on someone else. To determine the healthiest weight loss plan for your needs, consult your healthcare provider.

See the article here:
Why coffee can be a good drink for weight loss and how to drink it to help you lose weight - Insider - INSIDER

The term "fasting" needs so special introduction to most of us. We all prefer to go on a fast for religious purposes on special days. But "intermittent fasting" is a relatively new concept that is gaining popularity these days. Unlike the conventional fasting in which you refrain from food, intermittent fasting involves a cycle of eating and fasting that is considered to be good for health.

The basic idea behind Intermittent Fasting is to split the day or sometimes a week into eating and fasting periods. This can be done in several ways like the 16/8 method (16 hours fast and 8 hours eating window), Eat-Stop-Eat (24 Hours Fast) and 5:2 diet (fasting on 2 days and eating well on the other 5 days).

The concept behind creating these eating patterns is to restrict the number of calories you consume. Restricted eating not only helps you lose weight but also promotes a healthy body and mind.

> Headaches> Lethargy> Mood Swings> Fatigue> Drowsiness> Lack of Concentration> Constipation> Acidity> Food Cravings> Low blood sugar

After learning about the benefits of intermittent fasting, you may want to try it out and experience them yourself. However, we strongly recommend you to speak to a doctor and take their help in deciding the ideal Intermittent fasting plan for you based on your health and age to prevent unwanted side effects!

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8 Reasons Why Intermittent Fasting Is Good For Your Health - NewsMeter

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Ava* is shopping with her mum. Shes 10. Feisty. Articulate. And unsure. Her mother wants to buy her a new swimsuit. Ava wants to get one, too, just not the two-piece her mother has chosen for her. I feel like I have a bit of a belly, she says. Her friends, listening to the story a few days later, all nod.

My parents say that when I get older its going to stretch out and be okay. But I think I have a really big ribcage. She stands in front of her friends and holds her hands stiff against her sides. See, you can see the outline.

She traces an invisible line down her body. Her friends nod. So even if I do like them, I dont want to wear them because my belly sticks out. Theyre also too revealing for someone who looks like me.

Ava and her friends are ten-agers, 10-year-old girls who seem both older than their parents were at the same age, and less well-equipped to deal with life. Moulded by unique times, a 10-year-old today was born a few years after the iPhone came out, and in the same year the first-generation iPad was released and Instagram launched. Siri and AirPods, streaming and TikTok, Instagram and YouTube will be part of their teenage DNA. Not only are these 10-year-olds a cohort, an age group, but in so many ways [theyre also] a metaphor for the future, says Sydney-based social researcher Mark McCrindle.

It's okay to be the shape you are. You're 10!

Courses and school excursions have in many cases replaced childhood adventures, and the social skills of many have been stunted by devices used as pacifiers since birth. Thats partly a reflection of the way we parent, but also of a change in the make-up of our cities and the lure of medium- and high-density living, which has killed off big backyards. Life is more structured, too, with after-school tutoring, soccer coaching and gymnastics sessions taking over from the free play of earlier generations. The focus of parents, often, is towards academic outcomes, and with busy lives themselves, family time tends to see every minute filled.

Intrigued by what all this is doing to the young women of tomorrow, I conducted a year-long study involving 500 10-year-old Australian girls, 100 year 5 teachers, 1600 mothers and 400 fathers, along with dozens of school principals and psychologists. The results highlight how anxiety and friendship dramas haunt this generation, how smartphones and social media are moulding their personalities, and how schools are grappling with their lack of resilience and sleeplessness. Unfailingly non-judgmental of others, their assessment of themselves and their bodies is achingly difficult to understand and cause for alarm.

Ava is just one of the many girls I meet across Australia as part of this study. She describes herself as witty, a good reader and great at sport. But her body? Well, she reckons she lost in that lottery. And it seems the six friends shes sitting with know exactly how she feels. These girls are in years 5 and 6, at the top end of primary school.

My friend, shes really skinny, says Samantha*, who has just turned 11. Sometimes when I have to play with her and then I go home, I feel like I need to lose weight very quickly. She makes me feel bad. And so it goes on, around this small table of 10- and 11-year-olds. These girls attend a private primary school in a big Australian city, but their answers are echoed by students in public schools, in other cities and in regional areas, too. Fat arms; a gap in my teeth; too fat for dance now; and tall. They dont know exactly how tall they are in centimetres, but if theyre taller than their friends theyre too tall. Once assumed a blessing, being tall appears to be especially bad to todays young girls.

I dont fit in, especially since Im quite tall, Mia* says. I usually kind of feel like an outsider. Alexis* agrees: I know, right. It just means you have no friends. I wish there was a way of not being tall.

Brisbane Girls Grammar School psychologist Tara McLachlan says body image issues are made more heartbreaking by the fact that girls often want to change what is not possible. Its so hard when its something like the colour of their skin, or their height, or things that they just cant change about themselves, she says. And I think it starts at 10 they just want to fit in and be like everyone else. So if everyone else is taller, they just want to be the same.

For tweens, reminders of how they want to look are omnipresent. Body consciousness saturates what they see, looming large on billboards and in smartphone ads. Its the talk at lunchtime, in sports change rooms and at dance classes. Height. Weight. Hair. Noses. Knee shape. Susan Dalton, principal of Miami State High School on the Gold Coast, wishes she could make the issue disappear for her students. Its okay to be the shape you are, she says, like shes talking to 10-year-olds everywhere. Youre 10! You can hear the exasperation in her voice.

Paulina Skerman is the principal of independent Catholic school Santa Sabina College in Sydneys inner west. Conducting enrolment interviews with her youngest students, she emphasises the schools no-make-up policy. I have a little giggle when I say that we dont have make-up here at school, so when you get to grade 11 and 12, you know, no false eyelashes! The girls laugh and are shocked that false eyelashes could ever be a thing at school. But they are in many, many schools. Thats very much a part of a 16- to 17-year-old girls world, Skerman continues. False eyelashes, and some may even be experimenting with a bit of Botox.

She is supported by other principals in making this point: everything we can do to slow down this race by girls to grow up, we should.

How a girl views her body will be influenced by many factors, but mainly by her peers, by technology and by her family, particularly her mother. Janeen Fricke, principal of Queenslands Mt Isa School of the Air, says fashion is big in country areas, particularly around horse-riding and rodeo events. Body image issues often kick in when the girls go away to boarding school. Theres often this change: Mum, we dont want to wear that stuff any more. We want to see whats at Forever New.

Other educators share this observation: that girls want to look like someone else the girl sitting next to them in class, or the girl on this television show, or that YouTube channel, or on the bus. I want to look like Katie, one girl says. Why, I ask? She just looks awesome. Pressed to describe her, its about her hair, and the fact that shes just the right height and she always looks good. Some want smaller noses and skinnier knees, different smiles and longer legs. And while many of their mothers might have been critical of their own appearance as teens, its the age at which it is happening that shocks educators and parents alike. The self-assessment is more savage, too, a consequence of the constant messaging and perfect world delivered into their social media accounts.

Former long-term Victorian police officer Susan McLean travels Australia talking to students about cyber safety. She says many girls assume the fake or photoshopped photos of other teens and perfect sunsets and products filling their screens are genuine. If they have access to social media, then theyre getting this total newsfeed of images that you and I know are photoshopped. You and I know they arent real, she says. The girls dont. The coronavirus pandemic had added a layer of scariness, she says, citing cases where teachers tried to provide lessons via Zoom or a similar platform during lockdown. Children as young as 10 refused, because they were required to appear on video and didnt like the way they looked.

About 10 is when girls are becoming more aware of branding, in a way a teenager was a decade ago. Its not enough just to have a pair of jeans from Target, author and teen educator Dannielle Miller says. Theyre starting to want designer labels. Theyre starting to think that their value increases based on the value of the items they have. So a lot of this has an even deeper impact on girls from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who are starting to realise more and more that what our culture defines as attractiveness may be something that they will find very hard to attain. That, she says, has been the motivation for some girls caught shoplifting.

Periods are important because its a late event, but theres a hell of a lot thats happening beforehand. What weve come to understand is that puberty is a process which unfolds over half a dozen years.

Lisa Miller is head of the junior school at Strathcona Girls Grammar in Melbournes Canterbury. Miller says shes seen the significant shift over the past five years in relation to girls sexual development, with puberty arriving earlier, affecting everything from friendships to how girls see themselves and their bodies. This is a focus for George Patton, professor of adolescent health research at Melbourne University. An epidemiologist who is also a senior principal research fellow with Australias National Health and Medical Research Council, Patton says puberty actually starts years before a girls first period, a fact thats rarely understood or discussed. It is at this point that substantial hormonal changes take place that later play a role in everything from metabolism to mental health to relationship building.

That has real significance, not only of risks later, like eating disorders, but also in terms of girls being sensitive about their bodies, he says. Periods are important because its a late event, but theres a hell of a lot thats happening beforehand. What weve come to understand is that puberty is a process which unfolds over half a dozen years.

His Childhood to Adolescence Transition Study (CATS), which explores the biological, social and emotional influences during puberty, tracks children from the age of eight to 16. Beginning in 2012 and involving more than 1200 children, families and teachers in and around Melbourne, its findings about the onset of puberty might help teachers understand something they cant really put their finger on that takes hold in years 3 and 4. Teachers are important figures in the lives of kids. I dont think this is something that teachers are generally trained in, he says. But in terms of teaching and kids reorienting themselves to the wider world, this is an incredible opportunity for education systems to be providing and guiding that sort of reorientation.

Differences in development and maturity in the same class and even the same friendship circle can make for long days and short nights. Some girls at 10 still believe in unicorns, want the warm hand of their dad on the walk through the school gates, and treasure the Build-A-Bear they received last Christmas. Others are shaving their legs, offering their opinions on Snapchat and wondering whether the boy on the bus likes them. Kellie Lyneham, deputy principal student wellbeing at Melbournes Korowa Anglican Girls School, sees this wide variance in development regularly. Theres a critical mass who want to be treated like grown-up girls, who want to have the opportunities to demonstrate independence and to make choices about their learning and about their experience on a daily basis, she says. Then theres a cohort who would really just like to be treated like little girls.

Ask 1600 mothers about the concerns they hold for their 10-year-olds and the answers run the spectrum. Featuring highly among most of them, however, are body image, the inability to make and keep friends and the obsession and nastiness involved with social media. Why do some girls become so unkind and nasty? one mother asks me.

The girls responses illustrate her concern. I find it hard to make friends because I am so worried about if they like me or not, Aisha* tells me. Francesca* is equally anxious. Im hard to talk to, she says. Mei* can identify. For her, finding and keeping friends is the toughest part about being 10. Some of them turn out to be using you, she says. Real friends are hard to discover.

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Many principals believe the need to teach girls friendship etiquette has increased after last years coronavirus lockdown, when for a while schoolchildren didnt have regular physical interaction with their peers. All too often, tech-savvy children reach for a phone, iPad or school computer and send off a message that starts a chain reaction. Simple annoyances become friendship deciders. One of the most common examples comes about as a consequence of a girl sending a text to a friend at night. The sender sees the read receipt, but doesnt receive a reply. By morning, a fight has developed and everyone knows it. The 10-year-old whose parents stopped her replying, or who read the message just before nodding off to sleep, is unfriended and ostracised. In the parlance of our 10-year-olds, she was responsible for her friend being left on read.

Dealing with friendship fallouts and social media nastiness requires a maturity many 10-year-olds lack. Former primary school teacher Hugh van Cuylenburg authored The Resilience Project, a 2019 book that explores why many Australian children struggle to find happiness and calm. He wrote it after a stint a decade earlier teaching in India, where he was mystified at the contentment of children sleeping rough with their families each night. I thought of all the people I knew back in Australia and the students Id taught over the years whod struggled with depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses. Why were we in the developed world so broken? Why were we in Australia, such a beautiful and privileged country, so anxious and depressed?

Van Cuylenburg came to the conclusion that gratitude, empathy and mindfulness all play an important part in building a foundation of resilience in tween girls.

Resilience is also mentioned by mothers. Shes a high achiever in most areas and hasnt really experienced much disappointment. I wonder how she will cope when things dont turn out well, one mum says. Adds another of her own daughter: She cries a lot over nothing. It could be her siblings, or having to walk too far. I wish she would toughen up. Says a third mother: She is way more awesome and amazing and smart than she seems to believe or give herself credit for. And this from a fourth: Id love her to be more willing to try new things and to tough out things she finds hard. She quits too soon.

Melbourne teen psychologist Andrew Fuller warns however that many children present differently at school than they do at home. Grade 5 and grade 6 is a time of incredible capacity. They are quite resilient, he says. At home with their parents they might be different to what they truly are. I think its easy to underestimate kids a bit.

Melbourne teen psychologist Andrew Fuller: In terms of creative and critical thinking, theyre very good. Where they struggle often is in disruption in friendships, how to repair a relationship, and often [they] may become overly concerned about minor setbacks in their life, so they freak out.Credit:Getty Images

Teachers hold a special position, able to see and hear how 10-year-olds interact with each other, and the level of self-awareness and self-sufficiency they show. I ask 100 grade 5 teachers how they viewed resilience levels among their 10-year-old students, and common themes pop up: structure, routine, outside influences and experiences all boost confidence levels. Sometimes its the quieter girls who exhibit the greatest calmness and strength.

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Those with outside interests show more resilience, one teacher explains. From another: Those with higher resilience come from families with structure, routine and strict protocols, and a culture of reading/adventure. Adds a third teacher: I think the level of resilience really depends on the experiences theyve had. Some have high levels of resilience and will usually be confident in themselves, but also still [be] quiet they are not the loud, out-there girls. And this from another: The students with higher resilience tend to be more comfortable with their own view of themselves; are more willing to try new things; are active listeners and readily give encouragement to others. They also are usually more self-sufficient and dont require others so much for validation.

Overwhelmingly, teachers see parents playing a significant role in making or breaking resilience levels. Says one: I have noticed the students who are more resilient come from families who have parents who are easygoing and resilient themselves. However, I find students who are not very resilient seem to come from families who worry, are over-protective and lack problem-solving skills. And another: Those who are more resilient usually come from homes where parents dont bubble-wrap their children every step of the way. And a third: Parents who allow their children to fail, not rescue or problem-solve for them but cheerlead from the sideline...[this] definitely makes a difference with how a 10-year-old responds to challenging situations.

Those whove faced adversity early in their lives, like illness, are mentioned by teachers as being better able to handle the issues thrown at them. Melbourne psychologist Andrew Fuller, whose own daughter survived childhood leukaemia, says this is a common belief in cancer wards. Kids with cancer are sometimes tearaway teenagers, willing to do anything. They have both a derring-do and a fragility. Rural children also seemed generally mentally tougher, an observation supported by boarding school educators and those whove worked in both rural and metropolitan areas. Janeen Fricke, the Mount Isa principal, says watching their parents struggle with drought on isolated stations means many of her students understand the bigger picture in a way 10-year-olds in the warm embrace of a city might not. It might be weather-induced problems, or an accident, or the life cycle of animals living and dying, but theyre really in touch with that side of life.

Grade 5 and grade 6 is a time of incredible capacity. Theyre quite resilient. At home with their parents they might be different to what they truly are.

Fricke, who has also worked in big regional areas, makes a link between this and their ability to both solve problems and use networks. So if youre on an isolated station, and theres a problem, your next-door neighbour is probably going to help, or the Royal Flying Doctor Service, or people on the side of the road. You all pull together. They know they have to problem-solve to deal with difficult situations, and that tomorrow still exists.

Whats interesting, she says, is that the work around body image and anxiety needs to begin when country children move to the city to attend boarding school, or to stay with cousins and attend day school. Whether its after year 6 or year 10, its then they get exposed to human behaviours that theyve never had to deal with. And thats where they dont have resilience because theyre not used to people not working together. So what can we learn from our country cousins? Probably backing each other. Particularly when stress hits, you have got to have others around you who can help you.

Andrew Fuller believes 10-year-olds today are smarter than in previous generations, and says many are good problem-solvers. In terms of creative and critical thinking, theyre very good. Where they struggle often is in disruption in friendships, how to repair a relationship, and often [they] may become overly concerned about minor setbacks in their life, so they freak out. Any of us can freak out when were challenged; its how we deal with it that matters.

For some people, continues Fuller, you can then become avoidant tothe situation and go, Well, Ill never do that again because basically it was just too hard. But for others there will be a kind of over-focus on achieving in that area that can also be a form of not being resilient.

The 100 teachers whose advice I seek nominate similar characteristics when it comes to identifying those who showcase grit and persistence in their classrooms. These are: the ability to work independently; not having the same driving need to fit in as some of their peers; a better self-concept; more positivity; better problem-solving skills: the ability to bounce back from disagreements; and fewer tears.

Tears. That word pops up repeatedly in my research, and it raises the issue of self-regulation, which Fuller says is one of the strongest predictors of success. This includes developing executive functions like willpower, decision-making and planning abilities. So when Im feeling grumpy and anxious and tetchy, how do I learn to deal with that? And when Im feeling flat and uninterested and bored and avoidant, how do I learn to deal with that?

Self-regulation is also a research focus for Professor Kate Williams from Queensland University of Technologys School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education. She says about 30 per cent of young children have difficulty regulating their emotions and that a tie exists between the ability to self-regulate and wellness. Weve been able to link, in our studies, early self-regulation even as young as four or five and absolutely it would still be predictive at 10 [to] things like adult mental health and psychological distress, gambling, substance abuse, teen substance abuse, self-harm, she says. So if you can build those self-regulation skills early, you will drop the risk of those things happening drastically.

Music can also play a role in developing self-regulation, according to Williams, who is a registered music therapist. She cites this example: when her husband played his music of choice at home, her then 10-year-old would complain it made her dizzy. Shed say, That makes me feel yuck, can you turn it off? Her daughter would then put on her own boppy music and her mood would instantly change. So really, letting them use music as a tool, and talking to them about that, from about 10, is good. Thats because the older our daughters get, the more music is likely to become part of their social lives and the more theyll need to understand how the music they listen to affects their moods.

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Author and former teacher Hugh van Cuylenburg also sings the praises of music along with exercise and laughter to help us feel more positive. In primary school, those three activities take up a chunk of the day both in the curriculum and in the playground. But at around this age, structured music lessons begin to trail off for many girls, and that needs attention, he believes. A lot of kids are self-conscious at that stage, so getting involved in music is probably a little bit harder but we definitely need to have more.

Fuller admits this is all tricky and that the links between self-confidence, self-esteem and resilience are not linear. It is not a neat link, he says. Its interesting because what we see is that some of our most optimistic, high-self-esteem kids can actually fall apart quite quickly. While intuitively youd think that higher self-esteem is going to lead to higher resilience, its not always true.

"Some of our most optimistic, high-self-esteem kids can fall apart quite quickly. While intuitively youd think higher self-esteem is going to lead to higher resilience, its not always true.

Nonetheless, principals say they can often spot confidence and self-sufficiency at the age of 10. Many raise, unprompted, the notion that it lights up a path to leadership. Kevin Tutt, the recently retired principal of Seymour College, a private day and boarding school for girls in Adelaide, says those showing self-confidence and an ability to adapt to change frequently become class or school leaders. At his school, primary education ends in grade 5 and the junior school has its own captains. The two girls there at the momentyou can see a maturity about them but its the right maturity with respect to really good values. That, he believes, comes from their families. The values side of parenting is increasingly important.

So what do our 10-year-old girls want from their parents? I ask 500 10-year-olds that question. Many jot their answer down on paper.

Dear Mum and Dad, I love you a lot but I wish you wouldnt cut me off when Im talking. Also some more privacy please.

Can you listen to me without commenting and [then forgetting what I said] completely?

Can I have a phone and can you spend more time with me?

Can we do more things with family including Dad because he is always at work?

From Sydney to Melbourne, Adelaide to Hobart, Perth to Cairns, the answers are a direct plea to their carers for a few key gifts. More time with them. The touch involved in snuggles and cuddles and kisses. More independence. Less judgment. But more than anything, our ten-agers want a reminder that theyremain the centre of our worlds.

*Names changed for privacy. Ten-Ager: What Your Daughter Needs to Know About the Transition from Child to Teen (Hachette, $33) is out Tuesday.

To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.

We deliver the best of Good Weekend to your inbox so its there when youre ready to read. Sign up for the Herald's Good Weekend newsletter here and The Age's here. Sent every Saturday.

Madonna King is a leading journalist and commentator who writes for the Brisbane Times. She was an award-winning mornings presenter on 612 ABC Brisbane and is a five-times author.

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'My friend, she's really skinny, I need to lose weight' the teenage angst swamping 10-year-old girls - Sydney Morning Herald

Her words carry a lot of weight and significance, especially at a time when there are a plethora of diet fads swirling all around us, luring those looking to lose weight quickly.

In her latest book Eating in the Age of Dieting, author and nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar says, Look at food as a blessing. Eat with gratitude, not guilt Move beyond carbs/protein/fat/calories. Food is culture, cuisine, and crop-cycle. Eat local, seasonal and traditional.

Her words carry a lot of weight and significance, especially at a time when there are a plethora of diet fads swirling all around us, luring those looking to lose weight quickly. Vegan, paleo, keto, Mediterranean, low-fat are just some of the popular diets in existence today. Medical experts, however, say that these are just passing trends. For good health, losing weight is not important. Its metabolic health which is key. Dieting, in fact, can lead to increased risk of cancer, diabetes, etc.

Sustainable weight loss is a scientific gradual process that involves increased metabolism with a customised diet and regular physical activity. The basics of healthy weight loss are based on eating fewer calories and burning out at the same time. A scientific diet plan for weight loss not only contains fewer calories, but also ensures enough intake of fibre, adequate protein, good fats and micronutrients to prevent any deficiency, says Mumbai-based Subhasree Ray, clinical and public health nutritionist, certified diabetes educator, International Diabetes Federation.

Reality check

In October last year, 27-year-old Bengali actor Mishti Mukherjee died due to kidney failure caused reportedly by keto diet. The tragic incident raises serious questions about the efficacy of these diets. The keto diet, for one, is a high-fat, moderate-protein and low-carb one. It drastically reduces carbohydrate intake, replacing it with fat, resulting in a metabolic state called ketosis, where the liver burns body fat and provides fuel for the body, as there is limited access to glucose.

Currently, it is one of the common modalities to lose weight among many fitness enthusiasts and often lacks expert supervision. If preached by untrained professionals, it may lead to severe consequences. Keto diet is a therapeutic diet that cant be practised as a normal diet. A diet is only worth it if its safe, says Ray, adding, Another common food fad is the mono diet, which is depending on a particular food (for example, aloe vera or triphala juice, powdered fenugreek seeds, cinnamon and honey tea, detox tea, green coffee, etc) or regimen to lose weight but can result in hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies and muscle loss.

There are many more such health trends doing the rounds currently. Ghee shots, haldi in pills, fasts for cleansing are a few examples. Fasts for cleansing, haldi in pills, or ghee shots have scientifically proved zero on the basis of facts, asserts Diwekar. Regular meals throughout the day lead to better metabolic health and sustainable weight loss in long term, she has tweeted in the past.

Arun Prasad, senior consultant, surgical gastroenterology and bariatric surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, agrees: There is no evidence that proves the contribution of such commodities to weight loss. Far from health benefits, if food items like haldi pills, ghee shots and other similar components are consumed in excess, their own toxic potential can be harmful, he cautions, adding, Before attempting to blindly follow any trend, it is important to first understand your body type, have thorough knowledge of any prevailing medical condition and family history of health conditions. There are no shortcuts to staying physically fit and healthy a balanced diet coupled with physical activity is essential.

Experts also say there is no scientific evidence to support fasting. Fasting can deplete essential vitamins, minerals and electrolytes, and can be harmful if you suffer from medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or blood pressure. It can increase acid output, causing heartburn and resulting in dehydration and hypoglycemia, says Aastha Sharma, senior dietician at Nayati Medicity, Mathura. One should instead have small frequent meals, eat a variety of healthy and fresh foods like fruits, vegetables and nuts, eliminate potentially toxic habits, including alcohol, caffeine, excessive salt and processed sugar, etc, to stay healthy, she adds.

Mumbai-based Ray agrees: Fasting for a prolonged period is harmful and might cause nutritional deficiencies. Turmeric, amla, fenugreek seeds, triphala, aloe vera, etc, contain distinct active ingredients that help in losing weight and provide collective health benefits. However, none of these foods can help if total calories and physical activity are not considered as part of the procedure. A healthy lifestyle-comprising eating whole, regular physical activity, sound mental health, enough sleep and an adequate amount of water-is sustainable and evidence-based, she says.

Similarly, coconut oil has been advertised as a health food of sorts for long, but experts say there is little evidence to back that claim. American Heart Association (AHA) data, in fact, shows that more than 80% of the fat in coconut oil is saturatedfar beyond butter (63%), beef (50%) and pork lard (39%). The AHA, which advises against the use of coconut oil, recommends eating no more than 6% of saturated fat as part of total daily calories for those who need lower cholesterol. The oil has no known offsetting favourable effects, the AHA said in an advisory, adding that it could actually increase LDL cholesterol, a cause of cardiovascular disease.

Theres a disconnect between peoples general beliefs and what the data actually shows, Donald Hensrud, medical director, Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, told American daily USA Today. He recommends using oils high in monounsaturated fats (including olive oil and avocado oil) and those high in polyunsaturated fats (such as canola oil).

Nutrition first

While exercise may be the most important element of a weight-maintenance programme, dietary restriction, too, plays a critical role. Perhaps thats why consumers turn to products like nutraceuticals, supplements, metabolism-boosters, etc, and diet snacks like energy bars, trail mixes, etc. A recent report by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) reported that 31% urban Indians and 16% rural Indians are overweight, with 53% urban Indians having abdominal obesity. Indians are largely sedentary in nature and exercise does not come naturally to us. So the attention naturally goes to other seemingly easier options like detox diets, fat-burning pills, etc. However, most of these easier options leave people and their health status impacted, says nutrition science expert Rashida Vapiwala, the founder of LabelBlind, a NutriTech digital solution startup that simplifies complex information declared on food labels for consumers.

Another thing to note is that a long-term weight-loss regimen could lead to frustration and despair. The focus should be on awareness about good nutrition, healthy eating and lifestyle correction. Obesity slipped into our lives because of sedentary lifestyles and inappropriate food choices. But now, there is a growing consciousness of returning to our roots in the pursuit of better food choices, says Vapiwala.

When it comes to good health, superfoods are key. Packed with nutrients that deliver large doses of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, these are also likely to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. In her book Indian Superfoods, Diwekar has outlined 10 such local and traditional foods. These are rice, ghee, banana, coconut, cashew nut, aliv, kokum, jackfruit, sugarcane and ambadi. Eating right is step one to getting more active. Ancient foods are wholesome in the nourishment they offer, and are invariably pleasant to the taste buds and low on the glycemic index. This ensures that your body receives sustained energy through the day unlike the high and immediate slump that comes with stimulants like cigarettes, coffee, etc, she had said in an interview with Financial Express on Sunday.

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Excerpt from:
The truth diet: Do diets actually help in weight loss or are they just passing trends? - The Financial Express

Throughout 2021, Good Housekeeping will be exploring how we think about weight, our shapes, the way we eat and how we try to control or change our bodies in our quest to be happier and healthier. Our goal here is not to tell you how to think, but to start a conversation about diet culture, its impact, and how we might challenge the messages we are given to find alternative ways to feel attractive and successful.

The dawn of a new year is when many of us scramble to make resolutions, and in the U.S., these are often earnest pledges to shrink, tone, chisel or otherwise alter our bodies. Like years before, in the first weeks of 2021, new signups for virtual workout subscriptions and searches for diet on Google are spiking as millions of us look to detox our poor, puffy bodies of the bad food choices we made over the holidays and start the year fresh

Wait. Stop. Just there.

...detox our bodies of the bad food choices we made...

This language and the above concept implies that our bodies have been poisoned by peppermint bark, cookies, latkes, and eggnog, and that an antidote must be administered urgently, or else. It assumes that certain foods are bad and whats more, we are bad for eating them. To be totally transparent, we can fall into that trap here at Good Housekeeping too we recently published a recipe called Christmas Crack, which perpetuates a trend that equates a delicious, sugary treat to a dangerous, addictive drug that could actually kill you. This problematic nickname for a chocolatey candy concoction is a prime example of diet culture and just how easily it can sneak in under the radar.

Diet culture, a set of beliefs that places thinness as the pinnacle of success and beauty, has become our dominant culture often in ways we don't even notice since it's the water in which we swim. There's a whole lexicon, says Claire Mysko, CEO of National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). When we say we need to burn off or make up for the cheeseboard we shared with friends; when we ponder snagging a bite of our partners dessert then immediately wonder, Is it worth it?; whenever we ascribe morality to our food choices, giggling that its sinful when we choose to eat what we crave or what comforts us, or good when we opt for low-calorie, low-carb, or other foods weve deemed healthy. All of that talk is part of diet culture, says Mysko. And it is so inextricably woven into the fabric of our culture that most of us arent even consciously aware of the daily inundation.

Even if youre not actively on a diet or trying to lose weight, diet culture can crop up in choices we think were making for health, to feel or look good, fit in, or even just make conversation amongst friends over dinner. But subconsciously, diet culture creates this idea and reinforces it at every turn that you have to be thin in order to be successful, accepted, loved, healthy: All of these things that we want for ourselves that are just understandable human desire, says Christy Harrison, M.P.H., R.D., C.D.N., author of Anti-Diet and host of the Food Psych podcast. It tells us that weight loss is the secret to that. It tells us that weight loss is a way to attain those things. And its a house of cards.

Diet culture refers to all of the messages and the attitudes around what's valued about body size and style, says therapist Judith Matz, L.C.S.W., author of The Body Positivity Card Deck and Diet Survivor's Handbook. In diet culture, there is a conferred status to people who are thinner, and it assumes that eating in a certain way will result in the right body size the correct body size and good health, and that it's attainable for anybody who has the right willpower, the right determination. In actual fact, there is no right body size, and even if there were, its not attainable to whomever does the right thing, as evidenced by the 98% failure rate of diets. This stat alone is proof of the no-win norm that we, as a society, have been groomed to abide by.

Diet culture can be found in Barbies thigh gap and 18-inch waist, which influences little ones perception of what an ideal body should look like. Its Lululemons founder saying publicly that it's a problem when women's thighs touch. Its Kim Kardashian explaining how necessary it is to squeeze into shapewear beneath a dress, saying, without shapewear, youd see cellulite and I just wouldnt feel as confident. (Her shapewear brand, SKIMS, allegedly sold $2 million of product in minutes when it launched.) Its the fact that we've all been told (or recited!) that at the first sign of hunger, you should drink a glass of water first in case youre actually just thirsty. Its the popular article here on Good Housekeeping's own website about 1,200-calorie diets that netted over two million search users in 2019 alone our second-most-read story of the year despite the fact that the number of calories falls within the realm of clinical starvation (Holocaust concentration camp prisoners were fed 1,250-1,400 calories per day).

In one fell swoop, diet culture sets us up to feel bad about ourselves while also suggesting that maybe losing weight will help us feel better. As anyone whos ever looked into the mirror and wished for a flatter this or a bigger that can likely attest, theres an unattainable and rigidly narrow Western beauty ideal to which we often compare ourselves. Nobody ever wakes up in the morning and says, Gosh, I look terrific. I feel so healthy, I'm so attractive: I think I'll go on a diet, Matz points out. It always starts with negative thoughts.

Instagram, movies, runways, and fashion ads are rife with slim, tall women living a life that somehow always looks better than our own could it be because of those perfect bodies? The sample size for many designers is 0-2, while a 2018 study by National Health Statistics Reports published by the CDC places the average American adult woman in a size 18-20, and teen girls in a size 12. While what is normal varies greatly on genetics, family history, race, ethnicity, age and much more, size is actually not a good indicator of health you can be smaller-bodied and unhealthy, or larger-bodied and fit. We're exposed to the steady stream of images and messages that reinforce diet culture and reinforce the idea that to be happy and successful and well-liked you have to look a certain way, have a certain body, and follow a certain fitness or meal plan or diet, says Mysko.

The "average" American woman is a size 18-20; designer sample sizes are 0-2.

The truth is that healthy, attractive, desirable bodies come at every size and shape. But for many people in larger bodies, people in "average" bodies, or even slender folks who don't feel that they're thin enough in the exact right places, a lifetime on the hamster wheel of feeling othered leads to people feeling a lot of shame about their body and feeling that being thin is worth pursuing at all costs, says Matz. The result: People choose from hundreds, if not thousands, of diet plans or restrictive food plans.

But its not our fault: Diet culture has long been institutionalized and is part of an oppressive system thats intrinsically tied in with racism and patriarchy. Whenever we create standards about how we all should live, these norms always benefit those individuals who are already in power, says Sabrina Strings, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology at the University of California at Irvine and the author of Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia.

What constitutes good behavior is going to be far more accessible to white persons, to men, to wealthy persons, than people who do not fit into those categories, says Strings. This includes conventional thinness, and when you have been told that you should only have [a certain amount of] calories or that you must keep your BMI here, you will always feel like you are doing either good or bad, right or wrong by sticking to these dictates, Strings adds. Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths, [including the concept that] if you just restrict your food, then you'll be able to attain that weight, says Matz. The reality, as well get to, is much different.

In short, it keeps us unhappy with ourselves, chasing something we can't ever catch, and spending loads of money to do so. Heres how:

If we lived in a society where neighborhoods were walkable, and people could get access to clean drinking water and plenty of sleep, people would already be far healthier than they are now." But, she continues, rather than focusing on these larger structural issues that could have a global impact on a population, we want to target individuals and tell them to change their bodies in ways that are unrealistic and unproductive.

Its no coincidence that in November 2020, the CDC reported that more people are dieting now compared to 10 years ago yet obesity rates have increased by nearly 10%. Diet culture conditioning leads us to assume that more diets must mean better population health, but trending upward right alongside the growing number of dieters, mean weight, waist circumference, and BMI in adults have increased over the past 18 years," according to a 2018 study. Theres also evidence that yo-yo dieting (or weight cycling) may be responsible for all excess mortality and cardiovascular risks for diseases associated with being in a larger body. But perhaps the larger problem is that because of diet culture, when we do gain the weight back, we have learned to internalize it as a failure of self.

98% of diets fail Why do 100% of dieters think they'll be in the 2%?

A 2008 survey sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill showed that a whopping 75% of women reported disordered eating behaviors that cut across racial and ethnic lines, and occurred in women in their 30s and 40s ... at the same rate as women in their 20s. That means disordered eating is the norm in the U.S. for women of all ages and colors. Its a staggering statistic, and one that goes under reported since a lot of these behaviors support the very underpinnings of diet culture itself.

The first step is understanding the science of the matter: Dieting is biologically set up to fail, and the human tendency to regain lost weight is ultimately a success for evolution. Our bodies are really designed to protect us against famine, says Harrison. The message this culture gets is that you can decide what weight you want to be with enough willpower, but its just not true, says Matz. Our weight regulation system is beyond our conscious control. According to a 2010 F1000 Medicine Report, there is an active, biological control of body weight at a given set point in a 10-20 pound range. When people diet, they mess with that, says Matz. Diets work in the short-term, but then our weight regulation system kicks in to help us out: To keep us alive.

Anti-diet does not mean anti-health.

Anti-diet culture aims to dismantle this oppressive system of beliefs ... so that people have the chance and the choice to be able to be free of those stigmatizing and body shaming beliefs, says Harrison. Its discarding the broken vacuum and investing in one that works beautifully and will last a lifetime. The anti-diet movement tosses out the bones of conventional dieting (i.e.: restriction, rules, omission, strict adherence) and replaces these with flexibility, acceptance, and ultimately peace with food and our bodies. Here are some aspects of anti-diet culture that can actionably put an end to the restriction and guilt cycle of diet culture:

Getting reacquainted with your bodys natural hunger cues, cravings, and needs can free you from the learned shoulds of diet culture. The irony: Most find that once you grant yourself permission to eat the things you want when you want, your "fear foods" (you know, the things you declare you cannot have in the house or Ill eat the whole bag!) have less of a siren song. When the scarcity mindset drops, so does the need to overeat out of fear of never having it again. Remember that we come into this world born knowing how to do this, says Matz. Babies, when they're hungry, cry. So really, we're going back to the way we were born: Eating.

Amazon

Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight

Strings adds that HAES is built upon the belief that you are worthy of love and respect, regardless of your size. In a society that demonizes fatness, its a simple but novel concept. As Strings says: Just to love yourself and to know that you can be healthy regardless of your weight is really a revelation to probably most Americans.

Anyone feeling like they are suffering from disordered eating or an eating disorder can and should reach out for help immediately. The NEDA helpline at (800) 931-2237 is available daily via call or text, and officials also are on standby in digital chats, ready to help you find resources in your area. If you are concerned about a loved one, learn more about how you can help.

Original post:
What Is Diet Culture? The Reasons Why Diet Culture Is Toxic - GoodHousekeeping.com

Curd and eggs are weight loss friendly foods that will also fill you up

Count calories is an important aspect to look into, if you are trying to lose weight. But as we have mentioned numerous times earlier, you need to make smart choices, and definitely not starve yourself. When it comes to low calorie foods, options are aplenty. What needs to be pointed out here, is that these low-calorie foods need to be filling as well. It is only then that you can continue following the diet in the long run, without experiencing more cravings, irritability, low mood, etc.

Nutritionist Rachel Paul, who goes by the name of collegenutritionist on Instagram, recently shared a couple foods that are weight loss-friendly, low in calories and also incredibly filling. "For weight loss, total calories matter most, but some foods are more filling than others. If you're interested in weight loss, put these delish foods on your grocery list for next week," she writes in the caption of her post.

Also read:Weight Loss: Will Drinking Cold Water Make You Fat?

1. Greek yogurt/ curd: It is low in calories and high in protein, hence filling in nature. Have a bowl of homeset curd with your meals every day to get your daily dose of probiotics and calcium. You can also snack on it to beat in-between meal hunger pangs.

2. Nuts: Nuts are a good source of protein and healthy fats. They make for an excellent snacking option, and can even be eaten along with your meals or on the top of your salads.

3. Salmon and tuna: This fatty fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain health. It is also rich in protein, a nutrient which helps in controlling appetite and makes you feel full quickly.

Also read:The One Expert Tip That Can Help You Achieve Your Target Weight Effortlessly

4. Eggs: Eggs are an excellent source of protein, vitamin A, lutein, zeaxanthin and iron. Egg whites are a great source of protein. They are also considered to be the ideal keto-friendly food.

Eggs are an excellent source of proteinPhoto Credit: iStock

5. Chicken: Chicken is lean meat with very less fat. It is rich source of good quality protein, calcium and phosphorus. Have grilled chicken breast with steamed veggies, on top of salads, or prepare curries.

6. Green veggies: Leafy green veggies are low in calories and high in beneficial vitamins and minerals. They add volume to your meals and also help in increasing your fibre intake.

7. Legumes and lentils: They are a great source of vegetarian protein, fibre and other beneficial nutrients. You can have them with steamed rice or add them to salads, grilled chicken meals or have them in the form of soup. They make for filling and wholesome meals you can have guilt-free, every day.

8. Edamame, tofu and other soy foods: These are all plant-based sources of protein which you can have guilt-free. On the basis of their availability, you can prepare curries, cutlets, add them to salads or have them as a sabzi.

Also read:Weight Loss: Excessive Intake Of Protein Can Get Stored As Fat In The Body, Reveals Expert

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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