It’s February and I have waited intentionally.

Once that glittery ball dropped, did you enter 2023 with a desire to eat better or to lose weight?  Perhaps you attempted one of the countless diets or eating plans promoted extensively during the onset of the new year.

However, the difficult news is that “diets” do not work.

“Popular diets simply don’t work for the vast majority of people. Or more accurately, they are modestly effective for a while, but after a year or so the benefits are largely gone.”

Dr. Robert Schmerling.

Problematic is that so many “plans” carry a bit of truth and just might succeed, albeit for a period of time.

The secret to dieting?

Concentrate on lifestyle changes and do not diet at all. 

While this blog is devoted to those 50+, this is true for all ages.

Cleverly catching my eye was the title, “How Not to Diet” by Dr. Michael Greger.   Thousands of studies are referenced in this 570- page book, thus providing solid advice.  So much so, that I actually purchased the book to study.

Greger laments the status of the diet industry, critical of their habit to cherry-pick portions of studies to promote certain diet or eating styles.

“ No other area of the national health probably is as abused by deception and misinformation as nutrition.  Many travesties cheat the public of enormous sums of money, and of good health as well”.
White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health.

“The only way to get at the truth is to dive deep into the primary literature and read all of the original studies yourself.  Who has time for that? “  Greger

Actually, that’s his life’s work.  He founded www.nutritionfacts.org, where his team combs through “tens of thousands of studies a year so you don’t have to”.

A few tips/topics from the massive book will be listed below.  Because of the abundance of information, future posts will be devoted to this topic.

Although weight loss and maintenance are highlighted, these tips dovetail into nutrition for optimal health and longevity as well.  Being content with a number on a scale doesn’t give one a pass.

The bottom line?

The food we place in our God-given wonderfully created bodies and the NEED for movement and exercise cannot be ignored.

I have worked with adults over 50+ for thirty years, many in incredible shape.  Doesn’t being in fantastic physical condition negate the need for proper nutrition?   “I would rather die young than worry about what I put in my body”, many have stated.

When stark reality hits and that person is presented with an unfavorable diagnosis, I have observed quite the opposite.  No matter the age, even into their 80’s and 90’s, these athletes do care.  Their distraught families care.  Seeking answers, attempting to change lifestyle factors, and consulting physicians quickly come into play.

The far-reaching benefits you will derive completely outweigh the challenge of making modifications to your lifestyle.  Don’t wait or give up.  Straying from perfection will be normal, as I have noted before.   We just passed chocolates and Valentine’s Day!

“Remember it is not what you eat today that matters, or tomorrow, or next week, but rather what you eat over the next month’s, years and decades, so you have to find lifestyle changes that fit into your lifestyle. “   Greger

TIPS

Following are a few nutrition and lifestyle tidbits from the book (backed by studies), to be delved into  additional detail in upcoming posts.

• A Whole-Foods Plant Based Eating Style is Best
  

  “A plant-based diet is defined as an eating pattern that minimizes the intake of meat, eggs, dairy, and processed junk and maximizes consumption of whole plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils), whole grains, nuts and seeds, mushrooms, and herbs and spices. “

• Eat meals slowly– draw the meal out to 20 minutes.
• Stay hydrated and drink two cool cups of water before each meal.
• At the beginning of each meal, eat salad, a piece of fruit, or a cup of soup.
• Green tea is a powerful drink to add to your day.
• Incorporating spices such as cumin and garlic powder as well as vinegar into lifestyle has health and weight loss benefits.
• Refrain from eating between 7pm-7am.
• Sleep is of the utmost importance- at least 7 hours.
• Movement throughout the day (get up every hour) and exercise are key.

  “If you could only make one dietary change, getting rid of sugary beverages would be a good choice and one that is consistent with walling off your calories. That means eliminating soda sweetened with sugar or corn syrup, as well as other sugary drinks, both carbonated and un-carbonated, such as sports and energy drinks. “ Dr. Greger

Click here for a wonderful summary of the book that a group of students compiled if you’re ready to read more at this time:

Cheering you on!