Women and a Balanced Diet

So what is this balanced diet? It is taking food from asmany different sources as possible and eating food in its natural state - thatis fresh, unprocessed and , where possible, raw. The problem is that our dietsnormally centre on our concentration on foods, which narrow down the spectrumof our diet and contain many foods that are unhealthy. Too many processedfoods, preplaced, precooked, junk food, fast food –whatever they are, theycontain too much animal fat, salt, additives and too little fibre. The foodcompanies are now coming under pressure to reduce to salt sugar and additivesin their products. This is easier to monitor with improvements in labeling.

Our methods of cooking are also hazardous to health. Fryingis a common method of preparing food, adding butter to vegetables is almost a ritual,sauces are progressively richer, and creamier. So, changing to grilling foodinstead of frying, limiting butter on vegetables and reducing sauces instead ofthickening them with butter, cream of flour would lead immediately to healthiereating. If you feel that you need the discipline of a diet programme, look atit carefully: is it too expensive? Will it fit in with your family catering?There is no point in preparing two meals and watching the others eat yourfavourite foods. Is the diet balanced nutritionally? Stay clear of diets thatconfine you to one or two foods. Nobody is meant to survive on a limited numberof foodstuffs and it could throw your metabolism awry. Do you like the foodsthat are permitted in the diet? Are there any indulgences? You know yourself. Doyou want to stretch indulgences? You know yourself. Do you want to stretch yourwillpower to the limit of adopt a more flexible attitude?  Your responses to these questions should helpyou organize a plan for reducing weight by yourself.

The Importance of Protein for the Body

Motivational tips for losing weight for women

In recent years the psychological approach called behaviourmodification has proved highly successful in treating eating disorders from themild to the very serious. Because many experts believe that external stimuli,or cues in the environment trigger eating, they have focused on altering habitsthat are, in fact conditioned responses to false stimuli. What many people readas signals to eat are in fact symptoms - or sensations - of fatigue,depression, anxiety, boredom or tension.

The aim of behaviour modification is to teach you torecognise when you are most vulnerable to false stimuli and how to change yourbehaviour to thwart inappropriate responses. By attending to your patterns,your habits and your responses, you can avoid the feeling of helplessness that overtakes troubled eaters.

 The followingtips should help to get you started:

- The first step is to decide you really do want to change.List the benefits you believe will result if you succeed in gaining control ofyour eating.

- Set realistic goals. Weight gained over 10 years cannot belost in a week or two.

- Focus on patterns, not kilograms. You are teaching yourselfnew responses, not counting every bite.

- Do not collapse in guilt if you breakdown and have achocolate biscuit. Just put away the rest.

- Keep a food diary. Be honest and precise.

- When you’ve become aware of your personal danger zones, takeaction to avoid them: plan ahead; change your routine; avoid temptation.

- Eat three meals a day. Do not skip. Have a good breakfast andmake every meal an occasion. If you must snack, make it low-kilo-joule.

- Eat only sitting down and, when at home, in a placedesignated specially for eating.

- Present food attractively. Divide your meals into two ormore courses, even if the second course is only coffee or tea with biscuits.

- Eat slowly. Taste your food. Put down your knife and forkafter every two or three bites. Make each meal last 20 to 30 minutes.

- Never shop when you are hungry. Make a list and stick to it.Buy only what you need right now. Buy small packages, even if they are not thebest bargain. Buy foods that require preparation-and enough time to think aboutwhether you really need to eat.

- Build support for success. Educate those close to you toreinforce your efforts. But weight control and eating habits are yourresponsibility. Do not ask someone else to control your actions.

- Act thin. Stand erect. Walk confidently at any weight andyou will look better, feel better.

- Look at yourself in the mirror once a day, but weighyourself only every week or two. Weight fluctuates from day to day, and youcould unfairly become discouraged by failure to lose or by suddenly gaining akilogram or two.

Once you reach your desired weight or state of health, don’trevert to old habits. Remind yourself that you have accomplished somethingterrific. And, if you do find your weight creeping back up, start a dairy againto find out where you are having trouble.

You will have had a lot of practice running your own life bythen. It should not take you long to get yourself back on the right track.

The Importance of Protein for the Body

Bulimia

Bulimia is similar to anorexia nervosa in that the personwith bulimia is also obsessed with dieting, being thin and has a terror offatness. The main difference is that the bulimic woman does not starve asanorexic women do, but overeats or binges. After bingeing, she will purgeherself of the food by deliberately vomiting or taking laxatives. Bulimia, likeanorexia can have serious physiological consequences. Constant vomiting mayupset the electrolyte balance of the body and cause potassium loss, which canlead to fainting and even heart attacks.

Laxative abuse can result in problems such as kidney failureand water on the lungs. It has been found that some people may be primarilyanorexic, but that they also force themselves to vomit or take laxatives whenthey do t. Similarly, some bulimics may go through periods of starvation, whichmay be followed by a binge. Therefore, the two problems are not very distinct,and sufferers may have symptoms of both.  

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Anorexia nervosa

Although there are different definitions of anorexia nervosa, most agree that the central characteristic is that of starvation. A person who is anorexic is obsessed with being slim, terrified of becoming fat, and preoccupied with denying themselves food. Even while starving themselves, they cannot stop thinking of food. Another common feature is massive weight loss, which is usually accompanied by amenorrhoea (this means that monthly periods stop).

It is very common for women with anorexia to have a distorted view of their bodies. The majority of those who become anorexic were never overweight to start with. They, however, see themselves as fat, regardless of how thin they become. Obsessive exercising is also common.

Anorexia nervosa is most common among young women, particularly adolescents, but it does occur among older women and men. About 10% of sufferers starve themselves to death. Those who recover from the disorder may experience ling-term side effects, such as infertility.

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What causes eating disorders?

There are many theories about why women develop anorexianervosa and bulimia. Here are the main factors:

·        Family conflict;

·        Fear of growing up and becoming a sexuallymature woman;

·        The need to establish self-control;

·        Bulimic symptoms can be a way of dealing withpowerful negative feelings about oneself;

·        Major traumas can trigger anorexia or bulimia asa means of silently crying for help, especially if the trauma is disempowering;and

·        People with eating disorders tend to be highachievers who set impossible standards for themselves, and often lackassertiveness and a sense of identity.

Mostpeople who work with anorexic and bulimic women believe that their problems areextremely complex and are not simply caused by one specific factor. Eatingdisorders cannot be understood without looking closely at women’s lives as wellas the unique personal experiences of each sufferer.

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