Why is dieting beneficial?
A healthier lifestyle starts with good nutrition and changes in dietary habits. Throughout the changing years it has been seen that the younger generations have had an increase of risk factors for chronic diseases like hypertension and type 2 diabetes. These conditions occur because of unhealthy eating habits and increased weight gain that is promoted in our cities, including fast food chains that are seen on every block corner. The connection between good nutrition, weight loss and reduced risk of chronic diseases resulting in overall better health is one too big to ignore. This is why as the frontline of healthcare, we need to educate the community about healthier eating habits so that they can get the nutrients to stay healthy, active, and strong. These dietary habits also need to be promoted to the younger community because like any other habit, they will be carried on to adulthood. If we focus on teaching children how to eat healthier we can prevent the problem early and then we can help the community become healthier and stronger. The following are just two of the many ways in which dieting can also overlap with better health conditions.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a popular eating pattern that has now become an option to easy dieting. This diet is convenient for some patients because it does not restrict the foods you eat, instead it restricts when you can eat these foods. This method of pattern eating has been seen to enhance weight loss but also improve blood sugar levels and decrease cholesterol. By restricting all meal times to a certain window, this naturally decreases your calorie intake while also boosting fat burning and metabolism throughout the day. Studies have shown that this eating pattern can reduce levels of insulin, which in turn can help manage blood sugar while also promoting fat burning. Although intermittent fasting has been seen to be safe and effective in most patients, it may not be right for everyone. With any patient that is dieting, healthcare professionals should always work side by side in order to monitor progression and regression.
Dash Diet
As healthcare professionals, you may have already heard of the dash diet. If not, this diet may sound familiar because it has been used for a very long time to help those who are suffering from high blood pressure. The dash diet stands precisely for, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This diet was made to help lower high blood pressure while reducing the need for medication or to avoid taking medication completely. Because this diet promotes healthy eating, it overlaps with the recommendations to prevent other diseases like osteoporosis, cancer, stroke, diabetes and worsening heart conditions. This diet consists of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, some fish, poultry, legumes, and red meat, sweets and fats in small amounts. This diet also encourages a small amount of nuts and seeds a couple times a week. The Dash diet is guided by a 2,000 calories a day regimen. The Dash diet has been seen to be a good option for patients who do not want to take medications or need an extra push in combination with their medications.
In conclusion, dieting is ultimately at the discretion of the patient. Whether it be for personal reasons or for health reasons, dieting will always allow people to feel healthier and happier. As healthcare professionals, we should always motivate our community to make healthier choices. Sometimes motivating patients to stick to these diets is hard but we always have to remember that dieting is not about following the diet perfectly. Dieting is about changing our lifestyle and making better food choices so that we can live a healthier life. If our patients choose to do a diet but they cannot meet the calorie mark or the perfect amount of servings but are trying their best, we should always see the change in lifestyle as a win.
