Healthy advice for those who want to lose weight

With the decline of healthy eating habits in Turkey, diseases related to obesity and extreme thinness are spreading rapidly. For individuals who want to reach their ideal weight, correct and healthy diet programs implemented under the guidance of nutrition and diet specialists are of great importance.

Addressing the mistakes made by people who start a weight loss process with the arrival of the summer season and specifying which foods should be consumed, Nutrition and Diet Specialist Veysel Ciğerli stated that fibrous foods keep you full for longer.

Pointing out that the stomach empties within 4 hours regardless of what is eaten, Nutrition and Diet Specialist Veysel Ciğerli said, "It is beneficial to eat every 2-2.5 hours to prevent overeating at your next meal. To balance blood sugar, it is necessary to follow the '3 main, 3 snack' eating rule. Developing a regular breakfast habit is essential for a healthy life. When you have breakfast immediately after your metabolism wakes up, your metabolism will start to accelerate. Otherwise, if you stay hungry until lunch without having breakfast, weight gain will be an expected result as overeating at the next meal will be inevitable along with a slowed metabolic rate. Starting the day with a balanced breakfast in the early morning hours will help our metabolism accelerate, helping us lose weight more easily."

"YOU CANNOT FOOL YOURSELF BY SAYING 'JUST A BOWL OF SOUP'"

Advising that dinner plates and soup bowls be downsized to lose weight, Nutrition and Diet Specialist Ciğerli continued:
"This way, you won't fool yourself by saying 'just 1 bowl of soup.' Psychologically, you feel full when the food on that plate is finished. Another important point is bread consumption. When it comes to losing weight without eating bread and its substitutes, unfortunately, the health aspect is never mentioned. Such unconsciously made recommendations can cause an increase in many diseases in individuals. A diet containing whole-grain bread delays hunger because it has a high fiber content and helps you stay full for a long time. The digestion of bread, which is a carbohydrate-source food, begins in the mouth and transmits satiety signals to the brain in a very short time. Start your meal by chewing 1 piece of bread. This way, you will have a more controlled meal and ensure a feeling of satiety. Additionally, whole-grain bread is the primary source of all B-group vitamins, except for vitamin B12."

EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF FIBROUS FOODS

Stating that fibers are only found in plant-based foods, Nutrition and Diet Specialist Ciğerli said, "Fibers pass through the digestive system without being broken down. This allows the person to stay full for a long time, ensuring less food is eaten. Fibers help lower bad cholesterol in the blood and ensure the digestive system works more actively. Furthermore, fibrous foods ensure the relief of constipation, the elimination of hemorrhoid problems, and the balancing of the body's sugar levels; they are also important in terms of protecting heart health. Research has shown that those who consume fibrous foods lose more weight than those who do not."

LISTED FIBER-CONTAINING FOODS

Nutrition and Diet Specialist Ciğerli listed fiber-containing foods as wheat bran, whole-wheat rye flour, barley flour, oats, prunes, pears, citrus products, apples, bananas, beans, chickpeas, yellow and green lentils, green leafy vegetables, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, green beans, cucumbers, celery, onions, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and carrots. Ciğerli stated that for healthy weight loss, one should also stay away from packaged ready-made foods. Pointing out that additives, food dyes, and chemicals are added to these products to increase the shelf life of the food, Ciğerli said, "Almost all packaged products that are not made at home, are not organic, and are bought from markets fall into the category of ready-made foods. To consume fewer ready-made foods, you can make foods that can be consumed all year round at home, such as tomato paste, pepper paste, pickles, and tarhana. Preparing meat, chicken, and fish stocks at home instead of using ready-made bouillon ensures that fewer additives enter your food."

"WATER CONSUMPTION SHOULD BE INCREASED"

Saying, "In your dessert cravings, choose fruits and dried fruits," Nutrition and Diet Specialist Veysel Ciğerli concluded his words as follows:
"To reduce or eliminate dessert and sugar consumption, dried fruits, fresh fruits, and fruit yogurts containing natural sugar must be added to the diet. You can consume these foods as snacks. With the effect of increasing hot weather, fluid loss due to sweating will increase, so water consumption should be increased. Water contributes to the acceleration of metabolism and helps in the excretion of toxic substances in the kidneys. Do not wait to get thirsty to drink water. It is recommended for an average adult to consume 2-2.5 liters of water for every season and age. The most fundamental factor that accelerates metabolism is increasing physical activity. You can both feel better and have a healthier body with physical activities such as choosing to walk instead of going to nearby places by car in daily life, using stairs instead of elevators, or fun activities like dancing. Do not forget that your weight loss and adherence to the diet are directly related to regular sleep. Regular sleep helps increase metabolic rate by positively affecting mental development and rest."