Blog Corner: The Wellness and Weight Journey (Part 3)
WELLNESS and WEIGHT:
My final blog relating to wellness and weight, looks at some of the "slimming" diets which have proved popular over the years.
Wellness covers mental and physical health, and should promote a feeling of energy and ability to participate in activity without a feeling of negativity.
Closely linked, is the subject of weight, for if the body carries too much, energy levels are depleted, organs don`t work so well, a strain is put on the heart and fat is stored in the body which slows it down.
It can also affect mental health, with feelings of low self esteem which may lead to anxiety and depression.
It therefore follows that the choice of food and its digestion is vital to achieving and maintaining wellness.
GOING BACK:
Going back to the early 1900s, Horace Fletcher promoted good digestion by advocating that food should be chewed 100 times per minute before swallowing.
It was a good start for food beginning its digestive journey by breaking much of it down, but it tended to be a very slow method of eating.
Cigarette smoking was very popular, and was looked on as a means of keeping the body slim by suppressing the appetite, and also giving something for hands to do rather than reach for food.
The Grapefruit diet recommended that grapefruit should be taken before each meal which should consist of skimmed milk and bananas,
Female Hollywood stars were often the role models for ordinary women and girls during and following the war years.
Life had been tough, and money scarce, but the glamour of Hollywood gave a bit of escapism and aspiration as females tried to emulate the "look".
In order to achieve this, one had to be slim.
During war time "rations", the diet for everyone was strict, but healthy. There was no need to follow a weight loss programme as food consisted of limited amounts of meat, dairy, carbohydrates and fat.
People were encouraged to grow their own vegetables and most were doing some sort of manual work or activity.
The post war years brought some much needed social improvements, including a wider choice in food.
Many scarce items were now available including those with an increased sugar and calorie content.
DIETS and EATING PLANS:
Although welcomed, it also became a threat to achieving and maintaining a slim figure, so strict "diets" were the order of the day.
It was recognized that extra sugars and carbohydrates were off limits, so small amounts of protein could be eaten along with vegetables, (usually with all the goodness boiled out of them), and limited amounts of dairy in the form of milk for tea and a scraping of butter.
This did work, as the overall calorie count was low, and sugars, carbohydrates and fats were almost non existent.
There were diets which were eaten at certain times, for example the 2 by 2 diet, which advocated 2 days fluids only, 2 days protein, and 2 days fruit and vegetables.
Calorie counting was popular until Weight Watchers came along with a different concept and offering a wider choice of food and a collective, supportive approach.
There was the Cabbage Diet, and the Soup diet, which had little nutrition other than boiled cabbage!
The Adkins diet was a popular low carb diet which moved the body into a state of ketosis with this type of eating remaining popular today with the Keto diet, which recommends a high fat , low carb eating plan.
Meal replacements in the form of soups and shakes were part of the Cambridge Diet.
Taking Diet pills was a fashion in the 1970`s, but had worrying side effects.
As time has gone on, exercise has played a more significant role, with gym membership increasing and also personal trainers giving individual advice.
Since the reduction of manual labour, males are now becoming weight conscious, so are becoming more interested in food, and are increasing exercise.
Fasting has gathered quite a following, with eating done after many hours of fasting rather than at three regular mealtimes. The theory being that it is the timing of eating that regulates metabolism and food digestion.
The Paleo diet recommends a broad spectrum of foods and nutrients which are non processed, and is likened to what our ancestors may have eaten.
In the U.K. at the moment there has been a government push to prescribe medication to assist with weight loss, as obesity has become such a problem with the resulting health issues of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes to mention the most common.
It is a controversial debate, and only time will tell if it will work and if there are side effects.
AND THE WINNING FORMULA IS.....!
The thread which runs through most of the early diets, was a small amount of food which generated around a thousand calories.
As has been documented, this could include a variety of ingredients, but all were low calorie.
Because of this, they were difficult to stick to as didn`t satisfy hunger.
The weight was lost, but the balance of food was not acceptable, as remaining on these "fad" type diets was not advisable, as nutritionally they deprived the body of vital components.
Unfortunately, in today`s western world, processed and high calorie, often "fast" food is not only widely publicised and available, but tastes good too, so it is constantly seducing palates everywhere.
Much research has been carried out on weight loss, and many discoveries have been made about food in general, and how the body utilizes it.
The most tried and tested sensible way to manage weight and promote wellness is to steer clear of processed food, avoid sugars, and eat moderate amounts of what is required to keep the body in a healthy state of repair.
Rather than calorie counting, it is rather more the type and portion size of food which is important.
Together with eating sensibly, (not forgetting fluid intake), exercise, preferably in the fresh air, should be taken to keep the various systems of the body working well.
Plenty of sleep is also needed, screen time limited and stress levels kept low.
We are the victims of our own so called success, where our materialistic easy lifestyle has turned us into unhealthy humans who are in danger of developing chronic illness as we age.
It is not too late to turn things around, but it must be a country wide approach which includes advertising, and the understanding of where our food comes from, and how our body works, as the way ahead for wellness and weight management is not only our own, but a national responsibility.
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DISCLAIMER:
The blog refers to Wellness and Weight management in a general sense.
No particular eating plan is recommended as no one size fits all.
Specific dietary advice is widely available in book form and on the internet.
Any health concerns should be addressed to an appropriate health professional before embarking on a specific eating plan.
