World Food Day is observed today, October 16. It has been celebrated since 1979, when the United Nations established the day to raise awareness of the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the fight against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. In addition, World Food Day corresponds to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. On the occasion of this date, we have the collaboration of different specialists members of Top Doctors, Dr. Hernández López, Dr. Ana Molina and Dr. Montse Folch. They provide us with different tips on how a correct diet should be in order to take care of our health and avoid pathologies derived from bad eating habits, so common in the western world.
Importance of establishing good eating habits
If we establish good eating habits we will be able to reduce or stop certain diseases that usually appear in response to a deficit or bad eating habits. In recent years, in the western world, and as a consequence of the stress and the “speed” with which we live, there has been an increase in certain pathologies which, in turn, are among the first causes of mortality in the West: hypertension, cancer, diabetes, cirrhosis, coronary ischemia, osteoporosis and obesity, among others. The abuse of saturated fats, sugars, salt and alcohol is harmful, so their intake should be moderated. Specialists recommend a re-education of eating habits.
Re-educating the population on eating habits: preventive nutrition
Preventive nutrition is very useful to help the patient to design food plans and a personalized diet with the foods and nutrients the body needs. It is not enough just to appease hunger; foods that provide the necessary vitamins must be ingested. Thanks to preventive nutrition it will be possible to:
- Prevent and correct blood problems, such as anemia.
- Delay bone pathologies, such as osteoporosis or arthritis.
- Solve digestive problems: acidity, flatulence, constipation, food intolerances, bad digestion, etc.
- Help in degenerative diseases.
- Reduce sleep problems, such as insomnia.
- Improve stress and anxiety problems.
- Avoid pathologies such as diabetes, cancer, cholesterol, hypertension…
Eating well is synonymous with a good mood
Many people change their mood when they are on a diet or when they change their eating habits. On the other hand, others feel better. Dr. Hernández López, a specialist in Nutrition and Dietetics, explains that “this is totally normal. Undoubtedly, dieting has a psychological component that, on the one hand, can make you grumpy if it leads to starvation, but on the other hand, it can improve your mood if it fits in with your lifestyle and helps you feel better physically and with your self-image.
In many cases, moreover, there is a lack of energy and mood, if the diet and the weight loss plan are not adequate. Dr. Hernandez recommends eating healthy in terms of quality and quantity. Eating well influences the emotional balance and alterations in this balance should not prevent the person from continuing to eat well. It is necessary to “take into account the quantity and quality of food, but also hydration, fiber intake, eating slowly and with minimal distractions, chewing correctly to avoid bloating, heaviness, gas or poor digestion,” explains Dr. Hernandez. Exercising is also very important to improve health on a psychological, physical and social level.
Forget about miracle diets
There are certain habits that we sometimes associate with food, and they are unhealthy. Dr. Ana Molina, a specialist in Aesthetic Medicine and Nutrition, totally discourages miracle diets to lose weight. “They are very restrictive diets that promise rapid weight loss. However, significant caloric restriction leads to nutritional imbalances in the body,” she explains. In addition, these diets can lead to a significant loss of muscle mass and an increase in cardiovascular risk.
These diets are easy to obtain and there is a false belief that they can be followed without medical controls. Moreover, they have side effects, as Dr. Molina assures: “tiredness, bad breath, constipation, loss of muscle mass and even favor the appearance of cardiovascular pathologies or diabetes. In addition, almost immediate weight regain is the usual trend, with the yo-yo effect”.
How to motivate dieting: nutritional coaching
Nutritional coaching can motivate those people who have not previously managed to lose weight, mostly due to lack of will and desire. Dr. Montse Folch, specialist in Nutrition and Dietetics, explains that, in addition to the aesthetic motivation, it is essential that the patient feels that he/she is dieting for his/her health, and that should be the main motivation. “We must not forget that food is the fuel of our body, so we can correct the different alterations that the person may have and, at the same time that he/she is losing weight, he/she is solving them”.
The objective of nutritional coaching is also to teach how to maintain the weight, once the desired weight has been reached. “During the whole weight loss process, we must learn how to maintain our weight. It is said that the body’s cells have memory and it takes 6 years of maintaining the same habit to change it. I always say 2 years, therefore, changing habits, maintaining weight is not so easy.”
Undoubtedly, good eating habits and a healthy and balanced diet, combined with physical exercise, will have a direct impact on the patient’s health and cardiovascular risk pathologies.