Weight Loss Tips

By dietician Karen Ansel

The Alkaline Diet, or so-called pee strip diet, is having a moment. According to the New York Post, celebs like Kate Hudson and Jennifer Aniston are fans of the plan, which requires you to monitor your pH levels by peeing on a strip of paper that tests your urine. Fun right? It’s also doing the rounds on TikTok, with advocates touting its many health benefits, from weight loss to more energy.

The Alkaline Diet theory

Certain foods (and not always obviously acidic ones like lemons and tomatoes) are said to produce acidic by-products when digested. These can throw off your pH balance and lead to weight gain, according to fans of the diet. There’s also the theory that these foods produce mucous in the body, which fuels disease by allowing them to thrive.

Proponents of the diet say you should swap acid-forming eats like meat, eggs, dairy, processed foods and most grains. Instead, opt for high-alkaline fruits, vegetables, beans, tofu, nuts and seeds to correct your body’s pH and magically torch fat.

In order to create an alkaline environment, you’d need to cut out acid-forming foods and introduce alkaline foods. In order to make sure your body is in an alkaline level, you’d need to pee on a strip to test.

But does it work?

While it’s a no-brainer that switching from fatty meats and processed carbs to a low-kilojoule produce-and-legume regimen will help you drop kilos, there’s zero evidence that your body’s pH has anything to do with it – or even that a certain diet can affect pH at all.

“If our diets were able to drive the pH of our blood outside of the body’s normal range, people with lousy diets would be falling into comas and dropping dead left and right,” says nutritionist Tamara Duker Freuman, a registered dietician. Alkaline diets can be nutritionally sound but often lack many of the nutrients that vegan diets do. That’s not to say the alkaline diet hasn’t been praised by vegans on TikTok, since the diet focuses on raw foods, like cucumber noodles.

Plus, while your pH in urine can be influenced by food, your blood should stay in a normal pH range, which is already slightly alkaline, with a pH of 7.36–7.44. Your stomach, on the other hand, should be acidic, which is key for digesting food. It could be fatal if your blood’s pH goes out of balance. This happens when you drink too much alcohol, are diabetic or during starvation.

The Conclusion

While the alkaline diet encourages you to focus on whole foods, leading to a healthier body overall, studies can’t guarantee specific health benefits. Any weight loss would result from cutting out whole food groups, leading to a calorie deficit. Since the science isn’t up to scratch, you’re better off focusing on whole, healthy foods, rather than trying to alkalise your body.

This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com  More

So you’re eating well and working out but that number on the scale still won’t budge. If you can’t lose weight, know this: a caloric deficit is the only way the number on the scale can drop. But sneaky lifestyle habits could be what’s getting between yourself and creating fewer calories in than calories out. We’ve rounded up a few of the ways you could be sabotaging your weight loss without knowing it.

1. You eat with your hands

A new study suggests that people who use tongs to serve themselves food actually eat about 30 per cent less of it. Even if you’re eating with cutlery, you may be eating too quickly for your body to slowly register satiety. Try eating with chopsticks – experts say it slows down your eating, allowing you to register fullness faster – before you wolf down all those noodles.

2. You’re drinking too much

Most people overlook liquid kilojoules entirely, says Felicia Stoler, registered dietician and author of Living Skinny in Fat Genes. So don’t expect to notice when a seemingly single-sized juice can or bottle actually contains two or three servings – and two to three times more kilojoules. Your best bet: Replace juice with water, and eat your kilojoules instead of drinking them, she says.

3. You eat fruity yoghurt

Most fruit-flavoured yoghurts – and plenty of other healthy-sounding foods – are sweetened with fructose. But unlike other sweeteners, this one doesn’t tell your brain you’re full, according to a new study. The result: You end up eating way more kilojoules than your body actually needs.

4. You hit up happy hour – A LOT

People don’t realise just how many kilojoules they drink, says Stoler. What’s more, the alcohol in your cocktail can reduce your inhibitions, so you hit the happy hour menu (hello, nachos!) even harder. To imbibe without overdoing it, switch to water after drinking one or two of them.

5. You’re overdoing it at breakfast

While the standard serving size for cereal is about two-thirds of a cup, breakfast bowls can hold much, much more. So when you fill yours to the brim with cereal and top it off with milk, you could be eating twice as many kilojoules as you think – or more, leading you to think you’re being conscious even though you feel you can’t lose weight.

6. You treat yourself a little TOO often

When you indulge in sweet or fatty foods like ice cream regularly, you end up craving larger portions to feel satisfied, says Stoler. Need a sweet treat every day? A new study published in the journal Food Quality and Preference found that a few bites really will satisfy you just as much as a larger serving.

7. You’re guzzling fizzy drinks

Drinking kilojoule-free sweeteners is like dumping water in your gas tank instead of petrol, says Stoler. (For non-mechanics: It fills you up, but doesn’t keep your motor running.) When hunger strikes, drink water instead, and fill up on wholesome foods to drive off hunger pangs later.

8. You’re depriving yourself

Often when we think we can’t lose weight, we tend to cut out whole food groups (like carbs or fat, for instance). When you do that, you set yourself up to binge eat them the next time you let yourself splurge. So instead of crossing them off your grocery list, entirely, learn how to manage your cravings.

9. You order the “regular” size

Think you’re in the clear because you downsized your large order of chips? Turns out, people actually consume more kilojoules when they order regular-sized menu items than when they order portions advertised as “double-sized”, according to a new study.

10. You’re staying up too late

People who hit the sack on the late side tend to eat more high-fat and high-kilojoule foods than those who tuck in earlier, according to a recent study. No wonder they also gain more weight.

11. You think working out gives you a “pass”

Exercising can make you want to eat more – but that doesn’t mean you should, says Stoler. And it doesn’t help that most people grossly overestimate the number of kilojoules they torch at the gym. The good news: picking up the pace might actually decrease food cravings, according to a new study. More

If the phrase “fibre in your diet” calls to mind images of your mom popping Metamucil tablets, we don’t blame you — fibre is basically the Golden Girls of the nutrient world. However, it’s also essential for weight loss.

Fibre is about as close to a magic weight loss ingredient as you can get, says Keri Gans, author of The Small Change Diet. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t getting enough of it, she says. Here’s everything to know about fibre intake for weight loss.

How much fibre should you eat per day?

The average woman should be getting 25 grams of fibre per day, according to the 2015 to 2020 Dietary Guidelines. That’s the amount in seven apples, or 12 cups of broccoli, or seven and a half cups of oatmeal. But we’re going to take a wild guess that you’re not eating that many apples.

How does fibre help you lose weight?

Getting an adequate amount of that nutrient through whole foods (not fibre supplements, more on that later) keeps you fuller longer because fibre digests much slower than simple carbs. And the more full and satisfied you feel after eating healthy, fibre-filled foods, the less tempting those cookies in the break room will be after lunch, explains Gans.

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Another bonus that comes with packing fibre into your diet is that healthy, weight-loss-friendly foods, like fruits, veggies, and whole grains, are already full of the stuff, says Gans. So by aiming to meet your fibre quota, rather than counting calories, you’ll likely end up making better food choices overall, she says.

What are the other health benefits of eating enough fibre?

Fibre is an essential nutrient for health, says Katie Hake, a nutritionist at Indiana University Health. “Fibre can help to reduce cholesterol, which helps prevent heart disease. It can also help control blood sugar by slowing down the breakdown of food, particularly for those who live with diabetes,” she says.

On top of that, this essential part of your diet keeps your digestive system trucking along, so you won’t be bloated or constipated. (*Insert poop emoji here.*) How exactly does fibre do that? It depends on the kind you’re consuming.

There are three kinds of fibre: soluble, insoluble, and fermented. The first two aid digestion, but each type has a different role. “Soluble fibre, from oats, nuts, and seeds, acts as a broom to ‘sweep’ things along,” says Hake. Insoluble fibre, from things like cabbage, brown rice, and some dark leafy vegetables, on the other hand, promotes bowel movement by making your stool easier to pass. “[It’s] non-digestible and adds bulk to the stool, which can aid in moving things along,” says Hake.

Then, there’s fermentable fibre, which you can get from foods like beans and garlic. “Fermentable” means the fibre holds an ability to promote growth of good bacteria in the gut, similar to probiotics, says Hake.

How can I eat 25 grams of fibre a day?

Since pounding six apples at the end of your day to meet your fibre goal isn’t appetizing, the best strategy is to spread your servings out across all your meals and snacks for the day, says Gans.

“All of your meals should include at least eight grams of fibre,” she says. To hit the 25 grams per day goal, snack on a medium pear or half an avocado, which has about six grams of fibre each, says Gans.

READ MORE: Tracey-Lee Lusty Opens Up About Her Bariatric Surgery And What Being Body Positive Means To Her Now

To ramp up your fibre intake at each meal, start including oatmeal, which has four grams per cup, quinoa (five grams per cup), and barley (eight grams per 1/4 cup) into your menu. To up the ante even further, get friendly with fibre-filled mix-ins like chia seeds (10 grams per ounce), and chickpeas (about nine grams per 1/4 cup). Above all, remember that fibre is your friend.

What foods are highest in fibre?

If you need more ideas of high-fibre foods you can add to your daily diet, there are plenty of other options. Here’s a list of foods you can try, according to Hake.

Lentils (7.8 g of fibre per half cup): “Lentils can be a great source of protein for lentil tacos, chilli, or stuffed in cooked peppers,” she says.

High-fibre bran cereal (9.1 grams of fibre per half cup): “It’s an easy food to add to yoghurt or eat for breakfast to help keep you full for a busy day ahead,” Hake says.

White beans (9.6 grams of fibre per half cup, cooked): Hake notes that white beans are easy to add to a soup or salad for an added fibre boost.

Black beans (7.7 grams of fibre per half cup, cooked): “These make a great base for all kinds of meals and add additional fibre,” she says.

Artichokes (7.2 grams of fibre per half cup, cooked): Try adding artichokes to a salad or on top of homemade pizza for a twist.

READ MORE: Will Eating Less Really Help You Shrink Your Stomach?

Can you eat too much fibre — and what happens if you do?

It is possible to have too much fibre, especially if you’re incorporating supplements into your diet or if you consume in excess of the dietary guideline limit of 25 grams a day. If you’ve had too much, you’ll feel it. “Consuming an excess of the dietary guidelines can cause gas, bloating, discomfort, nausea, and even constipation,” says Hake.

Again, the best way to avoid going overboard is to avoid fibre supplements. (Tip: It’s also better to get fibre from natural foods because it encourages you to eat more nutritious options, which you might not if you rely on supps — not ideal for weight loss.)

If you’re just beginning to monitor and up your fibre intake, Hake suggests increasing gradually to allow your body time to adjust and minimize symptoms. Drinking plenty of water can also help reduce any likelihood of stomach aches from upping your daily fibre.

The bottom line: Fibre is a crucial nutrient for weight loss, and the average woman needs 25 grams per day, which can be spread out across your meals and snacks.

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What’s your favourite meal of the day? Maybe it’s breakfast when you can have a hearty plate of eggs and bacon, or dinner when you can finally have that salmon you’ve been thinking about all day.

Now, imagine that’s the only meal you can eat each day. That’s the premise behind the OMAD diet, which stands for “one meal a day,” which is essentially a form of fasting.

While fasting can be good for you (just ask Vanessa Hudgens or Jenna Jameson), some experts believe certain methods like the OMAD diet aren’t a healthy, sustainable solution for weight loss. Here’s what you need to know.

What exactly is the OMAD diet?

“Think of OMAD as intermittent fasting on steroids,” says Dena Champion, registered dietician of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “OMAD is literally when someone eats one meal daily during one hour of the day and then fasts the other 23 hours.” You are allowed to drink black coffee or other non-calorie drinks during that fasting time—but nothing else.

On top of that, you’re instructed to eat that one meal during the same four-hour window every day, says Jen Oikarinen, a clinical dietitian with Banner University Medical Center Phoenix. “Consistency is emphasised in the OMAD diet,” she says. And while it is recommended that you make healthy food choices, it’s more about when you eat than what you eat, says Champion.

READ MORE: Will Eating Less Really Help You Shrink Your Stomach?

OMAD dieters are supposed to adhere to a set of rules known as the “4 ones,” says Oikarinen. So if you’re on the OMAD diet:

You should only be eating one meal per day

You can only eat within one hour of your four-hour eating window

You must eat off an 11-inch (27cm) diameter plate

Your meal shouldn’t be more than seven centimetres high on your plate (so…a mountain of french fries is definitely off-limits)

Worth noting: While the OMAD diet is technically a fasting diet, it’s quite different from other intermittent fasting diets like the 16:8 diet, which instructs you to fast for 16 hours and eat three (or four!) meals during the remaining eight hours.

READ MORE: This Vegetarian Recipe Makes The Perfect Movie Night Snack

So, can the OMAD diet help me lose weight?

Yes, but again, some experts say it’s neither healthy nor sustainable weight loss.

OMAD is basically a starvation diet if you follow all the stipulations, says Rebecca Elbaum, a clinical administrative dietitian at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. That’s because you’re not consuming enough calories with just one meal as you would by eating three or four times a day, so weight loss will occur.

Also, because you’re eating so little (and so sparingly), you’d also likely go into ketosis (the state during which your body burns fat for fuel instead of carbs) from this diet—not because you’re upping your fat content and decreasing your carbs, but because you’re eating very little in general, says Elbaum.

Aside from the weight loss, a fasting programme like OMAD can also result in mood swings, muscle loss, hormone disturbances, and even changes in your menstrual cycle (like having it stop completely), says Oikarinen. “Another major concern is the increased risk for nutrient deficiencies; decreased intake of food also means decreased intake of beneficial vitamins and minerals,” Oikarinen says.

One study showed that compared with people who ate three meals a day, the risk of death increases by 30%, and goes up even more for cardiovascular-related deaths. And, skipping meals is closely related to having an unhealthy diet, a higher intake of alcohol and taking in less energy overall.

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Should I try the OMAD diet?

While plenty of people sing the OMAD diet’s praises online, and some experts certainly endorse various forms of intermittent fasting, Elbaum believes not even healthy people should try the OMAD diet. And that goes doubly for anyone who’s pregnant, breastfeeding, recovering from past disordered eating, has diabetes, or even regularly exercises or lifts weights, she says.

“Healthy weight loss will be whatever is the most sustainable over a lifetime,” she says. “This includes a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise.”

Interested in some type of fasting? A less intense form (like the 16:8 diet) might be your best bet. Even then, it’s wise to talk to a registered dietician about your options and how best to work an intermittent fasting diet into your lifestyle, says Oikarinen.

The bottom line: Definitely steer clear of the OMAD diet—it won’t promote healthy or sustainable weight loss.

This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com  More