Eat more to lose weight?

For a long time, the ‘eat less, move more’ mantra has been drilled into us. But actually that doesn’t always work! While it’s true an excess of high-calorie food will make you gain weight, it’s not the way most people become overweight.

The average person packs on excess pounds by filling up on low-nutrient, high-kilojoule foods. The result of this imbalance is more than just weight gain. This can bring on a downward spiral of low energy, poor immunity, and stress on every organ system in the body. Eventually, this can lead to chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, degenerative arthritis, dementia, heart disease, cancer and depression.

Cutting back on portion sizes will never solve this high calorie diet. Instead, the focus needs to be on eating more of the right foods.

On my recent trip to the US, I was privileged to sit in on the weekly doctors’ meeting at TrueNorth Health Center. The meeting was at lunchtime, which gave me the opportunity to check out what each staff member had on their plate.

TrueNorth has the largest dinner plates I’ve ever seen in my life. Program participants who aren’t fasting or on prescribed diets are encouraged to eat as much as they like from the salad bar and hot meal selection.

As I looked around the room, a striking correlation emerged between how high the food was piled on each plate, and how slim the eater was! The doctors and staff appeared lean, vibrant and healthy.

On the other hand, some interns new to the centre’s food philosophy did not appear as lean.

Closer examination of the contents of their plates revealed that those boasting slim bodies were actually eating more than the stouter ones. It was what they were eating that made all the difference. A plate piled high with salad, fresh fruit, cooked vegetables and brown rice may look like a lot of food, but actually contains less calories than fat, sugar and processed food options.

So remember, stick to vegetables, brown rice and salad and you’ll find a slimmer you!

Article from Hopewood contributor Robyn Chuter.