How to manage your weight through nutrition

"Long-term weight management can be achieved by cutting carbs, consuming more protein, … and prudent stress management practices." - John K.

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Weight management can be influenced by various factors such as lifestyle, age, genes, gender, environment, and family habits. A healthy weight helps to control blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels in the body, as well as prevent weight-related health risks such as diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer, and arthritis.

Here are some key ways in which nutrition can help you maintain a healthy weight:

Consume healthy, good food

The intake of a well-rounded diet such as vegetables, a variety of fruits, whole grains, and a moderate intake of dairy, meat, and unsaturated fats facilitates steady weight management. Unprocessed foods such as apples, broccoli, berries, unprocessed meat, kale, tomatoes, and chia seeds are highly nutritious and contain valuable nutrients that facilitate healthy weight management.

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• Proteins

Proteins are vital micronutrients that promote steady weight management by boosting your metabolism, changing weight-regulating hormones, and reducing your appetite. Intake of protein-rich foods is also linked with low calorie intake as it reduces the level of ghrelin (hunger hormones) while increasing the levels of the satiety hormones cholecystokinin, GLP-1, and peptide YY, therefore promoting steady weight loss.

• Calcium

Calcium regularizes body core temperature and thermogenesis, which enhance the body's metabolism and results in fat burning. You should consume at least three servings of low-fat or free-fat dairy products to achieve steady weight loss. Note that low amounts of calcium intake can lead to reduced lipolysis and increased lipogenesis, resulting in body fat accumulation. You should consume at least 600 mg of calcium each day for optimal weight loss and fat burning.

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Good nutrition contains crucial minerals and vitamins that facilitate fat loss, reduce hunger, and supplement nutritional deficiency. Consider the intake of unprocessed foods, as they are healthier, more nutritious, and facilitate healthy weight management practices. Long-term weight management can be achieved by cutting carbs, consuming more protein, getting enough consistent sleep, eating healthy, balanced diets, incorporating physical activities, and prudent stress management practices.

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Drink a lot of water

Water intake can help reduce hunger cravings and burn calories. It also suppresses your appetite when consumed before meals, thus reducing the amount of calories you consume. Consuming more water before meals facilitates weight loss of about 2 kilograms in a 3-month period and reduces the amount of calories consumed during meals by about 15%. Increasing your water intake also decreases long-term weight gain by about 1.5 kilograms every four years.

You should consume about 1-2 liters of water per day to boost your weight management routines by promoting your metabolism through increased lipolysis. Intake of water also promotes weight loss in various ways, such as by protecting your muscles and cushioning your joints, among other health benefits including:

• Maximize your physical performance.

• Improves oxygen delivery throughout the body

• Regulate body temperature

• Facilitate the absorption of nutrients and minerals

• Boost your skin's health

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Consume foods rich in fiber

The intake of fiber-rich foods facilitates steady weight management by increasing the production of satiety hormones, for instance, peptides and cholecystokinin. Plant foods such as whole grain bread, vegetables and fruits, peas, beans, and lentils are rich sources of fiber. Intake of soluble fiber facilitates belly fat loss and prevents unwanted belly fat gain as they are essential in curbing your appetite, hence reducing the calorie intake.

Fiber consumption is also linked with the prevention of various health conditions associated with unhealthy weight, such as diverticular diseases, diabetes, colon cancer, and constipation. You should aim to consume about 30 grams of fiber per day, as it promotes steady weight loss, prevents hypertension, and boosts your body's response to insulin. Excess fiber consumption without adequate hydration can result in gastrointestinal distress such as bloating, cramping, and constipation.

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Get more active

Engaging in physical activity and eating healthy contribute to healthy weight management. Engaging in physical activities can help you burn more calories than you can achieve by diet alone. Reducing calorie intake and burning calories through physical activity results in a calorie deficit, which contributes to steady weight loss. Physical exercises have various health benefits beyond weight management, such as reducing the risks of heart diseases, managing insulin and blood sugar levels, improving your mood and mental health, strengthening your bones and muscles, and reducing the risks of some cancers.

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Avoid junk foods

Snacking and eating foods that are rich in calories and fats can lead to unhealthy weight gain and obesity. Obesity comes with various health problems such as hypertension, high triglycerides, an increase in blood sugar and inflammation, and low-density lipoprotein. Junk foods are typically high in calories, fats, sugar, simple carbohydrates, and sodium, which are associated with a resultant gain in weight.

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They also have low nutritional values on vital nutrients that your body needs such as vitamins, fiber, and minerals. The intake of foods high in refined carbs, fats, or sugar contributes to an additional calorie intake which can contribute to obesity. Other than increasing your calorie intake, they can lead to various health problems including:

• Cause the outbreak of acne due to high amounts of carbs

• Increase the risks of depression

• Dental problems

• Increased LDL cholesterol due to trans fats

• Bloating is due to the high amounts of sodium

• Increased blood sugar and insulin resistance due to simple carbohydrates

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You can replace junk foods such as biscuits, crisps, chocolate, and sweetened beverages with real foods like fruits, oat cakes, unsweetened popcorns, fruit juice, and unsalted rice cake to achieve a healthy weight management. Perhaps you can consider having a daily meal plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to limit the intake of junk foods. Nutrition is the key contributing factor for managing your weight and promoting healthy aging. For what it is worth, drinking more water, eating healthy, avoiding junk foods, minding your portion, and consuming foods rich in fiber will enable you to achieve and manage a healthy weight.

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