Did you know that at any given time, one out of every four Canadians is on a diet? The Cabbage Soup Diet, the Blood Diet, the Atkins Diet, Body for Life, the G.I Diet, the Macrobiotic Diet, the Rice Diet – the list goes on and on...and on and on...and on and on. Why do we diet? To be slim, to be ‘healthier’, to be happier and to be more attractive is what is heard most by health care professionals and personal trainers.

First, slimness is temporary. Over the long run, 95% of dieters regain the weight, so they diet again, with similar results. This is called diet cycling and it can lead to damaging your metabolism permanently. Second, some diets are downright unhealthy! Health is not about having a slim body, it is about having the energy to deal with life and reach our goals. Third, 95% of dieters fail. Does failure make you happy? Your body and mind don’t run well when you restrict calories. Dieting makes you moodier, irritable, and makes you obsessed with food. This feels like failure, but in fact it is a physiological response and has nothing to do with willpower. Last, do you want your boy/girl friends to like you for your body or for yourself? We live in a society where people are so desperate to find the diet, the quick fix that will take weight off fast with little to no exercise. Oh – if life were that easy!! Here is the skinny on what really happens when we diet.

Skipping meals or drastically reducing calories lowers metabolism so we store fat more easily from fewer calories. Cutting out starchy foods will leave you feeling tired and moody and you could end up eating higher fat and sugary foods to satisfy yourself. Cutting out meat may run the risk of iron deficiency leading to fatigue. Fasting will decrease muscle mass which lowers metabolism, resulting in fat gain. Just as your car runs best on a certain type of fuel, so does the human body. The body requires more than 50 different nutrients each day. The following are the six key essential nutrients required to perform day to day functions: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins and water - each playing a different role. Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy, or fuel, for activity while proteins are the building blocks of body tissue. Fats are also a major source of energy and are needed to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. An excess of any of the previous will be stored in the body as fat. Vitamins are essential for maintenance of body function such as growth and repair where as minerals are important in the regulation and storage of water and are essential in the conduction of nerve pulses, heart beat and muscle contraction. The last of the essential nutrients is water. Water, arguably could be the most important nutrient of all. It is vital to life and serves as a medium and body temperature regulator, assists with digestion and eliminates wastes. All six of these essential nutrients can be consumed through a healthy, well balanced diet.

It is simple: there is no substitute for eating well and exercising regularly. If you are ready to change your lifestyle but are unsure where to start visit the Health Canada website to view the Canada Food Guide, and contact a personal trainer to help meet your health and fitness goals.

Canada Food Guide

Jenn Naiman, Group Fitness Director