Most people who start a diet think first about giving things up. Less bread. Less sweets. Fewer carbohydrates. But over the years I have seen that the truly important question is different: What should enter the menu so that you do not feel like you are at war?
Here are 3 things I recommend paying attention to:
1. Food for the soul – Every day, not just once a week
The idea of a “permitted meal once a week” creates a problematic pattern: Six days of restraint and one day of compensation, or more accurately a “burst” of calories that can actually ruin the achievements and efforts of an entire week.
Precisely in order to persist over time, it is important to incorporate foods you love – on a daily basis: Chocolate, cake, bread or anything else. Everything is possible – of course if you calculate the quantity correctly and adapt it to the rest of the menu. When there is no prohibition – there is no binge.
For Dr. Maya Rosman’s online diet course click here
2. Hot drinks – A simple tool that reduces snacking
Many people are not aware of the effect of hot drinks on the feeling of satiety:
Fills the stomach more than cold drinks, especially if it contains a little milk/soy drink.
Creates a feeling of fullness.
Activates sensory receptors that signal satiety to the brain.
A cup of coffee, a cup of hot cocoa or tea – can prevent unnecessary snacking. Not because of willpower, but because of physiology.
3. Vegetables – As much as possible, not instead of other food – in addition to it
What is actually in vegetables that makes them the real “secret” to maintaining health and weight?
Here are all the reasons:
Large volume – Few calories
Vegetables are mostly made of water and dietary fiber. This means they take up a large volume in the stomach with very few calories. The stomach fills up. The brain receives a satiety signal. Hunger naturally decreases.
Studies on the “volumetrics” diet show that people who eat foods with low calorie density (a lot of volume, few calories) succeed in losing weight and also maintaining it over time.
In simple words: When you fill the plate with vegetables there is less hunger.
Dietary fiber – Not only for satiety
Vegetables are one of the most important sources of dietary fiber. And fiber does much more than “regulate bowel movements”:
Slows the absorption of sugar into the blood
Reduces insulin spikes
Feeds gut bacteria
Encourages the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that are associated with reducing inflammation
Contributes to a prolonged feeling of satiety
A diet rich in fiber has been linked in studies to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Vitamin C – Not only against colds
One red pepper can contain more than 200% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
And what does vitamin C do?
- Participates in the creation of collagen, meaning it helps skin health, its elasticity, and the prevention of wrinkles.
- Helps iron absorption
- A powerful antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress
- Supports the immune system
When you eat several peppers a day, there is definitely no need to run to supplements.
Beta carotene and vitamin A – The body’s first line of defense
Carrots, pumpkin, butternut squash and green leaves are rich in beta carotene that is converted in the body to vitamin A. Many people do not know this, but this vitamin is important for the functioning of the immune system even more than vitamin C.
In addition, it is important for maintaining healthy mucous membranes (the line of defense against viruses), for skin health, and of course also for vision, especially night vision (the adaptation of our eye to dark conditions).
Vitamin K – Also for bones
Dark green vegetables contain vitamin K. It activates proteins that bind calcium to the bone and contributes to bone health. Studies have found a connection between higher consumption of vitamin K and a reduction in the risk of fractures. This is especially important for women in menopause.
Antioxidants and polyphenols
Beyond the classic vitamins, vegetables contain bioactive compounds: Polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids
These are substances that have been linked in studies to reducing chronic inflammation, improving heart health and reducing the risk of certain chronic diseases.
Chewing = Satiety
Hard vegetables require time to chew. Slow chewing encourages the secretion of satiety hormones and gives the brain time to understand that we are full. This is one of the reasons that snacking on vegetables is much more balancing than a soft snack that is swallowed within minutes.
Habits – Not a “diet”
One of the biggest changes I made was to stop being “on a diet”. Instead I adopted habits: I always have a box of cut vegetables in my bag. I prepare a box before I leave the house, no matter where. To a meeting. To a lecture. To the studio. To a long trip. To a flight. It is not an effort. It is automatic. And when vegetables are available – the healthy choice becomes simple.
Yes, I also eat a lot of vegetables. On an average day it looks roughly like this:
4 peppers
5 carrots
2 tomatoes
A few lettuce leaves
One third of a cauliflower
One whole eggplant
A quarter of a butternut squash
And a bowl of cherry tomatoes
Yes. This is not a mistake. And it is not instead of other food – but in addition to oatmeal, tofu, legumes, nuts, protein bars and also chocolate when I feel like it.
And what about carbohydrates and protein?
It is important for me to emphasize: Vegetables are not a substitute for protein, quality carbohydrates or healthy fat. They are in addition. They alone cannot supply all the body’s needs.
A balanced diet should include protein in an amount appropriate to body mass and activity level. A physically active person, for example, needs more protein than a “sedentary” person.
At an older age as well, the importance of consuming sufficient protein increases in order to maintain muscle mass, bone density and proper metabolic function.
Protein is essential for building muscle, for the production of enzymes and hormones, for the functioning of the immune system and for a prolonged feeling of satiety.
In addition, the body needs quality fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found among other things in olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds and fish.
These fats are important for heart health, for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), and for the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system.
And by the way, carbohydrates are not the enemy either. Complex and high-quality carbohydrates such as those found in whole grains, legumes, quinoa and oats – provide available energy for physical and mental activity, contribute to balancing blood sugar levels, and integrate well into a balanced menu. Vegetables, in addition to all these – serve as a broad volumetric and nutritional base on which the balanced meal is built.
Many people start a diet by reducing: Eating fewer carbohydrates, less bread, fewer sweets. But sometimes the right step is actually to add. So before you decide what to remove, check how many vegetables you really eat. Sometimes the “secret” is not an extreme menu, but a large bowl of vegetables, and one consistent habit that stays with you for years.