Want to lose weight? 7 commandments to give your diet a healthy start

Diets are the new fad. From weight loss to disease reversal, general wellness and more, there are multiple reasons why people are turning to new-age diets. But we forget that healthy eating needs to be a lifestyle. Ready for some diet tips, are you?

Fitness expert Yash Vardhan Swami gives us a lowdown on diets and ways to start a diet on a healthy not. “Let me start by explaining the meaning of word ‘diet’. The actual meaning of word diet in Greek, is a way of life,” says the expert, before sharing his top 7 diet tips.

Diet tips for a healthy and fit life:

1. Diet is not temporary

We need to understand that whatever nutrition plan we follow, is not a temporary plan. It should become our lifestyle. If it can become our lifestyle, then only we would be able to sustain the results. So, that’s number one. The goal of a diet should improving our whole lifestyle and having a long term perspective.

2. Make your diet enjoyable

If you are wondering how to make your diet a lifestyle, the answer lies in making it convenient and enjoyable. This is one of the most important diet tips. A lot of us believe that we need to leave our favourite, staple and indigenous foods, or even remove whole food groups to lose fat. But it is nothing like that. You can always make healthy diet swaps.

We can actually have (and should have) our favourite foods in our fat loss or good health diet, else it starts feeling like you’re stuck in a jail and then you want to run away from it. So, making it enjoyable would be number two.

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3. Understand your body

Understanding that our body and optimal health relies on certain nutrients. A lot of them are essential, and we need to derive them from food. These basic nutrients include essential amino acids derived from protein sources and essential fatty acids derived from fat sources. Carbohydrates (carbs) on the other spectrum are not essential but they ensure optimal performance, optimal thyroid health and even stress modulation.

Along with these, having enough fiber, vitamins and minerals are also important for optimal health. Remember, our ‘way of life’ should always be supporting our health.

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4. Health is not just about nutrition

Getting fitter or healthier is not just about nutrition. Everything is interconnected. We need to ‘top up’ our nutrition with regular exercise. Any form of exercise, which is progressive in nature would ensure optimal cardiovascular and lymphatic health. It would also support optimal posture, bone and joint health etc. while burning more calories!

5. Stay active

From yoga to Pilates to weight training, atleast 3-5 hours per week is a great start for most of us. Exercising regularly is number four. We exercise for how long? Maybe an hour everyday. What we do in other 23 hours of the day, matters too! Staying active throughout the day is a great stategy for burning more calories, better digestion and even better mental health. Walking 8000-10000 steps per day would sort that our for most of us. It’s also been linked with longevity.

6. Mind your mental health

It’s not just about our body. Remember that our mind controls everything. Working on our mind is equally important. If our mental health is not on point, we won’t be able to take care of other aspects of life. Quality of our thoughts dictate quality of our lives. Sleeping for 8 hours every night is a great start for most of us.

Surrounding yourselves with positive people who inspire us, support us, hold us accountable and help us improve is a must. Practicing mindfulness, gratefulness and meditation are great strategies to start working.

7. Don’t forget you’re human

Last but not the least of the diet tips, it’s remembering that we are humans. Humans make mistakes. So, slipping up from the routine is fine. It’s humane. What matters is how soon we get back on track. Enjoying your favorite ‘high calorie’ foods is fine. Taking a break from workouts is fine too. Not being able to sleep for 8 hours every night is okay. But getting back on track is what matters.

Good luck for your ‘diet’!