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| Those who spend 45 minutes or more in the kitchen per day have lower body mass indexes |
WITH carb-loaded comfort food tempting us to scupper healthy-eating intentions, here’s how to keep your waistline in check…
1. Match your DNA
Researchers at The University of Sheffield found that a one-size-fits-all approach to diet doesn’t work and weight-loss strategies need to be more tailored. A massive 60 per cent of variance in body weight is due to genetic factors, so make your diet work with your genetic make-up.
SOLUTION: DNAFit is a programme that provides bespoke advice to improve your fitness, weight and health by analysing your genes.
A saliva test provides the information to develop your personalised diet and exercise programme. The DNAFit test and consultation costs from £99 at dnafit.com.
2. Sleep well
A study by Weill Cornell Medical College in the US discovered just 30 minutes less sleep per night than normal can cause weight gain. The more sleep-deprived you are, the less regulated your hormones. You release too much cortisol, which increases your appetite and not enough leptin, which controls fat stores.
SOLUTION: “Set an alarm for 9.30pm to remind you to switch all technology off to guarantee a good night’s sleep,” says nutritional adviser and personal fitness trainer Rachel McGuinness (zestlifestyle.com). “A tech amnesty is essential as the blue light emitted by computer screens increases serotonin secretion, fighting the body’s sleep hormone, melatonin.”
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| Sleep well: 30 minutes less sleep per night than normal can cause weight gain |
3. On the move
Never mind spin classes – just moving more will have a huge impact on your ability to lose weight. Long periods of gentle exercise – such as daily dog walks – are better at fat burning than high-intensity cardio gym sessions. Low-intensity exercise improves insulin sensitivity and blood lipid levels, which are both indicators of diabetes and obesity.
SOLUTION: Keep on the go and the energy burnt will soon clock up: 150 minutes of brisk walking a week is a good rule of thumb. Or get a Fitbit and aim to do 10,000 steps a day.
4. Cut calories
Most of us eat far too many calories, which is why nearly two thirds of the adult population is overweight or obese. Eating out is almost as bad as takeaways when it comes to calories, due to added cream and butter, plus alcohol that weakens our resolve while piling on more calories.
SOLUTION: Use the NHS-approved app Cook & Count, which measures exactly how many calories there are in your cooking, and also gives you the nutritional content of fat, carbohydrate and protein.
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| Long periods of gentle exercise – such as daily dog walks – are great at fat burning |
5. Mindful metabolism
Ever felt that those extra few inches won’t shift? This could be something to do with your metabolism. Understanding how it works could hold the key to transforming your shape for the long term.
SOLUTION: Get your metabolism analysed. The results of a Hypoxi analysis (hypoxi.net) explain how high your consumption of calories is, how well your body uses its fat reserves, how many calories a day you really need and what type of foods are recommended for you.
6. Know your sugar
With Jamie Oliver declaring sugar is almost as bad for you as alcohol and tobacco, the average Brit consumes 238 teaspoons of it each week.
Yet glucose is the chemical in the bloodstream that carries energy to the brain, muscles and other organs and systems. Acts of self-control – like eating sensibly – reduce blood glucose levels.
SOLUTION: Low levels of glucose predict poor performance on self-control tasks and tests. Replenishing glucose at low willpower points in the day (such as mid-afternoon) with a small glass of lemonade improves self-control performance – meaning you can resist treats.
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| When you get the urge to snack, do something with your hands like trying an adult colouring book |
7. Enjoy the kitchen
Research has found those who spend 45 minutes or more in the kitchen per day have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) than those who only spend less time preparing meals – 39 per cent of those who had a healthy BMI (of 18.5-24.9) on average spent 45 minutes or more preparing meals per day.
SOLUTION: Not having the right ingredients for rustling up a healthy meal is the key, so stock up the freezer and you’ll have no excuse. Have a ready supply of frozen veg, herbs, root ginger and chillis, plus cook-from-frozen fish and mince, as well as frozen fruit for healthy sorbets.
8. Beat boredom
A recent Weight Watchers survey found the biggest reason for snacking is boredom and the average Brit spends 34 days a year thinking about food.
SOLUTION: “When you get the urge to snack, do something with your hands like trying an adult colouring book or playing a brain-training game on your phone,” says Rachel McGuinness. “If you normally have a snack at a certain time, go for a walk or do an activity instead, so you break the snacking-when-bored cycle.”
9. False friends
We’re meant to eat at least five servings of fruit and veg a day for optimum health. But a recent study by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston found starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn and peas will make you gain weight.
SOLUTION: Vegetables that contain lots of fibre and are low in carbohydrates such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts lead to greater weight loss, probably because they make you feel full. If you want to lose weight, eat more berries, pears, apples, tofu, soy, cauliflower and green, leafy vegetables.
10. Don’t give up
We’re only human and even the most disciplined of us falls off the diet wagon now and again with the odd comfort-eating binge.
SOLUTION: Don’t beat yourself up if you have a bad day – we all deserve the odd treat. Just resolve to get back on track for the rest of the week. Think of it as “calories in, calories out” and plan a way to exercise it off.
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