A student recently asked:

Q: You refer to yourself as a ‘nutritional therapist’. Why not a dietician, and what’s the distinction?

A: How could I claim to be a dietician when I don’t prescribe specific food quantities or types?

After immersing myself in the study of nutrition for years, delving into various dietary approaches such as high fat (keto), Veganism, Vegetarianism, Omnivorous eating, Dairy-focused diets, Saturated fat considerations, high Proteina through extensive research, podcasts, the works of esteemed scientists, as well as my own and my clients’ experiences, I’ve cultivated my perspective on nutrition

Here are the fundamental insights I’ve gleaned over years of study:

– If you maintain a standard diet while following the same lifestyle routine and find yourself gaining weight, chances are you’ve developed insulin resistance. The culprit could be a specific food or carbohydrates in general, depending on the individual case.

– If you lead an active lifestyle, avoid junk food, and follow a healthy routine yet struggle to lose weight, it’s improbable to shed pounds on your current diet.

– If regular exercise fails to yield weight loss and skipping meals offers no relief, it’s time to reconsider both your eating habits and exercise regimen.

– Ensuring a healthy diet can be as simple as incorporating vegetables into your meals every day. Aim for a total of six vegetables, along with diff salad and yogurt, throughout the week. Unless you have a very low appetite this should suffice nutritionally.

– If you’re consuming fruits but still not experiencing weight loss, consider either cutting back on fruit intake or adjusting the timing of fruit consumption. Incorporating vegetables can provide similar nutritional benefits, making fruits optional rather than essential.

– If weight loss is your goal, eliminate smoothies and fruit juices from your diet.

Sleep plays a significant role in overall health, despite its silent nature. Establishing good sleep habits is essential for optimal well-being. If you struggle with sleep, consider the following tips:

– Set designated times to stop using electronic devices and keep them away from your sleeping area.

– Establish a consistent bedtime routine akin to boarding school days.

– Avoid using electronic devices or watching TV in bed. Treat your bed as sacred place and use it just for sleep or resting.

– Follow the established routine regardless of the time you fall asleep.

– Rise early and engage in a brisk walk, regardless of any initial difficulty.

Implementing these practices may not immediately result in improved sleep, but persisting with them can gradually shift your body’s sleep patterns.

These adjustments can recalibrate your body’s sleep patterns over a few days to a maximum of one week. The key is consistency, especially in waking up early.

Important points from most common practices:

  1. Eating less or skipping is not a solution if you are not eating large meals or junk food. If you eat less, your body will adapt to less metabolic load and adjust ‘basal metabolic rate’ keeping the lipostat (fat storage) at similar set point. Double whammy!!
  2. Cutting down on dairy, wheat, or any other food type doesn’t help if we are not sure what is causing the issue of weight gain. It may not be a food substrate. It may be excess of one.
  3. If you eat a wholesome diet without much junk then cutting down on Saturated fat, Fruits, Sugar, or Milk can help you lose weight very quickly.
  4. Adding fiber in salad form or mixing vegetables with other foods like meat, chicken, dals, etc. can help you consume less overall calories