1302
uhc_video
Ask the Expert: Kathleen Zelman
Determine the best diet for you – UHC TV
I love this question. I get it all the time. There are so many diets to choose from. How can I determine which is the best diet for me?
The short answer is, the best diet for you is the one you can stick with. All diets work, but no diet works unless you stick with it. Diet gets a bad rap. People think of diet and they think of deprivation. Your diet is basically anything you eat. That is your diet. It could be a low-calorie diet or a high-calorie diet. Diets come in all shapes and sizes. The right diet for you is the one you can stick with.
You don’t need to go on a special diet. In fact, if you want to create a diet for yourself, or you want to give yourself some guidelines on healthy foods to eat, go to myplate.gov and take a look at the new icon the government has put out. On that website, it’s a wonderful place to go. It will help you determine how many calories do I need? How many servings should I have of fruits and vegetables, meats, and healthy fats? What is a healthy fat?
It’s a great place for you to sort of craft your own diet plan. Think about a diet plan and don’t think about restrictions because when you deprive yourself, you’re only going to long for those foods. We don’t like deprivation.
We want a diet that gives you plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains. Lean protein sources, lean meats, white meat of poultry without the skin, fish – all kinds of fish except when it’s fried. We don’t like to have fried because it adds unnecessary calories. Low-fat dairy, eggs, beans, nuts. These are all the things that should be included in a healthy diet.
Instead of thinking about diet, think about eating healthier. Just think about an approach that I’m going to eat healthier and I’m going to make better choices. You make choices about healthy eating, or about eating, all throughout the day. So just try to make 80 percent of them healthy.
Don’t try to be a perfect student. Be a B student. Try to make good decisions most of the time. Think about scaling down portions – maybe just a little less.
When it comes to portions, sometimes you’re served a plate of pasta that’s absolutely huge. It can feed a family of four, and yet it’s being served to you as an individual portion. So, scale back. Take half of it home. Eat the rest for lunch the next day.
When it comes to the right diet for you, it’s the diet that you can stick with. The area you want to put emphasis on is variety, healthy foods. Watch the extras. Watch the sweets, and the treats, and the alcohol. Those calories are extra calories. They’re not necessary for good health and nutrition. Unless you need them or can control them in smaller portions, they can add onto your waistline, which is obviously where you want to cut.
Find a diet that works for you that you can stick with that works with your lifestyle long term.
Ask the Expert
Best Diet for You
Question: With so many diets to choose from, what's the best one for me?
Answer from: Kathleen Zelman, R.D., nutrition expert
Dieting gets a bad rap. Instead of thinking about diet, think about eating healthier.
The content of these videos is for information only and is not intended to be medical advice. Refer to your health plan benefit guide for coverage details, and consult with your doctor to determine what is best for you.
Please enter a valid email address
