Holistic weight reduction - Part11 - Palatability and visual satisfaction of food

Palatability of food and visual satisfaction created by colorful presentation is the fourth point that needs emphasis. Variation of menus prevents monotony as well as the boredom and depression that often results from it. The same ingredients of a salad can become attractive to the palate and exciting to the eyes when seasoned with different dressings and when different colored vegetables are used. Similarly a bowl of rice everyday as the carbohydrate part of the diet can be tantalizing if different meats and fish preparations are added as the protein component of the weight reduction diet.

Adequacy of fluid intake is another matter, which often does not get enough attention. When caloric intake is reduced, there is an inevitable reduction in the bulk of food that enters the gastrointestinal tract. To maintain adequate bowel movements, fluids are very necessary. Plain water is the best drink, because tea, coffee, soft drinks and alcohol act as diuretics and may deplete the body of its water content at a time when it is needed to a greater extent than usual. A special warning must be issued against alcohol during attempts at weight reduction because it contains large number of calories and deleteriously affects the liver, which is deprived of carbohydrate to a greater extent than under normal circumstances. Avoidance of the use of diet drinks is also important in spite of the fact that their caloric content is extremely low; their content of substances that can retain water may be high and because of it, they do not truly quench thirst. This may predispose to unnecessarily high intake of fluids and their subsequent retention in the body masking loss of fat mass. Reduction of salt intake is also important because retained fluid may give the impression that weight reduction is not proceeding as planned and may initiate depression. This injunction is not relevant if the individual is undertaking increased exercise, which depletes the body of electrolytes.

It is appropriate to recognize that when one pound of fat is catabolized, it produces a pound of water. Water formed in the body in this fashion is not excreted from the body as soon as it is produced. Usually it takes about three weeks to do so and one may notice that weight reduction of the total body does not occur on a regular weekly basis, even when the diet is rigidly followed and energy calculations would suggest that there should be a loss of at least one or more pounds per week. Even though adipose tissue weight loss continues as predicted, because of the delay in the excretion of water produced, especially during premenstrual periods in women, total body weight loss may appear to be slower. When forewarned about this physiological phenomenon, those who are prone to easy disappointments may be able to deal with the situation without emotional distress.

About the Author : Abe Kurien MD, is a proponent of holistic medicine. He writes profusely on subjects of Weight reduction. His enlightening articles can be found on the smatix weight reduction section : Nutrition Guide