DRAWING A SUSTAINABLE MEAL PLAN FOR WEIGHT LOSS

In my last post, I promised that we will be looking at some local foods and their constituent food nutrients and  how to obtain a sustainable meal plan for weight loss.

Many locally made meals are nutritious and good for weight loss; however some should be eaten in low quantity or avoided totally.  

The table below shows nutrients and how to obtain them locally;

Food Nutrient	Ideal  quantity for weight loss	Local Sources	Remark
Protein	Best for weight loss, should be eaten in relatively large quantity.	Beans (including foods gotten from beans like Moi-moi and Akara), Soya beans, Bread fruit(Ukwa),  locust beans (Okpa), Milk, Egg, Chicken meat, Melon seed(Egusi),low fat yoghurt, Fish(including Okporoko, smoked fish)	The human body is designed to excrete unused protein. It doesn't store up in the body like carbohydrate or Fat.
Carbohydrate	should be eaten in low   quantity	Cassava, Yam, White Rice, Bread, Flour, Potatoes, Cereals, Semovita, maize, guinea corn, millet (Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks contain lots of sugar)	Carbohydrate increases  blood sugar and contributes heavily to overall body fat
Fat & Oil	Should be eaten in very low quantity or avoided totally.	Vegetable oil, Mayonnaise, butter, Fried foods, Nuts, Corn, Yoghurt,  Snacks, (our local soups are high in fat and oil too)	Asides making one add unwanted weight; fat also increases the body’s bad cholesterol which affects blood flow in and out of the heart.
Vitamins	Vitamins should be taken in small amounts. They can be gotten from a balanced diet or taken as supplements	There are 13 different   Vitamins; each vitamin can be gotten various sources. However some general sources of vitamin include: Milk, cheese, yogurt, fish, poultry, liver, soybeans, Potatoes, bananas, nuts and Meat	Taking too many Vitamins or taking them for too long can cause harmful effects
Minerals	Should be taken in limited quantity	The body needs about 15 minerals to function, including Iron, Calcium, Potassium etc. Some of the sources of these minerals are: Meat, cereals, bread, fish, milk and dairy foods, vegetables, fruit (especially dried fruit),nuts, soybean flour, tea	Just like Vitamins, taking too many minerals for too long has toxic effect on the body.

                   Many years ago, I came across this simple formula for weight loss which I used myself and found that it works. I call it ‘the 123 formula’; this means in every meal the proportion of carbohydrate to protein and vegetables/fruits should be in ratio 1:2:3; i.e for every  ounce of carbohydrate, you should supplement   with 2 ounces of protein and 3 ounces of vegetable.

For this formula to be effective, the following must be observed;

1. Make healthy swaps; this simply  means substitute fat and carbohydrate for more protein and vegetable. Here are some suggestions on food items you should swap;

White Rice= Brown Rice

Butter, Maiyonaise= Avocado butter

Candy, Chocolate, Junk food=Fruits,Vegetable

Bread=Wheat Bread

Red Meat=Chicken Breast or Fish

Soft drinks=Water, Fruit smoothies

while you do the healthy swap, remove the following from your meals:
• Hydrogenated fats
• Refined grains
• High fructose corn syrup
• Artificial sweeteners
• Artificial coloring and preservatives

2.Fruits and Vegetables should be consumed in large quantity.

3.Avoid fried foods and cook with less oil; many local soups can be cooked without palm oil and they taste delicious too.

4.Do not eat heavy food after 7 pm, if you get hungry at night drink water or have little cereal. Late night meals are counterproductive for weight loss.

5.Exercise  for a minimum of 30 minutes everyday.

   This formula can work for anyone who takes it seriously but do not expect to lose 20 kg in 2 weeks because losing body fat requires patience, discipline and dedication.

   Cheers to the fit life.

 Thank you  for the encouraging comments on my previous posts, I’m dedicated to motivating readers  to take  the necessary steps towards losing unwanted fat, staying fit and enjoying a healthy lifestyle. Be free  to comment with your questions or suggestions on my posts and I will be glad to answer.