Weight Management with Natural Nutrition
Combining Natural Nutrition and Lifestyle Counselling; weight loss and weight gain programmes are carefully constructed to offer bespoke packages that take into account the needs and lifestyle factors of each individual client.
Every tailored eating plan is simple, easy to follow and practical; aiming to be thoroughly varied and delicious in order to be successful. Daily exercise and lifestyle choices are considered as part of each programme.
Nutritional Therapists are trained in the assessment of food and lifestyle practices and, amongst other things, how they impact on both short‐ and long‐term weight gain. I also recognise and understand that specific dietary and other lifestyle behaviours may affect the success of the simplest, yet not always successful, “eat less and exercise more” strategy for preventing long‐term weight gain.
Specific dietary and lifestyle factors are independently associated with long‐term weight gain, with a substantial aggregate effect and implications for strategies aiming to prevent excess weight gain.
Habituation
Whilst we may instinctively recognise that food choices are less than ideal and initially alter our selection, we may mitigate this with a self or peer validated concessionary statement that obviates immediate guilt but ultimately leads to a long-term weight problem and persistent inappropriate food and beverage choice.
A detailed long‐term study published in 2011 in the acclaimed New England Journal of Medicine further supports the notion that certain foods contribute to weight gain, whilst others favour weight loss. Over 4 years of following over 120,000 people through three different investigations, weight gain averaged 1.5 kg (3.35 lbs) every four years.
This weight gain was most strongly linked to intake of:
• Crisps (potato): + 1.69 lb/0.77 kg
• Potatoes: + 1.28 lb/0.6 kg
• Sugar‐sweetened beverages: + 1.00 lb/0.45 kg
• Unprocessed red meats: + 0.95 lb/0.43 kg
• Processed meats: + 0.93 lb/0.42 kg
Weight loss was associated with intake of:
• Vegetables: − 0.22 lb/0.099 kg
• Whole grains: − 0.37 lb/0.17 kg
• Fruits: − 0.49 lb/0.22 kg
• Nuts: − 0.57 lb/0.25 kg
• Yoghurt: − 0.82 lb/0.37kg
Lifestyle also had quite significant effects:
• Physical activity: − 1.76 lb/0.8 kg
• Alcohol use: + 0.41 lb/0.18 kg per drink per day
• Newly quitted smokers: + 5.17 lb/2.34 kg
• Former smokers: + 0.14 lb/0.063 kg
• Sleep; more weight gain with <6 or >8 hours of sleep
• Television watching: + 0.31 lb/0.14kg per hour per day
The authors of this paper state: Individual strategies to help people consume fewer calories appear most effective when particular foods and beverages are targeted for decreased (or increased) consumption.
My role is to assist you in determining which ones are best suited for you.
• Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., Tao Hao, M.P.H., Eric B. Rimm, Sc.D., Walter C. Willett, M.D., Dr.P.H., and Frank B. Hu, M.D. Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long‐Term Weight Gain in Women and Men. N Engl J Med 2011; 364:2392‐2404 June 23, 2011
As a qualified nutritional therapist, I assess my clients on an individual basis to ascertain how best to combine current science‐ and evidence‐based approaches with individual lifestyles and biochemical and familial variations. I am of the opinion that developing a shared realisation and comprehension of the interconnecting components of why someone has difficulty in achieving an optimal weight determines long-term success. I will support you through the different stages to achieve a new and healthier approach to body composition and wellbeing.