Slimming diet and proper nutrition

Nowadays special diet programs are coming out one after the other. These diets are mostly formulated by health professionals to effect weight loss and for general health maintenance. The truth, however, is that it is difficult to balance between going on a slimming diet and getting proper nutrition; one will have to give way for the other. Diets designed to help you lose eight can also drain your body of valuable nutrients, causing your resistance to infections and viruses to drop right along with the lost pounds. Slimming diets often allow no more than 1,200 calories per day. But physicians specializing in nutrition say that diets lower than 1,800 to 2,000 calories per day simply cannot provide the dieter with ample nutrition.

While slimming down and shaping up seems to be the cultural revolution of our time, a little knowledge about health and nutrition will go a long way in safely achieving a dieter's goals. Whether you're just starting a weight-loss program or have been dieting "forever," it helps to know a few things for your own guidance.

High-protein diets have to be taken with caution. Too much high-protein foods can cause high acidity. Too much acid can deplete the body's alkali, which is responsible for the production of ions that help in proper body functioning and in keeping up our energy level. The imbalance can bring on a condition known as acidosis. Acidosis can cause general physical weakness, headaches, irregular heartbeats and depression. Three cups of oat meal or six slices of whole wheat bread daily, as substitute for rice, can prevent acidosis.

Relying heavily on one food can result in nutritional imbalance. Few foods are so nutritionally complete to fill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements. Single-food diets rely on your growing so tired of that particular food that you lose your appetite and eat less. Unfortunately, you'll lose a lot more than just appetite and weight. So be careful with diet plans that tend to prefer a certain food simply on the basis of the filling qualities of that food. Remember: a safe diet plan does not preach eating less, but eating right.

Calcium and iron supplements are advised for dieting females. Women need more calcium and iron than men do, yet many women diets are notoriously low in calcium and iron. Calcium plays a critical role in the functioning of the nerve tissue; deficiency of this mineral may first show up as inexplicable irritability. When left uncorrected, calcium deficiency can lead to osteoporosis, heart problems and muscles cramps. Insufficient iron levels can eventually lead to anemia. Long before true anemia set in, however, anemia-like symptoms such as weariness and lack of energy can occur.

Vegetables are good. Raw vegetables or vegetables cooked just enough o retain their crispiness are a good source of natural vitamins. Overcooking diminishes the water-soluble B and C vitamins. Folic acid (a B vitamin), in particular, is necessary for the production of red blood cells. If there's not enough folic acid in the diet, anemia can soon develop. On the other hand, a shortage of vitamin C weakens the immune system and the body's ability to fight off infections.

Well-balanced nutritional supplements can help a lot. When added to a healthy diet, the combination is unbeatable. A multivitamin supplement that contains B vitamins, folic acid and zinc can help compensate for the nutritional downside of any weight-loss diet.

Balance, like moderation, is important. Figure out where you're getting your daily caloric intake. Choose foods that are not only low in calories, but high in nutrients as well. Most leafy vegetables are a traditional dieter's food because they are low in calories. But many leafy vegetables are also low in essential nutrients. So be careful in your choice. Vegetables are generally good. But instead of filling up on just one or two kinds, balance your diet with other vegetables that are low in calories yet rich in different nutrients. Variety will fight boredom and help to stick to your diet program. And your chances of establishing a nutritionally balanced diet will be better.

Eat heartily! If you feel like it, add extra 300 calories to your basic diet of 1,200 calories per day and then burn the extra load through exercise. No matter how careful you are with your diet, exercise is still necessary. Research shows that exercise speeds up metabolism not just while you're exercising but for many, many hours after. At the same time, it has been found to suppress the appetite somewhat. The result is a more controllable appetite, a nutritional boost, quicker weight loss, a firmer body and a great shape.