Diet resolutions for a healthy new you

I bet you on top of your heavy list of New Year’s resolutions this year (as in many years past) is losing weight, specifically by dieting (and maybe exercising?).

Well, if it’s any consolation, even celebrities dread the bulge like the plague and have their own not-so-guarded diet secrets. For instance, songwriter/actress Kelly Osbourne, who lost 40 pounds, says she doesn’t really snack but eats half an apple before bedtime.

For her part, Pamela Anderson, who has kept her enviable bikini-worthy body, tells everyone: “Brush your teeth earlier in the evening so you eat less food before bed.”

Sultry hot Latina Sofia Vergara, who makes women green with envy, believes in taking more greens, doing juices and vegetables. Aside, of course, from working out by dancing the calories away.

Super athletic Reese Witherspoon has a spoonful of fitness/healthy eating wisdom to share. Aside from a punishing physical fitness regimen, she eats nothing but good quality healthy foods that are low in fat; fruits, shakes and yogurts for breakfast; salads for lunch and fish or chicken for dinner.

Madonna barely touches junk food and doesn’t really eat food in restaurants because she says you don’t really know what’s in it.

And Victoria’s secret? Victoria Beckham gives us something to chew on: her three-bite rule — only three bites of something/anything decadent!

Cooking diva and best-selling book author Nigella Lawson believes that the best way to start the day — and to end it, too — is with Mexican scrambled eggs, which she whips up into a meal with some refried beans. The kitchen eggspert derives the greatest joy from what she calls as “one of life’s great and simplest gastro-delights: boiled egg on toast (the best Italian eggs, soft boiled, rapidly peeled and squished on thick sourdough or rye toast).”

So, what should be in your list of diet resolutions this year? Philippine-US registered dietician Cheshire Que prescribes the following:

• Don’t crash diet. It will only lead to a cycle of deprivation and overindulgence. Instead, incorporate nutritious foods in your daily food intake such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, fatty fishes, lean meat, and good fats.

• After indulging during the holidays, cut down on highly processed foods that contain a lot of refined sugars and saturated fats. Make fresh and whole foods readily available at home.

• Drink water regularly throughout the day. Don’t wait until you are thirsty. Bring a water bottle with you and consciously hydrate yourself.

• Never underestimate the power of sleep when it comes to managing your weight. Lack of sleep increases your appetite the next day due to an imbalance of appetite-regulating hormones.

• Consume foods that lower bad cholesterol. These include oatmeal, apple, nuts, seeds, and fatty fishes like tuna, salmon, and sardines; take them in moderation.

Asked about the food trends for 2017, Cheshire replies, “No governing authority in health and wellness has issued any food trends for 2017 except for some publications influenced by the food industry. However, based on our last international conference in Spain in September 2016, probiotics and whole grains, 100-percent fruit and vegetable juices, and whole grains were widely discussed.”

Cheshire names the health foods that will continue to be popular (and will be flying off the store shelves) this year: probiotic drinks and yogurts, fermented foods like apple cider; whole grains including quinoa, oats; seeds that contain good fats like chia, hemp and flaxseed; turmeric for its anti-cancer properties; cinnamon for its anti-inflammatory properties.

According to Romy Sia of Healthy Options, there was a time when their supply of apple cider vinegar was practically wiped off the store shelves because customers just couldn’t get enough of this ultimate superfood. Apple cider is made from fermenting the sugars from apples. It’s something you’ll find in the kitchen cabinet as an ingredient for cooking and not in the medicine cabinet though it’s been touted for its health properties, such as lowering blood sugar levels, fighting diabetes, and helping with weight loss. Take double note: A study shows that daily consumption of apple cider vinegar can lead to reduced belly fat and waist circumference.

Apparently better eaten than pronounced, quinoa is one of the world’s most popular health foods. This high-protein, high-fiber whole grain is loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants and has got all the nine essential amino acids.

There’s a chock-full of reasons to add chia seeds to your diet. One is that chia seeds (those tiny black seeds from a plant native to South America) contain lots of nutrients and very few calories. True to its name (chia is the ancient Mayan word for strength), chia boosts health with its high fiber, high protein contents as well as omega-3 fatty acids and micronutrients. An added bonus is that it can help with weight loss by reducing the appetite and food intake.

Turmeric (the spice that gives curry its yellow color) was all the rage last year (and will probably be this year).  Its main active ingredient is curcumin, a very strong antioxidant. One of the exciting findings about turmeric is that it prevents metastasis or the spread of cancer from the primary site to other parts of the body as well as protects healthy cells from the toxic effects of chemotherapy. And lest we forget, a study also found that curcumin may prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

As for juicing, Cheshire gives this advice: “Juicing has its health benefits, but it should not replace a well-balanced meal. One hundred-percent juices must be incorporated in the diet. Juicing diet is not for everyone. Purely juicing is not good for people with medical conditions.”

Let 2017 be the year you finally resolve to keep your New Year’s diet resolutions for a healthy new you!