Dieting for a Healthy Mind and Body

The word diet can cause so many negative feelings: guilt, deprivation, starvation, and even desperation. People who had previously enjoyed a healthy self-esteem reported feeling immediately depressed and anxious the day they start a diet. They crave certain foods more once put on a forbidden list and want to consume calories when asked to count them. Consider the common “last meal” approach to dieting as proof of how much dread is associated with the process. People planning to start a diet typically overindulged on their favorite foods the day before, as if they never expect to eat them again. If the intention behind a decision to diet is so positive then why does the process make people feel so bad? It may be because the focus is on outer appearance instead of inner health.

The primary motivator to lose weight should be to achieve a greater state of wellness. If someone is overweight, they are at higher risk for many serious ailments like heart disease and diabetes. Even if a patient has already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, studies have shown that people who lose weight are two times more able to successfully control their disease. The American Institute for Cancer tells us that losing weight can also help prevent certain cancers like colon, breast, prostate and uterine cancers. Patients who lose weight will have more energy and put less stress on their joints. There are many physical ailments that can’t be controlled but thankfully, weight is one that we can. People need to should say to themselves, “I am starting a diet, not because I don’t look good, but to be healthier.” Rather than looking for immediate results on a scale, dieters need to make better food choices and increase their physical activity. They should adopt a manageable and reasonable eating plan which they can maintain throughout their life - not an extreme fix. Crash diets often confuse the metabolism and people end up gaining back the weight they lost, plus additional pounds. People who focus on improving their physical and mental condition will experience an improved state of peace, health, wellness, and weight.