Thousands of Brits have once again resolved to lose weight this January.
The culture of “New Year, new me” remains strong despite the adversity of the last year.
But, while it’s a good thing to get control of your weight and reduce it if overweight and obese, for many of us January 2021 is not the best time to be dieting.
Rob Hobson, a registered nutritionist at Healthspan, explained to the Daily Star why now isn’t the time for a detox.
He explained: “For those who like to ‘detox’ this time of year then this may be something you want to reconsider.”
Do you refuse to diet in the New Year? Tell us about it in the comments…
Rob continued: “The whole concept of ‘detoxing’ is highly flawed and mostly involves heavily restricting your food intake which in turn has the potential to severely limit your intake of the nutrients required to support all bodily functions including immunity and mental health.
“Epidemiological research from around the globe shows time and again that those with the poorest diets are more prone to illness and this could be reflected in the nature of extreme detox diet regimes.”
Here’s Rob’s top advice for staying healthy in 2021:
Rob explained: “The key word for 2021 should be nourishment not restriction.
“Make every mouthful count by eating a wide variety of foods that can support every aspect of your health.
“Rather than restrict food groups why not reduce portion size to help you to lose weight while still eating meals that offer an abundance of nutrients that support your good health?
“Focus on well-balanced meals that provide you with enough energy to perform your daily tasks without fatigue as well as helping you to glean valuable nutrients.”
The nutritionist continued: “Immunity is very pertinent to the current pandemic.
“Diet does play a role – while individual nutrients do not help to ‘boost’ your immune system they all have an important role to play.”
These nutrients include:
- Selenium (Brazil nuts, salmon, tofu, mushrooms, wholemeal pasta)
- Zinc (turkey, lean red meat, nuts, seeds, eggs)
- Vitamin C (sweet peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, potatoes)
- Iron (lean red meat, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, oats)
- Vitamin A (orange peppers, mango, carrots, oily fish, liver) which help support the immune system in different ways including the synthesis and function of immune cells, antibacterial protection and maintenance of mucosal cells which act as a first line of defence against infection.
Rob did emphasise that those who are at risk of complications from coronavirus can still lose weight this month.
He said: “If you’re overweight, then losing a few pounds is going to be of benefit with respect to the way your body may react to COVID.
“However, approaching it in the right way is important as you still need to eat a diet that provides the nutrients necessary to support all your bodily functions including your immune system and mental health.
“Take a sensible approach – making small changes to the way you currently eat is a better way of losing weight that engaging in a ‘detox’ or extreme diet.”