Food reeducation: escape from diets and adopt a new lifestyle

Nowadays, it is not difficult to find people out there who complain about the difficulty in losing weight and/or simply following a healthier diet. It is in this context, even, that many people end up adhering to “diets of the moment” that promise miraculous results in a short time, but which, in the end, usually end up providing a “rebound effect” and even more serious health problems, such as, for example, eating disorders (obesity, anorexia, bulimia, compulsion).

Andreia Barros, nutritionist Clinica Estética at the Linnus Institute RJ, comments that a busy life and lack of time have been factors that contribute to people acquiring bad eating habits. “The need to eat out, for example, contributes to an inadequate diet. As a result, people end up eating what they have available and in a great hurry,” she says.

“In addition, nowadays there is an increase in food compulsion due to anxiety, stress, all this leads to the consumption of empty calories (which feed but do not nourish), hence the need to always eat more and more”, adds the nutritionist. .

It is not by chance that nowadays there is much talk about food reeducation. There is a general awareness today that most people need to relearn how to eat.

And you have to know: there is no magic formula. The person who wants to lose weight or, simply, follow a healthier diet, needs to undergo a food reeducation, that is, they must eliminate bad habits and adopt measures that will, from now on, be part of their daily life.

This, of course, is a process, it does not happen overnight. Therefore, always be wary of regimens that promise significant weight loss in less than a month, for example, or that are too extreme and require too much of you.

What does food reeducation really mean?

Ana Luiza Moreira, nutritionist graduated from Centro Universitário São Camilo, gastronome graduated from Senac Águas de São Pedro and post-graduated in Functional Sports Nutrition from VP Consulting, with experience in the clinical and sports nutrition area, explains that food reeducation is the best way to lose weight in a healthy and balanced way. “This is possible through the adoption of new eating habits, with which you can eat everything, without deprivation and great sacrifices, and also without depriving yourself of social life”.

For this, explains the nutritionist, it is necessary to educate the desires, anxiety and compulsion to eat. “It’s a permanent learning process and, with that, the individual can lose weight and stay thin, improving their self-esteem”, she adds.

Food reeducation x Regimen

With a simple comparison, it is possible to see why food reeducation is the way to correct weight loss and a healthier life.

In the regime:

• There is always the implication that sooner or later it will end;
• The person expects quick results and, if this doesn’t happen, he tends to get frustrated;
• Generally, the diet is quite severe and the person even feels the need to get away from some social programs;
• After the diet period is over, the person tends to go back to eating and doing everything they used to do before, as they have not gotten used to good eating habits;
• The person tends to regain the lost weight, and usually gain a few extra pounds;
• Far beyond the aesthetic issue, depending on the type of regimen adopted, the person can greatly harm their health.

With food reeducation:

• The person is invited to adopt a new lifestyle (that is, it is something that has no deadline);
• The food plan, prepared by a nutritionist, is made especially for her, taking into account her routine, needs and tastes. Which is quite different from a harsh and boring regime;
• The person, not being deprived of the things he likes to eat and/or do, tends to become more and more motivated;
• Results are not always achieved quickly, but they are definitive, as the person now has a new lifestyle;
• The improvement is not only aesthetic, but health in general.

12 steps to a successful food reeducation

But, in practice, how to do a food reeducation? Nutritionists cite the main steps to get started:

1. Look for a good nutritionist who can guide the person according to their needs and biological individuality. “What is good for one person may not be good for the other and so on”, comments Ana Luiza.
2. Always choose to consume less processed foods.
3. Opt for foods that do not contain or contain fewer preservatives.
4. Eliminate refined foods.
5. Replace simple carbohydrates with complex ones with fiber.
6. Replace fatty protein with lean, fat-free protein.
7. Swap saturated fat for good quality fat.
8. Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, giving preference to seasonal and regional products.
9. Replace processed foods with organic foods.
10. Increase fluid consumption, drinking at least 2 liters of water\ day.
11. Definitely change the consumption of soft drinks for natural juices and water.
12. Start physical activity.

The main villains and good guys in healthy eating

Ana Luiza cites the worst foods currently consumed, which should be avoided at all costs:

• Ultra-processed foods (powdered juices, sausages, stuffed cookies, soft drinks, snacks, nuggets, ready-made sauces), which go through many modifications until they reach the table.
• Sugar and fat, a combination that, for the industry, is an asset and, for consumers, a real disgrace.
• Bakery sweets, breads, pizza, cakes, pies are foods made with vegetable fat and have a very high glycemic load, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and binge eating.

On the other hand, the nutritionist highlights the most recommended foods to have on the menu. “These are the simplest possible, least processed and spoil faster. The longer a food lasts, the less your health lasts! This rule always works”, comments Ana Luiza.

• fruits;
• vegetables;
• Vegetables;
• Whole grains;
• Meat of all kinds;
• beans and pulses;
• Fats like olive oil, seeds, avocado, olive oil, nuts.

Healthy menu

Below you can see an example of a healthy menu prepared by nutritionist Andreia. It is worth remembering that it is just an example, because a food plan must be made individually by a nutritionist. The idea is, above all, to show that a person can re-educate himself by eating delicious food, and without going hungry.

Breakfast:

• Option one: 1 cup of 200ml of green juice (pineapple with cabbage + ginger in zest) + 2 units of wholemeal toast + 2 teaspoons of cottage cheese.
• Option two: 200ml of red fruit juice (frozen pulp) + 2 large units of rice crackers + 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese + 1 small cup of coffee.
• Option three: 200 ml of green apple juice with kale and ginger zest + 1 slice of wholegrain bread + 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese + 1 small cup of coffee.

Collation:

• Option one: 200ml of green tea.
• Option two: 200ml of Matcha tea.
• Option three: 200ml of hibiscus tea.

Lunch:

• Option one: Salad of green leaves, tomato, cucumber + 3 tablespoons of cooked vegetables + 1 medium fillet (200g) of chicken + 3 tablespoons of brown rice + 2 tablespoons of beans.
• Option two: 1 dessert plate of watercress salad, cherry tomatoes, raw carrots, cooked lentils + 1 medium cup cooked broccoli + 1 medium fillet (150g) lean beef steak + 1 medium cup whole-grain pasta.
• Option three: 1 dessert plate of rocket salad, tomato, hearts of palm + 1 large fillet (200g) of grilled salmon + 3 tablespoons of boiled potato and sautéed in extra virgin olive oil (sprinkle parsley).

Afternoon snack:

• Option one: 2 units Brazil nuts + 3 units almonds + 5 units pumpkin seeds + 2 units dried apricots + 1 small cup of low-fat yogurt.
• Option two: liquefy 200ml of skimmed milk + 2 Brazil nuts + 3 almonds + 5 pumpkin seeds + 1 small fruit.
• Option three: 1 medium cup (or about 5 tablespoons) of fruit salad. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of quinoa flakes + 2 Brazil nuts + 5 pumpkin seeds.

Dinner:

• Option one: 4 tablespoons of hydrated tapioca stuffed with green leaf salad + tomato + shredded chicken + 165ml of lemon juice.
• Option two: 1 dessert plate of green leaf salad + tomato + cucumber + hearts of palm + omelet of 1 whole egg and 1 egg white stuffed with spinach + 165ml of hibiscus tea.
• Option three: 1 dessert plate of green leafy salad + grated raw carrots + cherry tomatoes + 1\2 medium roasted eggplant stuffed with ground beef + 165ml of watermelon juice.

Supper:

• 1 medium cup of rosemary tea + lactobacilli (1 Yakult bottle) + 1 small fruit.

Is it possible to change the taste? experts comment

Many people claim to be “addicted” to sugar, for example, and claim not being able to consume any type of beverage without sweetening. Others love to put “a little more salt” on everything and say they don’t like poorly seasoned food.

However, according to Andreia, it is possible for a person to change their taste. “And that’s exactly what we call food reeducation. It takes place over the long term. The person needs to have an awareness that eating healthy is the best way to have health and disposition. Swapping salt for herbs, for example, is a good tip,” she says.

Ana Luiza highlights that people are conditioned and “addicted” to sugar and salt. To change that, she gives some tips:

• Avoid common salt and choose sea or pink salt instead.
• Put dried herbs next to the salts and always prefer the natural flavor of food.
• It is not necessary to eliminate salt from the diet, but to avoid overdoing it!
• Sugar is addictive: the more you consume, the more you’ll feel like eating and the harder it will be to exclude it from your diet.
• To exclude sugar, initially swap white sugar for demerara sugar, which is less processed (but still sugar).
• Use stevia (sweetener) to sweeten juices and preparations.

Food education starts in childhood

So that re-education is not necessary in the future, parents should help their children to program themselves from an early age to eat consciously and healthy.

For this, some tips are important:

• Set the example. “Firstly, parents must have a correct diet, there is no point in educating without setting an example. The child must grow up in an environment where the family is concerned about eating with quality”, says Andreia.
• “Always offer children healthy foods such as fruits, whole foods, fruit juices, natural sandwiches made at home”, highlights Andreia.
• Always vary the foods offered to the child so that he does not get sick.
• Always vary the preparation of some dishes so that she realizes that there are numerous healthy and tasty foods.
• Replace food whenever possible…