Understand how to have a healthier life from good food.
Have you ever heard of food rehabilitation? Whenever someone thinks of achieving certain goals related to changing their body, diets are the first avenue that comes to mind. It’s already common for people to monitor the amounts and types of food they eat for a while, whether to lose or gain weight, and then go back to eating as before. But how can this attitude make a difference in having a healthier life based on food? The conclusion is that hardly anyone will be able to stay healthy for a long time seeing food only as a means to achieve purely aesthetic goals. After all, having a healthier lifestyle through changing your eating habits improves your health, self-esteem and well-being. For that to happen, it’s important to know that having a healthier diet goes far beyond a diet or regimen. So, if you think about eating better, it’s time to think about food. In this content you will learn more about this process and how it can transform the way you take care of your body and mind. Keep reading!
What is food re-education?
Food re-education is a change in eating habits that lead to a healthier life, which leads the person to reflect on each ingested food and its role within the body. According to the doctor. Nicholas Nardi,
“The foundation of food re-education is understanding the function and benefit of each food and being able to prepare a healthy meal no matter where you are.”
Therefore, nutritional re-education is related to adopting a new lifestyle, which requires a lot of discipline, attention and guidance to make better choices in favor of physical and mental health. Within these changes, the individual begins to see far beyond the taste of the food, seeing the nutrients, the healthiest combinations and the most beneficial choices based on the goal.
What is the difference between diet and food re-education?
The well-known terms “regime” or “diet” are socially common and although they seem synonymous with food re-education, they are not. A diet is an eating plan that has a beginning and an end, being structured to help the person achieve certain goals through a regulated diet. Food re-education is part of a life change, it’s not something that has a deadline to finish. It’s about acquiring new eating habits that will be reflected in the choice of healthier and more functional foods throughout life. It is precisely in these details that diet (or regimen) and nutritional re-education differ. Often those who go on a diet end up suffering from the accordion effect. That is, a weight loss or change in body composition that lasts only as long as you follow the plan. Once something interferes with the continuity of the meal plan, the tendency is for the person to recover all that was lost by returning to ingesting food in the wrong way, from the quantity to the type of food ingested.
“When we talk about food re-education, we include a change in the whole context of life, going beyond the food plan. It is having better choices from food selection to preparation. program, so that weight loss becomes sustainable and that absorbs these changes for the rest of your life”
explains Dr. Nicola.
Is weight loss slower with re-education?
It’s not hard to find social media advertisements that promise a great deal of weight loss in a short period of time. These drastic weight loss always involve a radical change in diet, with extremely restricted diets and even long periods without eating. However, these results are not sustainable in the long run as it is impossible for a person to maintain such a strict diet for a long time. Therefore, food re-education is of great importance not only in weight loss, but also in maintaining the results achieved. “It is useless to lose 5 kg in a week on a radical diet, and gain that weight back at the end of the week. Nicholas. It’s also important to remember that how fast or slow you lose weight is related to numerous factors, including genetic issues or medical conditions that make the process difficult. Counting on the support of a professional is the best way to achieve your goals in a real and sustainable way.
What are the benefits of food rehabilitation?
Food re-education brings many benefits, allowing a much better quality of life for those who choose to adopt a new lifestyle that starts with food. The greatest benefits are in dietary flexibility and in the loss of the guilt often felt when one “sticks” to a diet. According to the doctor. Nicholas,
“Once re-educated to understand food as a whole, we are able to make good choices even when we are out of routine, in any situation. And knowing how to choose foods well takes away the frustration of not being able to follow a diet 100% our planning and our goal and we still don’t feel anxious or worried about food”
. Keeping this in mind, other benefits related to food re-education are:
- Improve the taste;
- Strengthen the immune system;
- Improved brain function;
- Weight reduction and maintenance;
- Mood improvement;
- disease prevention;
- Strengthen bones, muscles, tendons and joints;
- Regulation of the balance of the body (homeostasis);
- Prevention of eating disorders.
How to start the food re-education process?
For those who want to start food re-education, the first step is to be willing to change eating habits. This is why it is important to look for a professional who is didactic and up-to-date. He will be able to teach the best way to eat and what functions each food has. Additionally, you can adopt new habits into your routine, such as:
- Drink more water;
- Plan your meals;
- Practicing physical exercises;
- Avoid ultra-processed foods;
- Eat more fruits, proteins and vegetables.
However, the main tip to keep in mind is consistency. It is useless to start a food re-education and want to give up at the first difficulty. The re-education process involves a change of mentality, and it is necessary to understand that nothing happens overnight.
“Losing the idea of ​​extremes helps a lot, because we are used to ‘all or nothing’, we either follow and reach 100%, or we kick the bucket. Nutritional re-education is the middle ground. It’s knowing how to listen to your body and respect your health beyond calorie restriction
explains Dr. Nicola.
Is there a secret to food re-education?
Unlike miracle diets, food re-education does not intend to promise quick and easy results. On the contrary, the secret of food re-education is to be patient and not skip steps. Forget the idea of ​​being radical and start cutting out all the foods you enjoy eating, as this will make it harder to stick to your purpose. On the other hand, it is also necessary to make some sacrifices in order for the palate and the mind to adapt to the new style. Always keep in mind that food re-education consists of finding balance in a tiring but liberating process for the quality of your life.
*Dr. Nicole Nardy Paula Razuck is a Sports Medicine resident at the Santa Casa de Misericórdia in São Paulo. She holds a postgraduate diploma in Nutrology from the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital and holds a medical degree from the Faculdade Santa Marcelina.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
