STARTING WITH A
PLAN What you need to know to create long lasting change to your plate and waist! By Lora Attia
Dietician and Personal Trainer
H
ow many times have you attempted a “diet” and failed? Let me reassure you it has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with diet culture. As a society, we have become so accustomed to being told what is “healthy” and following restrictive diets that we have lost touch with our ability to eat in tune with our body and hunger cues. As a result, the expectation is to restrict, conform to diet rules, and give up the enjoyment of food and the social experience of meal times. We have also handed over the task of cooking meals to the food industry and thus become
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KADAC IN HEALTH
food consumers, losing sight of what we are eating, why we’re eating it and how it nourishes and fuels our bodies. As a Dietitian and Personal trainer, I see people guilt themselves to believe the reason they have not achieved their health goals is because they don’t have the “will power”. From my experience, one of the biggest limitations to making long lasting change is meal planning skills. I believe poor meal planning is undermining our attempts to live healthier lifestyles. Meal planning is a skill that will not only benefit your health, but also your wallet and the planet.
The American Journal of Preventative Medicine in 2017 has found that people who regularly make their own meals at home have “better diets, consume less salt, sugar, fat and kilojoules” and as a result are “more likely to maintain a healthy weight.” Despite this, more than ever before, Australians are reaching for convenience and low nutrient dense foods that provide a lot of calories and not much else. Consequently, according to Australian Department of Health and Welfare, obesity in Australia continues to be a major public health issue. The loss of food skills and the ability to
