With the New Year, many people set themselves the goal of going on a new diet, buying a monthly gym membership and trying to change the shape of their bodies. Despite the best intentions, the problem is not only how to lose weight, but also how to keep it off.
People simply do not know that losing weight in winter requires eating different foods and planning different behaviors than in other seasons. Most body cleanses, diets and detoxification plans offer freshly squeezed vegetable juices, fruit, salads and raw foods, which only serve to chill the body during the cold season.
So the body is used to getting more food in the autumn and maintaining a constant weight in the winter to protect against the cold and lack of food.
In winter, we naturally crave warm soups, fried food and fat to protect our organs and skin from stinging winds, freezing temperatures and dim sunlight.
Here are some top tips on how a well-planned winter food approach can not only help you feel strong and warm but also help you lose a few extra pounds without freezing or shivering.
1. Eat to warm up
What’s your preference in winter: a bowl of salad or a bowl of soup? The answer is easy to predict. So focus on seasonal foods. For many of us, that means sweeter, thicker vegetable dishes and quality animal products in winter. Spicy spices and herbs can also be used to provide and maintain energy.
2. Pay attention to healthy fats
Did you know that your body needs the right kind of fat, which not only helps you to absorb essential nutrients from your food but also to lose weight? Healthy fats help your body absorb vitamins such as A, D and E, which are also needed for your nervous system. It also means that eating the right fats improves your mood.
In winter, consume plenty of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fatty acids, but avoid hydrogenated and trans fats, which can be found in processed foods. Try olives, olive oil, almonds, avocados, salmon, walnuts, anchovies, flaxseeds, hemp seeds and unrefined coconut oil.
Incidentally, studies show that eating food drizzled with two tablespoons of unrefined coconut oil, which is rich in medium-chain fatty acids, can raise body temperature and boost metabolism, which is usually slowed down by diets during winter.
3. Slimming sweets
Refined sugars and carbohydrates cause obesity and heart disease in many people, but we still crave sweets! In winter, eat a variety of naturally sweet and nutrient-dense vegetables, which not only give you bliss, but also the energy you crave. Roast beetroot, sweet potatoes, steam winter squash and gooseberries. They are rich in vitamins and have a naturally mild sweet taste that will quench your sugar cravings.
4. Get some sleep
During the cold season, the days are short, so the body naturally tends to slow down the metabolism and sleep longer. To maximize your body’s exposure to sunlight, go to bed earlier and get up earlier in the morning. This way you can stay awake longer, even in the rare winter sunshine. It’s also important to get to bed before midnight in the winter – you’ll avoid late nights, have a more stable mood during the day and get a better quality of sleep at night.