DR. BERZIN'S DESK

No More Dieting: Answering This Question Can Make Healthy Eating Easier

by
Robin Berzin, MD
Doctor
April 12, 2017

I was 13 when I first decided that eliminating foods was the key to weight loss. NO CHEESE! I scrawled in my little black day planner, where I charted my weight and food intake. My summer makeover plan was successful, and I started 8th grade with contacts replacing my over-sized “Tootsie” glasses, and about ten pounds lighter.

But like most people who battle their bodies, my cheese-less summer didn’t permanently solve my weight woes. The numbers on the scale slowly crept back up, and I proceeded to yo-yo diet my way through high school and early adulthood.

My diets were always intense, strategic, and as short-lived as the weight loss that accompanied them. And they all revolved around which foods I should avoid; in the late ‘80s, butter, and other tasty fats were on the chopping block. In later years, carbs were the enemy.

I was almost always on a diet, gaining and losing the same 15-20 pounds over and over again.

In my late 20s, with the help of therapy and time, I began untangling my unhealthy obsession with food and weight loss. A nutritionist helped reframe my relationship with food; instead of restricting certain food groups, she taught me how to plan meals that would give my body the nutrients it needed.

Most days now, I feel comfortable in my own skin.

Read more on the Headspace Blog : 6 tricks to making healthy eating stick

But once in awhile, old habits creep in. I’ll realize I’ve been existing on nachos and coffee and my jeans will feel too tight. Instead of going into calorie attack mode and cutting out so-called “problem foods” like I used to, I’ve found a totally different approach. When I’m struggling to eat healthily, I ask myself: what healthy foods can I add to my meals today?

This simple challenge turns my attitude on end—and my behavior around food quickly follows. When I focus on what I can add—for instance, how many veggies can I add to my scrambled eggs?—I immediately begin to make wiser choices without feeling deprived, or like I’m on a mission to eradicate calories, fat or carbs. This approach also reminds me that the primary purpose of food is to nourish and to provide the variety of nutrients that our bodies need to function optimally.

Why does simply daring myself to eat more whole foods work better than eliminating foods from my diet? I spoke with Brian Wansink, a behavioral scientist, Cornell professor and author of “Slim by Design ”.

“When you look at the foods people usually try to cut out of their diet, they tend to be either fatty, sugary, salty, or have dairy in them,” Wansink says. There’s a physical reason why we like salty, sweet, fatty things. If we didn’t, we’d be the first people to die during a famine—we’re genetically here because our ancestors have a taste for these things.”

It’s humbling to realize I spent a few decades trying to lose weight by fighting my own biology—and strangely comforting to know there are physiological reasons those diets never worked long-term.

Wansink explains that when we deprive ourselves of foods our bodies are designed to crave, we can usually only do so for a short time before the physical deprivation becomes a psychological deprivation.

“When we deprive ourselves of something we really want, it kind of comes back to bite us in the form of compensatory behavior. Next thing we know we’re in a bathtub surrounded by Twinkie wrappers,” he quips.

Schedule a free conversation with a Parsley Health expert to learn about our comprehensive approach to mental health.

Adding foods is more fun. When I look into the refrigerator and try to round up as many fruits and veggies as I can, it’s like a game. And without even meaning to, I end up leaving out less nutritious choices—replacing those nachos with veggie tacos, or the mid-morning granola bar with an apple and peanut butter.

“When you tell someone to eat more of something else—it makes you feel like there’s some sort of balancing that’s going on,” says Wansink.

With that in mind, here are five tips for adding nutritious food into your diet instead of eliminating foods:

  1. Pick a goal number of fruits and vegetables to eat each day and keep track.
  2. If you’re trying to cut down on sugary beverages like soda, juice or alcohol, also challenge yourself to add a glass of water between each drink.
  3. Serve yourself vegetables and salads first. “In situations where you’re seeing food sequentially, you take 11 percent more of the first food you’re served than subsequent dishes,” says Wansink.
  4. Dare yourself to visit a local farmer’s market and incorporate one new vegetable or herb into a meal each week.
  5. “Research shows that people eat 18 percent more of anything that’s served family style on the table versus off the counter or stove,” says Wansink. So try serving vegetables, salads or fruits from a big bowl on the dinner table, while dishing up pasta, meat or desserts from the kitchen counter.

Want a better doctor? Parsley Health is it.
Sign up now to join this growing community of people who believe health care can and should be different.

This piece was originally posted on Headspace’s the Orange Dot , written by Lynn Shattuck.

Headspace is on a mission to improve the health and happiness of the world. The Headspace app has been downloaded more than 8 million times in 190 countries. Using proven meditation and mindfulness techniques, it will teach you how to train your mind for a healthier, happier life. Download Headspace  for free today.

Photo courtesy of UnSplash.

by
Robin Berzin, MD
Doctor

Dr. Robin Berzin is the Founder and CEO of Parsley Health, America's leading holistic medical practice designed to help women overcome chronic conditions. She founded Parsley to address the rising tide of chronic disease in America through personalized holistic medicine that puts food, lifestyle, and proactive diagnostic testing on the prescription pad next to medications. Since founding Parsley in 2016, Dr. Berzin has seen 80% of patients improve or resolve their chronic conditions within their first year of care, demonstrating the life-changing value of making modern holistic medicine accessible to everyone, anywhere. Parsley is available online nationwide.

Dr. Berzin attended medical school at Columbia University and trained in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Her book, Prescription for Happiness: How to Eat, Move, and Supplement for Peak Mental Health, was published by Simon Element in January 2022.

Read full bio
readiness quiz

Get a snapshot of your health - right now.

Take our quiz to get your symptom score and start uncovering the why behind your symptoms.

GET SYMPTOM SCORE
Related Posts
Four Smart Ways to Track Your Heart Health Today
12 Gifts For The Well-Being Seekers In Your Life
10 TikTok Health Trends Worth Trying—and Avoiding
How to Select the Right Health Coach for You
Get “Prescription for Happiness” and Reach a New Level of Energy, Clarity, and Calm
Doctor examining patient

WHAT IS PARSLEY HEALTH?

Our leading medical providers and health coaches heal the root cause of health concerns with a personalized care plan and year-round support. Our root-cause resolution medicine has helped thousands feel better, with 85% of members reducing symptoms in their first year.

Parsley Health medical providers are trained to treat the root cause of complex, chronic conditions and symptoms. Ready to start feeling better?

Get Symptom Score