New Year 2017: This diet will help you lose weight

Despite what diets fads would have you believe, one needs to strike a balance of protein, fat, fibre, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

Did you know that studies have blamed unhealthy eating habits (eating processed, packaged, sugary, takeout meals) with higher rates of depression, stress, bipolar disorder, and anxiety, Alzheimer's and even schizophrenia. Therefore, eating right and in moderation is key to not only living a healthy life but also feeling great, having more energy, and stabilising your mood.
Read on: Had a baby in Dubai? Here are tips on how to lose post pregnancy weight
Despite what diets fads would have you believe, one needs to strike a balance of protein, fat, fibre, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals to sustain a healthy body. And this is why it is intuitive eating that is set to replace 'clean eating' (having whole foods - unprocessed) as the diet vogue for 2017, according to top nutritionist and dietician Helen McLeod Dodd, the nutrition expert for www.enritsch.com, the online wellness resource.
See the list: 9 foods not to eat before going to bed
"It's now becoming more recognised that faddy diets are on their way out. Intuitive eating shuns faddy diets and dieting rules, which are regulated and modulated by our external environment and the 'do's and don'ts of nutrition," Dodd said.
"This includes tables on portion sizes, counting macros and calories and calculating our metabolic rates. Instead intuitive eating encourages us to go back to our infant days when we ate when we were hungry, we picked at things when we fancied them and stopped when we were full."
Body knows what you need
So what is the basis of intuitive eating? According to Dodd, it lies in "trusting your own body to know what you want."
However, she points out that doesn't mean we can all happily munch away on chocolate and crisps and advice may still be needed get started correctly.
What to avoid: 5 things not to do when losing weight in 2017
"Tuning into true hunger and eating mindfully are hugely important to giving your body what it truly needs and eating intuitively. At the beginning, this may mean seeing an expert to get you on the right track, and help you tune into your hungers, after that, you're sorted for life.
"At some point of the day you will crave protein, one day it may be chocolate, or a big bowl of salad. Over the day, and more importantly over the week, your body will tell you what it needs," the nutrition expert added.
Delicious alternatives: 10 smart swaps for the holiday season
Dodd who defined 2012-2016 as the 'clean eating' era when dieters were encouraged to cut out gluten, sugar and dairy milk, much of the supporting evidence for 'clean eating' was misinterpreted.
The online nutrition expert added that intuitive eating ushers in a "far less judgmental era, where all food is accepted and the true science of nutrition and health is listened to more and more with the help of true qualified nutrition experts and dietitians."
Clinical Dietitian at Thumbay Hospital, Lakshmi D. said: "Intuitive eating is a popular treatment for disordered eating and eating disorders. Some of its benefits include decreasing binge eating, weight loss, decreasing anxiety and depression, improved self-confidence, decrease in inflammation in the body, and decrease in prostate cancer recurrence.

Top 2017 diet picks

Find out for yourself: Why is cheese such a big deal?
Fermented foods & probiotics
Everyone has different bacteria in their gut, and everyone has a different type they are low in. An easy way to cultivate the bacteria, and balance them out, is by eating food that contains a wide variety of probiotics. These would include fermented food, yoghurt, sauerkraut and sourdough bread, kimchi, miso beet kraut. Having a portion of probiotic food everyday can help with symptoms of bloating, diarrhea, constipation and reflux, as well as increasing absorption of some vitamins and minerals.
Meal delivery plans
2017 will see the rise of the intelligent meal delivery plans as today's hectic schedules can make it hard to control weight and fitness.
Savoury yoghurts
We need to retrain our taste buds. Cue, carrot yoghurt, sweet potato yoghurt and beetroot yoghurt. They're a great mid afternoon snack, morning breakfast option or post workout recovery snack to get that savory fix. Full fat Greek yoghurt is the best option, it keeps people satisfied for longer by being slower to digest and has that satisfying creamy texture, just watch the portion size- 120g is enough.
Wonky veggies
German and French supermarkets are leading the way with this trend. The UK soil association state up to 40 per cent of fruit and vegetables are binned by supermarkets because they do not fit the ideal shape. German supermarkets now have 'ugly fruit' shelves while their French counterparts sell 'inglorious' fruit. Both reduce food wastage, giving wonky, wax-free, fruit and vegetables their time to shine.
Read on: Thriving on raw eggs, world's oldest person turns 117th

So what diet are you on?

> Clean Eating: Clean eating means filling your plate with real, whole foods, eating a variety of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, moderate amounts of lean meats and sustainable seafood, dairy, nuts, seeds and healthy oils. Eating clean also means choosing foods that are in season and limiting processed foods, salt, added sugars and unhealthy saturated fats.
> Intuitive Eating: intuitive eating encourages us to go back to our infant days when we ate when we were hungry, we picked at things when we fancied them and stopped when we were full.
saman@khaleejtimes.com