BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER EATEN TO REDUCE WEIGHT by Alli Olusegun

Have you ever wondered why your weight keeps getting increased by the day? You think it is normal? After all, weighty people tend to be more respected and feared unlike the skinny ones, because of their huge physique. This notion of yours might be traditionally right, but medically wrong.
Over the years, research has shown that weighty people are vulnerable to heart disease and diabetes, well-documented health risks associated with overweight. They are also deficient in magnesium and iron.
It is worth remembering how hazardous the intake of diets too high in fat is, as it promotes overweight. Additionally, eating sweets tends to increase calorie consumption, as you simply want to eat more ... of everything.
Studies show that the excess fat in very overweight people drives oestrogen production up and testosterone down, a deadly combination that scientists believe could be a major factor in certain female reproductive cancers.
Some researchers believe that overweight is the outcome of people who crave for foods they are allergic to. For these people, weight loss is extremely difficult until they figure out what those trigger foods are and eliminate them from their diets.
As regards weight loss, selecting foods can be a real balancing act, especially if one has to lose some of what one has grown accustomed to and add some items that may be new to one. To promote weight loss, experts have these to recommend.

BREAKFAST

Taking breakfast on daily basis is as important to man as filling a car's radiator with water, I mean clean water. It aids the body as one wakes up and gets one's metabolism working again after the all night long rest. For immediate fuel, energy and satisfaction, foods containing complex carbohydrates, including lean protein and a small amount of fat are good choices for breakfast. Another viable option is   a whole grain bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter, as well as yoghurt with granola, or even one egg and some fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and cantaloupe, those with bright orange colouring rich in beta-carotene; broccoli, brussels sprouts and citrus fruits, to get more antioxidants through one's diet.

LUNCH
At lunchtime,  one will want to eat something containing protein, healthy fat, and complex carbs. A sandwich with lean chicken or turkey meat, chopped raw vegetables, and mustard or hummus can whet one's appetite. One can even slice some avocado on there, or drizzle extra virgin olive oil and vinegar for added fat and flavour.

DINNER
For dinner, one would like more lean protein like fish, chicken, turkey, or beef (beans or tofu if you are a vegetarian), as well as complex carbohydrates like brown rice or whole grain bread, and generous servings of vegetables (raw or cooked) to be included.  If it is dessert one wants, a baked apple with a few nuts and cinnamon sprinkled on top is delicious and satisfisfactory.

Did anybody know one could eat so much and still lose weight? Eating smaller portions, eating more frequently, and eating good quality food is what it is all about.

This again is a very generic plan one needs to change  to suit one's own lifestyle and weight loss goals better. This, to a large extent, provides a good starting point for how a healthy eating weight loss plan might look every day. One will also want to alter it on daily basis – never eat the same things day after day or one will get bored. Make a long list of healthy foods you love so you can easily substitute different fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy, carbohydrate and fat sources.

Name: Alli Olusegun Moses

Institution: National Open University of Nigeria

Department: English