How to Fight Fat with Food - Paul Chislett

Aiming to teach readers about the negative effects that the majority of today's foods have on their bodies, this is a complete guide to health and weight loss. With 25 years' experience in health, fitness and weight loss, Paul Chislett explains how to reduce the risks of unhealthy eating and being overweight by helping readers to change their perceptions of what they eat. Delving into the physical and psychological problems and pitfalls of weight gain, dieting and healthy living, it offers detailed information on what and what not to eat and discusses in depth the positive and negative effects of most types of food.;The book provides a gentle approach to health that Paul believes to be the key to a successful change of diet and lifestyle. This gives the individual time to adjust mentally to a new and healthier eating routine, and on a physical level it is equally important to change your diet gradually as the body begins to detoxify naturally. This process can be dangerous to certain individuals if it is encouraged too rapidly and for this reason the gentle approach is adopted. This gradual approach should also be of use in breaking the cycle of "yo-yo" or "see-saw" dieting, as this major weight problem stems from too fast a change of diet or lifestyle. The individual, not being ready for the change, either mentally or physically slips back to their old ways of eating and living.;The opening chapter offers discussion of why people are overweight, considering society's influence, comfort eating, food, the slow metabolism "see-saw" or "yo-yo" dieting, psychological reasons and intoxicating substances. Paul goes on to address the health reasons for losing weight, including longer life-span, increased mobility, more energy and less breathlessness.;The following chapters begin to tackle the problem of how to lose weight, discussing meal plans, psychological aspects, increasing metabolism, exercise and attitude. It deals specifically with important health issues such as detoxifying - to remove the ill-effects of foods, drugs and medicines, pesticides, the environment and smoking - and the debates around organic versus commercial foods and cooked or raw meals.;From this background, the book goes on to set out practical steps to health and weight loss. Providing psychological insight and support, it discusses the positive and negative effects of all the major food groups with tables and menus to help plan a healthy diet, as well as suggesting sensible exercise patterns, taking into account present activity levels, age and size. Among the topics discussed are the particular benefits of bringing fruit into your diet and an introduction to fasting for health and weight loss. This is all brought together in a section integrating these ideas into a week-to-week plan incorporating diet, exercise and rest, and it is followed by sound advice on staying slim once your target has been reached.