GOING ON A DIET

It wasn't that long ago when being on a diet meant boring, tasteless, uninviting food selections and sneaking something in between meals meant you had well and truly run off the rails. For many reasons, it is not the same approach taken today. Any change in behaviour - successful change - requires, firstly, that a decision or choice has been made which, in practical terms, means food still needs to be tasty and nice. It is also understood that food deprivation, as a weight-loss strategy, is essentially flawed.

In the same vein, unrealistically restricting oneself to excessive calorie counting and being obsessive about portion size is of no benefit in the long-term. Thanks to an improved understanding of our body and its functions and processes we now have a better platform from which to make healthier choices when it comes to dieting, one of which being to recognize food deprivation is not the answer to weight loss.

Obesity and obesity-related conditions continue their stronghold across multiple generations despite an apparent increase in nutrition and health education. An important message, however, remains clear: It's never too late to start.

A WEIGHT-MANAGEMENT LIFESTYLE

Lack of inclusion of some form of regular exercise into our lifestyle only serves to increase the probability of developing serious health problems at some point. We know, although we don't necessarily rejoice in the fact, that lifelong physical activity is crucial for good health.

So what is the answer? Is there a dietary answer? Is there anything to what we increasingly read concerning the best fat-burning foods?

There has been a maturing, in many ways, of the somewhat restrictive "dieting" approach from years ago into an approach now incorporating a more macro view: weight-management lifestyle. Our health is a complex and intricate platform of cellular reactions and the like from which life, as we know it, is sustained. It is not surprising, therefore, of the excitement and continuing interest in the way foods impact upon our bodies in an attempt to optimize functionality. Backstage; Stage door left: Enter "best fat-burning foods.

Individual body shapes, different mental constructs and fortitude, dietary restrictions, medical restrictions, genetics, stress, varying energy requirements as some seek to conserve carbohydrate stores (athletes) whilst others wish to decrease fat stores (dietiers) - and the list goes on - poignantly illustrate the complexities involved in finding a working, long-term solution for individual weight management today.

Certainly, fat-burning foods are an exciting accompaniment to the weight-management lifestyle menu and, no doubt, will increasingly capture the attention of many whose focus turns more and more to supportive natural alternatives.