"How to keep a happy diet" - Interview to Dr. Dennys Ramirez Galán

Dr. Dennys Ramirez Galán

Nutritionist

We know many of you want to start dieting after indulging during the Christmas Break. (If you read my last article, you know what I mean). Today we will interview Dr. Dennys Ramirez Galán, and she will talk about how to enjoy a diet. So, let's start this interesting interview.

What is the first thing you need to do to start a successful and enjoyable diet?

"I think the first step to having a successful diet is to make the decision in a conscious way and be aware of the reasons why you are doing it. What I mean is that before starting a diet, you need to be sure you are doing this for yourself, not because someone told you to do it. You also need to have all the food and tools to start this new way of feeding. Go to the supermarket, prepare all the meals ahead of time, and if you need to eat out of your house, keep the food you need to eat nearby."

What amount of each type of food should be on a healthy plate?

"50% of the food on the ideal plate should be vegetables because they are carbohydrates, but with a low sugar index and a low-calorie count and have fibers. 25% of the food should be proteins like meat, fish, or eggs. The last 25% should be carbohydrates like rice, beans, or pasta."

What do you think of the stereotype  "A Diet is eating food that is vegetable base"?

“I think people are wrong. A diet is not eating food with just a vegetable base. Like I said before, you can make a diet by eating the right amount of each food type, that is why we include proteins and carbohydrates. In my opinion, a diet is a process in which the person reduces the number of calories that consumes each day to lose weight.”

What is the most important thing you need to consider before starting a diet?

“Before starting a diet, you need to set a goal and know what you want to do with this diet.  If you want to get fit or just lose a little weight, take into account what is your ideal weight according to your height."
 

How do you take the pressure and anxiety off when saying “I'm starting on a diet”?

“It’s a very interesting question, and I think there are many tips that can help you to not feel that pressure. First, do not stop eating your 5 meals of the day. That way you will not feel hungry. Second, hydrate yourself. Third, make your dishes appetizing. Pick a variety of vegetables and make creative dishes, like zucchini turned into noodles (that looks like spaghetti) with feta cheese! That is a low carb cheese. Last, a very important thing to know is that you are not obligated to eat things you don't like or don't feel good about. To manage moments of anxiety, eating gum is a very good option.”

Do you think this interview will be useful to many people? 

“As a nutritionist, I think this interview will be useful to many people because the most important thing about starting a diet is to talk to a nutrition specialist that knows the characteristics of that person: if it's a woman or men, height and body mass.”
 
Do you want to say some words to motivate people who are starting on a diet?
 
“Like Hippocrates, the father of medicine said, 'Let food be your medicine, and let medicine be your food.' Just do it!"

Written by Paula Garcia

6th Grader

 

Hopes And Goals For The New Year

When the new year comes, we all set some goals but we know it’s hard to keep up with them and we don’t always complete them. Today I am going to give you tips to follow up on your dreams and goals for the new year.

There are four steps to follow our goals which are the TSLA; Think, Set, Learn, Accomplish.

1- T (Think)

When we want to achieve a goal, the first thing we need to do is to think. What old habits do I need to stop? What do I need to do? These are questions you should ask yourself. They will help you focus on what you REALLY want to change so you don’t make changes you don't really need. For example, think of the goal "I need to lose 7 pounds". Instead of going ahead and writing down "My goal is to lose seven pounds", you need to think, "Do I really need to lose weight, or am I just pressuring myself to look perfect when I already am?" See? it’s easier to accomplish goals when you know they are necessary and you can do them without struggling. 

2- S (Set)

Step number two is to set your goals, something we are all familiar with. To set your goals you need to write them down and plan ways to work them well. When someone talks about setting goals you probably think about the basic chart we all did in school as kids, but it's not always like that. You can simply write your goals on a tiny piece of paper. See? Not that big of a deal at all.

Goals should be exciting, but difficult because they help you grow as a person. The most common goals are academic and personal goals. Academic goals are goals that have to do with learning, not necessarily school-related, but they can affect your performance in school. You can set goals for being a better listener, or chatting less in class. The only thing that is important is that it benefits you.

Personal goals are more important and help you grow internally like doing more activities you love or having a better appearance (for girls with a poor self-esteem).

In the end, you just have to plan your goals and write them all down. Writing them really starts motivating you to get them.

3- L (Learn)

Then you need to learn how to keep up with your goal all year. We are all different so, there are lots of ways to do it. I’m going to tell you three of the most effective ones:

1- Scheduling: some people like to organize and schedule everything so if you are that type of person, it will be easy for you to organize the habit you are changing as your goal. Do you want to exercise? Set your alarm at the same time every day... And stick to it!

2- Restricting yourself: it is not the most positive strategy, but you can stop yourself from doing stuff by stopping behaviors and habits that are not good for you. For example, if you want to be nicer, you can stop buying toys and saying things that bother other people.

3- Go with the flow: when you go with the flow, you don’t pressure yourself to complete your goals. Think that you don’t have to pressure yourself to make your goal perfect right away, you have 364 more chances to get it just right. Be kind to yourself, and allow yourself to fail from time to time. Perfection is not the goal.

4- A (Accomplish)

I think it’s pretty clear that the last step is to go and accomplish your goals. Be persistent and never ever stop, no matter if a thousand things get in your way. Have faith in yourself and push them as far as you can. You will reach them.

“Winners are not people who never fail but people who never quit.”

Edwin Louis Cole

                                    

Written by Maria Alejandra Vásquez Ventura

5th A