Mbombela dietician advises on Banting
A healthy, balanced diet is the ideal way to safeguard the nutritional status of future generations.
There have been many debates regarding the ideal way of losing weight and maintaining it.
Dieters gush on social media about how the Banting plan helped them, posting photos of themselves of before and after.
The Banting diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) plan named after William Banting, the first person to follow this regime.
In South Africa, it first gained popularity with Prof Tim Noakes’ book, The Real Meal Revolution.
However, a local dietician, Rhoyda Singwane, said it is important for South Africans to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
“Ultimately, it is about balance, variety, quantity and the quality of the foods we eat on a daily basis. A healthy, balanced diet is the ideal way to safeguard the nutritional status of future generations,” she said.
Singwane said Banting can have detrimental effects, yet many embark on it without getting a medical check-up first.
“Such fashion-based diets trend, without people getting their medical health looked at,” she said.
“Many opt for these diets in desperation to lose weight, without considering the outcome and the impact on their well-being and health. Many just hop on the Banting wagon without getting a lipogram profile checked – a cholestrol test. The diet entails high consumption of saturated fatty acids that have a direct link to one’s lipogram profile and cardiac health.” Singwane said Banting is supposed to be a lifestyle for a specific target group to achieve aimed results under medical supervision, not a quick weight loss method.
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“With my clinical, biochemistry and physiological training, I know it can and should never be used as a blanket for weight loss, but the adoption of lifelong healthy lifestyle choices, and changes should be made for one to lose weight without placing their health at risk of chronic conditions. Hence, I still stand by my therapeutic nutrition training: a good source of complex carbohydrates is required for fuelling body cells for their fully functional potential,” she said.
“Our bodies need carbs, but we must be selective of the quality, quantity and frequency in consuming them. ”
Singwane said before opting for this type of diet, one needs to know that fats have the highest amount of calories per gram. “One gets nine calories of energy in fat. From carbohydrates you get four calories and four from protein. This simply means you are more at risk of gaining weight if you eat high-fat meals, than by giving your body the variety it requires for long nutritional well-being,” she said.
