Health & Heels - Winter 2021-2022

Dear Basya,
I was wondering why you
limit foods like olive oil,
avocado, nuts, fruit, and
certain proteins. Aren’t
these foods good for
you? Do you really think
that having an extra few
tablespoons of olive oil,
a few ounces of extra
salmon, or a handful of
extra nuts will keep me
from losing weight?
Signed,
A Healthy Eater
healthy bodies
Dear Healthy Eater,
I appreciate your question as it goes
straight to the heart of the difference
between a diet and a lifestyle plan. On
many diets, carbs are cut out or strictly
limited, while other foods are eaten
without limit. Most of these diets tend to
be short lived because, let’s face it: who
wants to cut out carbs forever?
On our plan, which is actually a lifestyle
plan rather than a diet, almost no food
is completely banned! We don’t label
foods as good foods and bad foods.
We focus on controlling our portion
sizes and maximizing our metabolism
rather than eliminating certain foods or
complete food groups.
Of course we want our clients to make
healthy choices, and foods such as
avocado, olive oil, and nuts are certainly
healthy choices. However, we need to
be careful because even the healthiest
foods will cause us to gain weight if we
overeat those foods. Our body uses food
as fuel, so any extra food that the body
doesn’t use gets stored as fat, even
healthy food.
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healthandheelsmagazine.com
So, to answer your question: Yes, within
the context of a balanced meal plan
that
Best,Basya
encourages all food groups—carbs,
proteins, fats, fruits, vegetables, and
the occasional treat—even a handful of
extra nuts and a few extra fruits can
keep you from losing weight. Remember,
health and weight loss aren’t always the
same!
Basya Kovacs is one of Nutrition by
Tanya’s beloved nutrition counselors.
Having lost over 30 lbs. and keeping
it off for ten years, Basya shares her
balanced, practical approach to health
and weight loss. To have your health
and weight loss questions answered,
please email us at
info@healthandheelsmagazine.com.