Like two sides of an equation, the combination of a proper diet and regular exercise can result in a healthy lifestyle and a slimmer figure. But what would one side be without the other?
From friends who experiment with fad diets to avoid working out to colleagues who eat cake then ‘run it off’, the battle of diet versus exercise is all around us.
We sat down with a professional from each side to find out what makes each factor so important and why the two should be combined.
The Clinical Dietician
When it comes to healthy eating, Ola Mezher, a clinical dietician at Awazen, emphasises the need for a well balanced diet.
“A healthy diet is a combination of the three nutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fat,” says Mezher. “A healthy diet divides these at each meal: 50 per cent carbohydrates, 20 per cent protein and 30 per cent good fats such as olive oil.”
Mezher also points out that each person has a different metabolism which effects how many calories they burn during the day while resting. For this reason, a healthy diet also takes into consideration your daily caloric intake. The number of calories we consume each day should equal the number of calories we burn.
While an individual’s height, weight, age, gender and muscle mass can alter their metabolic rate, Mezher says exercise plays a key role in increasing that rate.
“If you want to lose weight, you should consume less calories than your body needs but at the same time exercise to get rid of stored fat and burn calories. Exercise will also increase your metabolism so you will see better results while building and toning muscle.”
Following a healthy diet is necessary to absorb essential nutrients and vitamins from food. Someone who consumes a high amount of sugar, carbohydrates or unhealthy fat is prone to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and thrombosis as well as diabetes, cancer and kidney problems. For this reason, Mezher points out that an unhealthy diet cannot be counterbalanced with exercise and fatty foods should be taken in moderation.
Ola Mezher
The verdict: When it comes to losing weight and staying healthy, Mezher insists on avoiding fad diets that cause you to lose a lot of weight quickly and instead emphasises following a healthy, balanced diet with regular exercise. Mezher suggests fitting exercise into our daily lives: climb stairs, walk or park your car further away. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise three to five times a week.
Awazen features slimming programmes and packages tailored to people’s specific goals. For more information, visit: www.awazen.com
The Fitness Specialist
When it comes to exercise, Clare Patterson, Lifestyle and Fitness Manager at Eastern Mangroves Hotel, notes that we can improve both our physical and mental wellbeing on every level. Exercise can improve strength, stamina and flexibility, decrease our risk of injury in daily activities, control weight gain and aid weight loss, improve sleep, increase energy levels and even make us happier.
It’s obvious Clare is a firm advocate of leading an active lifestyle but where does the fitness fanatic stand when it comes to dieting?
“Without exercise it is inevitable an individual will lose muscle mass and gain fat. What’s more, people who purely diet and do not exercise should expect to lose both fat and muscle. In a similar sense, individuals who exercise and do not maintain a healthy diet should expect to see little improvement, especially concerning effects on developing visible lean muscle. Therefore, combining a healthy diet with a tailored, varied exercise programme will both decrease fat and build lean muscle.
Patterson is, however, quick to point out the difference between ‘weight’ loss and ‘fat’ loss.
“I use the term ‘weight’ generically as fat/muscle ratio is more important than weight. You can lose weight by being dehydrated or by losing muscle so in this case weight loss is not a positive result.
Excess body fat is caused by the body consuming more energy than it is using. ‘Fat loss’ should be a result of combining both exercise and a healthy diet.”
The verdict: Patterson says the recommended amount of exercise per week for 19 to 65 year-olds is 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity from cycling, running, dancing or fast walking and two or more days per week of muscle strengthening activities. When it comes to fat loss, Patterson stresses the need to follow a healthy diet so your workouts are more effective, while taking care of your body from the inside out.
Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara offers personalised lifestyle memberships from AED 7,500 per year. For further details contact: [email protected]
Rachael Peacock
