The Western diet is dangerous because it not only causes weight gain, but because during this process it primes the individual to the taste of Western foods. Generally such foods contain too much fat, too much sugar and far too much salt. These food tastes when combined are highly palatable and this explains why Western food is so appealing. In fact some evidence suggests that the food is actually addictive in the same way a certain drugs and may this cause the individual to actively go and seek such foods. Once a decision has been made to lose body fat and improve the body composition, no amounts of these sorts of highly palatable foods can remain in the diet. They must be eliminated completely. This is one of the main problems with energy restriction diets. They allow consumption of such foods as long as the total energy intake is below the metabolic needs of the individual. However because such foods cause metabolic damage inclusion of even small amounts prevents the restoration of normal metabolic activity.
Western foods are highly palatable and are thought to be addictive. Abandoning such foods is of paramount importance if fat loss is to be successful. It is very difficult to allow the taste buds to readjust to the less colourful flavours of healthy food if high amounts of sugar and fat continue to be consumed along with salt, additives and flavourings. Do not be tempted to buy such highly palatable foods even if you do not intend to eat them (such as getting cakes or biscuits for guests who will be staying). If the food is in your cupboard it will at some point be eaten.
Therefore a fat loss diet should contain none of these highly palatable Western foods. This means that none of these foods should be purchased or be present in the cupboards of the individual’s home. Buying such foods creates the possibility that they will be eaten at some point, and so this possible route of failure should be avoided. Instead stock the shelves of your kitchen or pantry with healthy foods that are admittedly more bland in their tastes. However, by consuming these foods over time, tastes will adapt to the less colourful aromas and sensations and such foods will in a number of weeks seem tasteful and delicious. This transition is not possible if the individual keeps returning to the highly palatable foods of the typical Western diet. Like a drug addict, total exclusion of the forbidden substance is the only way to truly become free of its lure. Time will heal any addictions to Western foods, but shopping for such foods and keeping them in the house, is no way to convince yourself they should never be consumed.
RdB
