Low calorie foods look attractive for weight loss because they actually starve the body of calories while making us feel full. However can we successfully use low calorie foods to lose weight over the long term and build a healthy lifestyle around them? I dont believe we can and I will example their place in our diets. Low calorie food is food with low energy content and energy content in food is measured in calories. Good examples of low calorie food would be rice cakes, egg white omelettes, macaroons. If you think about these foods, you realise can eat them in vast quantities and you will never put on one ounce. The down side is that it would be extremely boring to eat this type of food day in and day out. Also low calorie foods arent foods you can eat in the long term. They are deficient in the necessary minerals, vitamins, proteins, fats and carbohydrates which we need for god health.
To lose weight we will try anything that might help us. Low calorie foods might look promising but they arent foods around which you can build a healthy diet and lifestyle. A more successful choice for achieving weight loss would foods which the body digests more slowly and releases their energy or calories more slowly. They must be foods which are complete in all essential nutrients " carbohydrates, proteins and fats. They should take longer for the body to digest them than the highly processed or high GI foods we now are eating in increasing quantities.
Carbohydrates which are found in foods such as sugar, starches, grains, bread and pastas. Foods are high in fibre take more time and energy for the body to digest and extract their calories. They burn more calories in the digestion process because their nutrients are bound up with their fibre. Successful weight loss should be a balanced diet with the right proportions of each protein, carbohydrate and fat, but with our present food industry misleading us at every turn this is easier said than done.
The buzz word for the last few years has been low GI. The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and they result in big spikes in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, because they are digested and absorbed by the body more slowly, only produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health. Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid (fat) levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Low GI diets also reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance which is the cause of Type 2 Diabetes.
Insulin is released by the body to keep the blood sugar levels steady. Too much sugar in your blood stream puts stress on the heart and causes hyperactivity. Too little sugar and you become lethargic. Unfortunately much of our processed and snack foods contain massive quantities of sugar and it is these that cause the sugar spikes. When too much sugar hits the bloodstream the body over-produces insulin which converts the sugars into fat on your butt and stomach. This insulin response is so efficient that half an hour after you have eaten the insulin has mopped up all the sugar in your bloodstream and your blood sugar drops rapidly. Suddenly you feel hungry, lethargic and irritable. So you reach for the candy or donuts or some other highly processed junk food because your body craves more sugar. That reboots the whole cycle again and you start packing on the pounds.
By selecting low GI foods you are choosing food that digests more slowly. This means your pancreas isn't stressed through overproducing insulin to process all the excess sugar in your bloodstream. Now your muscles and organs get a steady flow of fuel so your energy levels stay high. You don't feel hungry again as quickly and so you avoid binge eating because your energy levels dont fluctuate wildly. The result is that you become a more balanced person and a much happier one. You definitely become a happier person when the weight begins to drop off your butt, stomach and stomach. You will lose those horrible moods swings which characterize sugar spikes because your body is no longer so stressed. This is very common in children and adolescents and is one of the more overlooked effects of excess sugar in the diet.
The GI chart has a few strange anomalies. For example carrots are rated as a high GI food because carrots contain quite a lot of natural sugars. Now we know that none of us got fat eating carrots so there is one useful rule to apply in cases like carrots. Aim to eat the sugars with the fiber they are found with. With carrots they are full of fiber which slows their digestion and also stops the sugar spike. Drink the apple juice from 3 apples by itself and your sugar levels will spike. Eat three apples and your sugar won't spike. Do you see how it works? Orange juice is good for you because of all the Vitamin C and bioflavenoids. However it is also packed with sugar. Eat the oranges and you will get the Vitamin C but no sugar hit. Our practice of eating processed foods, both good and bad is causing many of our problems.
Dont choose to live on low calorie foods which is difficult and also unhealthy but choose a diet that combines all the food groups in a balanced way. The easiest way is to find a weight loss program that uses food as an ally in your weight loss efforts. Low GI foods, the correct balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, improved eating patterns and strategies for avoiding destructive eating behaviour are all components of a good weight loss program.
When choosing a weight loss program look for one that balances food and avoids the high GI foods in favour of low GI foods and a balance of fats and proteins is the key to weight loss. Low calorie food diets are unsustainable because they lack the essential nutrients for good health. Your goal should be a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, regular exercise and a healthy self image. Then you will be on the pathway to a satisfied and contented life.
Labels: Tips, Weight loss
