Low calorie food is actually misleading. Water is low calorie, but you can’t live on it. Other foods that are low calorie aren’t foods around which you can build a healthy diet and lifestyle. Perhaps a better goal should be slow release food because the three main components of food ” fat, protein and carbohydrate all contain calories. Protein and carbohydrate both contain 4 calories per gram and fat contains 10 calories per gram. The key to 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.
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.
The biggest concern with dieting is carbohydrates and these are found in foods such as sugar, starches, grains, bread and so forth. Foods high in fibre take more time 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. Rather than low calorie food the key to weight loss should be a balanced diet with the right proportions of each protein, carbohydrate and fat.
Of great benefit to the dieter is an understanding of the GIycemic Index (GI). The GIycemic Index (GI) lists carbohydrates from 0 to 100 according to how quickly they raise your blood sugar levels after eating. Foods are rated high on the GI scale because they are rapidly digested and broken down into sugars and absorbed by the stomach and bowel. These foods cause rapid rises in blood sugar levels. Foods with a rating of low GI are digested and absorbed by the body more slowly, and so only produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels. These are foods such as wholegrain breads, brown rice and pasta. The evidence shows that they have major benefits for health and losing weight. Low GI diets improve both glucose and fat levels in the bloodstream of people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. They assist weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Low GI diets can also reduce the need for the body to produce so much and reduces or stops insulin resistance which is the cause of Type 2 Diabetes.
Now you may know that big spikes in insulin are caused by rapidly rises in blood sugar and 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. It is so efficient that half an hour later your blood sugar drops rapidly and you suddenly feel hungry, lethargic and irritable. So of course you reach for the Twinkies or whatever. That starts up the whole vicious cycle all over again.
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.
Fruits and some vegetables such as carrots have naturally high levels of sugars in them. Aim to eat the sugars with the fibre they are found with. With carrots, they are full of fibre which slows their digestion and stops the sugar hit. When we drink the apple juice from 3 apples our sugar levels will spike. When we eat three apples and our sugar won’t spike. Orange juice is good for you because of all the Vitamin C and bioflavenoids but it is also packed with sugar. Eat the oranges and you will get the Vitamin C but no sugar rush. The habit of eating highly processed foods, both good and bad is the cause of 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.
By choosing a program that balances food and avoids the high GI foods in favour of low GI foods and a balance of fats and proteins you will be on the way to achieving 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. Only then you will be on the pathway to a satisfied and contented life.
