If you’re
trying to cut calories to lose weight and get healthier, are you confident you
are cutting the right calories? In
our last blog we discussed a type of sugar, fructose, and how the
overconsumption of this poison is contributing to increasing levels of obesity,
diabetes and heart disease in America. Cutting out or at least cutting way back
on foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup is a great start.
But in your
quest to drop pounds, you may be cutting out important calories that will
actually help to speed up your metabolism and keep your insides healthy.
Glucose is
another type of sugar, but this is actually an important energy source for
life. Glucose comes from the carbohydrates we eat. We burn glucose to produce
energy.
Protein
requires twice as much energy output to process than carbohydrates do. This
means that your body will work harder to move these types of foods through the
body. Protein also helps keep hunger at bay, but make sure you’re choosing lean
proteins or you’ll be working against yourself again.
Fiber is
necessary to keep your bowels in healthy working order, lower cholesterol
levels and control blood sugar. Men under age 50 need 38 grams of fiber each
day; women need 25 grams. Fiber from some foods, like almonds, will delay
absorption of a portion of the calories into your bloodstream so they are
delivered into the intestines and eliminated. Fiber also helps to satisfy
hunger without overeating.
Fats come in
different forms: Trans fats can clog your arteries while omega-3 fatty acids
are essential to our overall health. We need healthy fats in our diet; without
them our bodies won’t work as effectively. You can get these good fats by
consuming foods like fish, nuts, olive oil and flax in moderation.
The bottom
line is that you need to be smart in your food choices, whether or not you are
trying to lose weight. For more tips on how to eat healthier, contact Dr. Marilyn Kutzscher in San Francisco at 415-923-3560 or marilynkmd.com.
