Sodium, Blood Pressure, and Weight Loss
Most dieters know to watch out for fats and sugars but people often neglect to think about the sodium content of foods. Low-fat or low-carb foods that are pitched to dieters as "healthier" options may be extremely high in sodium, which could lead to health problems. High sodium intake has been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. So, while we obviously need to look at fat and carbs, we need to check sodium levels as well.
Most health authorities suggest limiting sodium to between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams a day. (The body only needs about 400 to 800 milligrams of sodium a day.) Yet most Americans eat closer to 3,500 milligrams a day. A single meal at a fast food joint can easily contain well over 1,000 milligrams of sodium.
Most dieters know to watch out for fats and sugars but people often neglect to think about the sodium content of foods. Low-fat or low-carb foods that are pitched to dieters as "healthier" options may be extremely high in sodium, which could lead to health problems. High sodium intake has been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. So, while we obviously need to look at fat and carbs, we need to check sodium levels as well.Most health authorities suggest limiting sodium to between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams a day. (The body only needs about 400 to 800 milligrams of sodium a day.) Yet most Americans eat closer to 3,500 milligrams a day. A single meal at a fast food joint can easily contain well over 1,000 milligrams of sodium.
It's fine to have a fast food choice occasionally, but daily fast food consumption can certainly cause problems, especially for those with high blood pressure or those who are overweight. Once again, it's all about moderation. (See also my recent post on healthier choices at fast food restaurants.)
The Power of Probiotics
There is a lot of talk these days of probiotics and how they can help the digestive tract. The company Dannon is marketing their yogurt "Activia" for the benefits of the probiotics, such as bifidus regularis.
The Power of Probiotics
There is a lot of talk these days of probiotics and how they can help the digestive tract. The company Dannon is marketing their yogurt "Activia" for the benefits of the probiotics, such as bifidus regularis.Not only do probiotics help with digestion, but they help with a number of other functions as well. They are useful for preventing the overgrowth of yeast and other pathogens, and they help to synthesize vitamin K.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus is a common probiotic found in foods, as well as supplements. It is well known for aiding in the digestion of proteins, it has antifungal properties, helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels, and enhances the absorption of nutrients.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus is a common probiotic found in foods, as well as supplements. It is well known for aiding in the digestion of proteins, it has antifungal properties, helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels, and enhances the absorption of nutrients.
Foods that contain probiotics are cheese, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh, umeboshi and yogurt. If you are taking probiotics in a supplement form, then make sure to take them on an empty stomach. Also, if you are taking antibiotics, then do not take probiotics simultaneously.
Modified Fasting: a good weight control strategy?
People fast for many reasons: as a religious observance or spiritual ritual, as a political protest, in preparation for medical procedures, or as an occasional health practice. And studies have confirmed that short-term fasting can have a number of health benefits.
Modified Fasting: a good weight control strategy?
People fast for many reasons: as a religious observance or spiritual ritual, as a political protest, in preparation for medical procedures, or as an occasional health practice. And studies have confirmed that short-term fasting can have a number of health benefits.Yet fasting for the purposes of losing weight is not generally seen as a good idea.
But a series of new studies, summarized in the U.S. News and World Report, suggest that there may be a legitimate role for modified fasting as a weight loss tool. Read more on the Nutrition Data Blog.
Fiber and Weight Loss
To put it nicely, when we think of fiber we think of balancing out irregularity. It actually does a whole lot more, although I am sure you are more interested in it as how it relates to helping you lose weight, right?
Continue reading "Fiber and Weight Loss" »
Trans fats may be more fattening than other types of fat
But a series of new studies, summarized in the U.S. News and World Report, suggest that there may be a legitimate role for modified fasting as a weight loss tool. Read more on the Nutrition Data Blog.
Fiber and Weight Loss
To put it nicely, when we think of fiber we think of balancing out irregularity. It actually does a whole lot more, although I am sure you are more interested in it as how it relates to helping you lose weight, right?Continue reading "Fiber and Weight Loss" »
Trans fats may be more fattening than other types of fat
Most nutritionists will tell you that controlling calorie intake is the key to losing weight (or avoiding weight gain.) But a new animal study indicates that some calories are far more fattening than others!
A six-year study at Wake Forest University, (just published in the journal Obesity) found that monkeys fed a diet high in trans fats gained more weight, particularly around the belly, than monkeys who ate a diet with the equivalent amount of monounsaturated fat. Note: Both groups of monkeys ate the same number of calories and the same amount of fat. Yet one group got fat and the other didn't.
Continue reading "Trans fats may be more fattening than other types of fat" »
Chocolate Cravings - Part 1
Last week a reader wanted to understand chocolate cravings. Chocolate cravings are associated with brain chemicals that affect mood, addiction, and emotions. People frequently consume this treat to feel better in some way, especially when feeling depressed, stressed, and anxious.
Continue reading "Chocolate Cravings - Part 1" »
Is dieting hopeless? Monica takes on a "skeptic"
Continue reading "Trans fats may be more fattening than other types of fat" »
Chocolate Cravings - Part 1
Last week a reader wanted to understand chocolate cravings. Chocolate cravings are associated with brain chemicals that affect mood, addiction, and emotions. People frequently consume this treat to feel better in some way, especially when feeling depressed, stressed, and anxious.Continue reading "Chocolate Cravings - Part 1" »
Is dieting hopeless? Monica takes on a "skeptic"
In a recent post, I offered some advice to a reader who wrote to ask how many calories she should eat if she wanted to lose weight. I recommended that she aim to create a calorie deficit of about 7,000 calories per week (by reducing caloric intake AND increasing physical activity), which would lead to losing approximately two pounds a week.
Over the weekend, a reader ("Skeptic") posted a detailed critique of my post, charging that it was an "oversimplification" of metabolism and containing "a lot of inaccurate information." (You can read his entire comment on the original post.)
Input from readers is always welcome, and often adds valuable information to the dialogue. And I completely agree with Skeptic on some points. Fuel metabolism is complex, and we often simplify things in order to make the ideas easier to work with. For example, the equation "cut or burn 3500 calories to lose one pound" is a simplified (but still useful) approximation.
But several of Skeptic's points are worthy of further discussion.
Continue reading "Is dieting hopeless? Monica takes on a "skeptic" " »
No such thing as bad carbs?
If you find it difficult to say no to so-called "bad' carbs like white bread, potatoes, and sweets, Dr. Glenn Gaesser has good news for you! Having analyzed hundreds of studies on the effects of carbs and weight gain, Dr. Gaesser has concluded that high-carbohydrate or high-glycemic diets don't lead to weight gain. (Read more about the glycemic index on our Gycemic Index topic page.)
But several of Skeptic's points are worthy of further discussion.
Continue reading "Is dieting hopeless? Monica takes on a "skeptic" " »
No such thing as bad carbs?
If you find it difficult to say no to so-called "bad' carbs like white bread, potatoes, and sweets, Dr. Glenn Gaesser has good news for you! Having analyzed hundreds of studies on the effects of carbs and weight gain, Dr. Gaesser has concluded that high-carbohydrate or high-glycemic diets don't lead to weight gain. (Read more about the glycemic index on our Gycemic Index topic page.)According to Dr. Gaesser, author of It's the Calories, Not the Carbs, people who eat high carbohydrate diets tend to be thinner and healthier than people who don't. Furthermore, he says, high glycemic foods are not necessarily unhealthy and do not impede weight loss efforts.
Of course, this runs contrary to the current dietary dogma, which holds that excessive consumption of high glycemic carbohydrates (foods that cause a quick, sharp rise in blood sugar) can increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Most nutritionists also advise dieters to emphasize low-glycemic (or "good") carbohydrates for better appetite control.