Tuesday 19 August 2014

When more is less

Many diets encourage you to count calories, points or something so that you can add up the total amount of energy that you have consumed and work out how much energy you need to use up to create a deficit. The premise is that to loose weight energy in must be less than energy out.

Whilst this premise is correct it is far more complex than a simple math equation. For example the body uses a different amount of energy to process different types of food. It takes more energy to process protein than it does sugar. In fact it takes zero energy, absolutely no energy at all, for your body to process sugar.

This means that when you eat protein your body doesn't get all of that protein as energy to use or store; it only gets a percentage of it. But when you eat sugar your body gets all of that energy to use or store.

And here's another thing. Your body finds it much easier to use rather than store certain foods. These foods are vegetables, especially green vegetables. Not only do you get to eat a whole lot more for your buck, so to speak, but when you do eat them your body will use them as energy. In addition they provide a host of vital vitamins and minerals, are an excellent source of fibre which means that you will feel fuller for longer and it keeps your bowels healthier and if that wasn't enough, all that fibre helps your bowel to create the microbes that increase your immune system.

Children often grow up hating vegetables. There are threats and promises made to get children to eat their vegetables. There are several reasons for this: vegetables are introduced later to their palate than sweeter foods; young children have many more taste buds than adults and this can mean that vegetables can taste bitter compared to other foods; children may not like the texture; culturally some countries introduce greens earlier than in Western cultures and this means that these young children accept green vegetables as part of their meals quite easily.

If you are one of the many who don't really like green vegetables and remember being made to eat them under duress, it could be time for you to reconsider this food group for the many benefits already stated.

Experiment with green vegetables that you haven't eaten yet. Find new ways to cook and flavour them. Add them to other vegetables that you do like. As you find more and more types of vegetables that you enjoy increase the percentage of vegetables that you eat at each meal. Eventually you want to aim for vegetables being 50% of your main meal. (Potatoes are a starchy carbohydrate and don't count as a vegetable in this context).

Enjoy experimenting and having fun with healthier habits

Sarah

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