Unfortunately, obesity is reaching epidemic proportions, with over 60% of our population now overweight. We need to take control of this problem NOW.
There are three terms that need to be understood in order to take control of your weight - fat, fibre, and carbohydrates. Fat is fairly straight forward. Fibre is anything that grows out of the ground… mainly fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and berries. The important thing to know about fibre is that the acid in your stomach won’t break it down, so when you eat fibre, it fills you up faster and keeps you full longer. Finally, Carbohydrates are foods that are naturally sweet, or anything made with sugar or flour.
Most people have heard that if you eat low fat or no fat foods you can lose weight. Well in reality, that’s just half the story. Most people, when trying low fat diets, go to the store and start reading labels and looking for anything that has zero fat. People then think, “Great, I can eat all I want.” They eat almost no fat at all - and end up gaining weight! That’s why you need to know the other half of the story.
If you eat only low fat foods, most of them are low in fibre and also very high in carbohydrates. Because they’re low in fibre you have to eat more to feel full. So when you eat more, you take in more calories than you need, and your body stores the extra carbohydrates and calories as fat. That’s the other side of the low fat diet. Unless you eat low fat and high fibre, at the same time, you are more likely to gain than lose any weight.
Sheridan Woodcroft is a personal weight management and health and nutrition mentor. You can visit her website to find out more about a great low carb, high protein weight management program at http://www.WEIGHTLOSS-4U-PERMANENTLY.COM/?refid=article-31879
