Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about
THINGS TO AVOID WHILE DIETING
1.Potato Chips
Okay, so you probably already know that potato chips are fattening and can often hide dangerous levels of sodium, but what's surprising is that out of all the foods that can cause you to gain weight—soda, junk food, ice cream—the potato chip is the worst offender. According to a Harvard study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, potato chips are the food most strongly associated with weight gain over four years.
2 French Fries
The second food Harvard researchers found to cause the most weight gain? Potatoes. And more specifically, french fries, which were associated with an additional 3.35 pounds of weight gain. According to Walter C. Willett, chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and author of Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating, "the venerable baked potato increases levels of blood sugar and insulin more quickly and to higher levels than an equal amount of calories from pure table sugar." Patrick J. Skerrett, co-author of the book and former editor of the Harvard Health blog, adds, "french fries do the same thing, but with an added blast of fat."
Not only are french fries extremely caloric—a large serving of McDonald's french fries is 510 calories—but they're also made through a dangerous process. French fries are deep-fried and highly processed. Deep-frying carbohydrates has been shown to yield a dangerous, carcinogenic chemical compound called acrylamide, which is associated with abdominal obesity.
3 Fatty Red Meat
Continuing on with another of the top weight-gain-inducing foods from The New England Journal of Medicine study is red meat. The China Health and Nutrition Survey of over 16,000 participants shows that what distinguishes between meat that causes abdominal weight gain and meat that keeps your metabolism moving is how visibly fatty the cut is. So, when you're trying to lose weight, avoid those fatty ground beef blends of 70% lean 30% fat.
4 Processed Meats
Eating bacon, sausage, and hot dogs may be putting your life at risk. The same Harvard researchers associated processed meat consumption with an additional 0.93 pounds of weight gain over a 4-year period. Weight gain isn't the only reason you should cut back on your processed meat consumption. The food has also been associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cancer, and hypertension.
5 Restaurant Desserts
Sodium is a big culprit here, not to mention the sugar…and calories…and fat…and everything else. These sweet treats are often oversized and come at the end of a decadent dinner out already, so they can add on almost a thousand extra calories (or more!) to an already over-the-top meal. Eating out at restaurants can be viewed as a treat, and if it's dessert you're really there for (say, the place is known for their 7-layer chocolate cake), a better way to balance your meal is to pick your dessert first.
A new study found that choosing your dessert first can actually help you eat less calories overall! To balance the meal, adjust your main meal to be healthier (opting for grilled fish instead of fried fish, for example, or choosing a side salad instead of French fries), and then share the dessert you really want with a partner.
6 Alcohol
Relax, we're not telling you can't enjoy the occasional glass of wine or beer, but it's no secret that overdoing it on the booze can dampen your weight-loss goals and pose risks to your health. Consuming alcohol has actually been shown to trick your body into eating more, too.
In fact, the University of Liverpool found that as few as two drinks can significantly increase the amount of food we consume because it alters our perception of food and enhances how delicious they seem. Another report in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that drinking alcohol can cause people to eat an extra 384 calories a day. So if you want to imbibe, be sure to take sips of water in between alcoholic drinks and try to avoid sugary cocktails.
7 Sugary, Refined Cereals
Sweet squares and fruity puffs do nothing to keep you healthy or shrink your waist, and many cereals pack more calorie-dense sugar into one bowl than you'll find in a Boston Kreme Donut! Switch to something more filling if you want to lose weight, like overnight oats. According to a study in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, having oatmeal for breakfast results in greater fullness, less hunger, and fewer calories eaten at lunch compared to a serving of corn flakes, even though the calories for the two breakfasts are the same.
8 Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Like Soda
Many sodas are laced with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). According to researchers at Princeton University, HFCS can cause as much weight gain as regular table sugar. In an animal study, 100 percent of the rats who consumed HFCS became obese, a result not seen in other diet experiments.
The study also found that rats who consumed other forms of sugar gained less weight than those who were fed HFCS, even when their overall caloric intake was the same. Swap soda for water, smoothies, tea, or coffee. For some hydration inspiration, check out the detox waters for weight loss!
9 Diet Soda
Low-calorie doesn't necessarily mean low sugar. Most diet sodas use artificial sweeteners that give your body the same reaction to refined sugar. Artificial sweeteners have been linked to excessive long-term weight gain; a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that people who drank diet soda regularly had nearly three times the amount of belly fat over a 9-year period compared to those who didn't drink diet soda.
Researchers believe that drinking these no-calorie sweeteners confuses our bodies by making us expect calories that aren't there. The result is what they call "metabolic derangements" like poor insulin response and elevated glucose levels, which can lead to fat storage and a host of illnesses like metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
10 White Bread
Eating highly-refined, white bread should be avoided at all cost while you're working to lose belly fat. Studies show that eating whole grains can lower visceral fat deposits in your belly, while eating refined grains leads to more. Try revamping your favorite recipes with whole wheat flour or almond flour for food that won't sabotage your waistline.
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