Diet Coke Nutrition Facts Dieters - Your Best Food Friends and Worst Food Enemies.
When trying to lose weight, your intake of calories should be less than the calories you expend in a day. While daily calorie requirements vary according to your age, height and weight, and your activity level, a good guideline is approximately 2,200 calories per day for women and 2,900 for men. How can you reduce your caloric intake to compliment your daily activities and achieve your weight-loss and health goals?
It is well known that processed foods are filled with sugars and that, in addition to providing you with an abundance of fat and calories, they are also addictive, tempting your body to crave them in ever larger portions. That explains why it can be so difficult to resist the occasional 'fry fix'. Combine that with the fact that many such foods contain zero nutritional value and it is no wonder that obesity is at epidemic proportions. What are some of the worst possible foods you can eat if your goal is weight-loss, and, alternatively, what should you be eating and why?
What Foods Are Best Avoided?
French Fries and potato chips are some of the worst offenders. Yes, they contain fat and calories (540 calories and 26 grams of fat in one large order from McDonald's) but they are also deep-fried, which poses additional hazards to your diet and potentially to your health. The process of deep-frying in general requires very high temperatures which destroys nutrients in foods, including fatty acids which your body needs. Deep frying also produces acrylamides, especially in starchy foods like potatoes, which have been shown in studies to be highly carcinogenic to rats. FDA tests are underway and at this time there are no specific health warnings to the public about this chemical compound, other than the general advice to reduce intake of fried and fatty foods.
Donuts usually top the list of a dieter's worst nightmare. 1 Krispy Kreme original glazed contains 200 calories and 12 grams of fat. They contain huge amounts of sugar and calories and some contain the dreaded trans fat. With little to no redeeming nutritional value, donuts are a good food to avoid in your quest for a healthier, trimmer body.
Soda contains lots of calories - about 150 calories in a can of Coke - and sugar or artificial sweeteners. Fruit juices with sweeteners added are also not on the list of healthy diet foods - check the juice labels!
Bacon and Sausage are very high in both calories and fat, with 1 strip of bacon containing about 40 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. They also contain nitrates which, in addition to being carcinogenic, have also been linked to pulmonary disorders when consumed in large quantities.
What Should You Be Eating?
Fruit! Your body does need some sugar to function correctly, so instead of the processed sugars found in donuts and soda, get your sugar from grapefruit and apples and blueberries. Apples are high fiber and low in calories. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants. Pink grapefruit is low in calories and high in both vitamin C and potassium.
Fresh-caught fish such as salmon is low in calories yet high in protein and Omega 3 fatty acids, essential to your health. Other good sources of Omega 3 fatty acids are sardines, which are also low enough on the food chain to not be susceptible to contaminants like mercury.
Grass-fed beef or bison contains high protein which boosts metabolism and also has the added benefit of making you feel full longer.
Green tea tastes great and also speeds up fat oxidation, regulates blood sugar and aids in stress relief. In addition, it contains lots of helpful antioxidants.
Pumpkin isn't commonly served unless it's in a pie on the holiday table, but it is a great source of dietary fiber that is also low in calories (pies aside) and has been studied for its positive role in weight management.
Chile peppers, in addition to being highly flavorful, are also healthy. They strengthen blood flow, reduce inflammation and are a good source of vitamins and magnesium.
Almonds are high in protein and also filling, making them a healthy snack food.
Lentils are high in protein and soluble fiber, and have been linked to the prevention of abdominal fat build-up.
For a balanced diet, add whole grain breads and vegetables like spinach, which is low in calories and high in nutritional value, with plenty of vitamins and antioxidants.
Junk Food Junkies Challenge
If you are serious about losing weight but one of the millions of junk-food junkies in the world, start small. Cut back on the chips and the fries and substitute healthier snacks such as fruit or nuts. Gradually cut out the worst offenders and your body will start to feel healthier as you not only lose weight but start feeding it with essential vitamins and nutrients necessary to live healthy and prevent disease. Eventually the goal is to cut out the processed sugars and addictive junk food. Your body will thank you!
Cutting out bacon and sausage and French fries might not be the most original diet advice ever written, but the worst diet offenders continue to be the worst diet offenders. Check back next week for our follow-up article about less well-known offenders that might surprise you!
Diet Coke Nutrition Facts.