Guidelines for Diet and
Calories
High-Calorie and Low-Calorie
Diet Foods
A healthy weight loss diet
is a balanced diet which includes foods from all food groups. From a calorie
viewpoint, it should include both low-calorie foods, like fruits and vegetables;
medium-calorie foods, like lean meat, lower-fat dairy, whole wheat bread,
pasta and rice; and high-calorie foods like oily fish and vegetable oils.
Reduce Your Intake of Empty
Calorie Foods
Foods which contain calories
but few (if any) nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and phyto-chemicals,
are called 'empty-calorie' foods. Common examples of empty calorie foods
are: regular carbonated drinks, colas, and highly refined sugary foods
like sweets, candy and so on.
Aim for 30 percent of Calories
from Fat
Most mainstream nutritionists
advise that you should aim to eat about 30 percent of your total calories
from fats or oils. If you are at risk from raised cholesterol, heart experts
advise between 20-30 percent calories from fat.
Choose Low-Glycemic-Index
Carb Calories
Low-GI carbs are preferable
to high-GI carbs. This is because low-GI carbs take longer to digest,
keep blood sugar levels more stable and maintain a feeling of fullness
for longer.
Choose Fat-Calories from
Vegetable Fats
All fats contain the same
amount of calories, but some fat-calories are healthier. In general, most
of your fat-calories should come from vegetable rather than animal fats,
as the latter typically contains saturated fat which is associated with
increased risk of heart disease.
Food Calories and Exercise
Calories Determine Weight Loss
Clinical diet studies continue
to show that weight loss is not possible unless the number of calories
taken in is LESS than the number of calories burned. In this sense, calories
and calorie-intake are a vital element in weight control.
For calorie details of 2500
Foods, see Calories
in Foods
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