‘LOW FAT ONLY MEANS HIGH SUGAR’
It’s very confusing nowadays to know what dietary ‘rules’ to follow as so many people offer very different advice. Lots of experts say it’s stupid to forbid yourself from eating certain foods — that denying yourself something you really want to eat can ultimately lead to binge eating and eventual weight gain. So, dessert isn’t on this list — it’s OK to indulge sometimes!
But some foods really do deserve the axe — especially if you are trying to lose weight. In which case, avoid these foods (when you can!) to fend off cravings and hunger, and support your efforts to slim down.
1. Any snack that only contains carbs
When you eat crackers, dry cereal, bread, or rice cakes alone, your body converts the carbs to simple sugars and sends it directly into your blood stream. In response to the sugar rush, your body produces extra insulin, which helps your body absorb the sugar ASAP. The problem: You end up with low blood sugar and the same hunger pangs that led you to carb it up in the first place. You then may be inclined to reach for sugary foods with no nutritional value to satisfy your need for instant energy.
Eat This Instead: Snacks that contain a combination of carbs, healthy fats, and protein. They take longer to digest, and will, therefore, tide you over for longer. Try a slice of bread with nut butter, or whole grain crackers with sliced avocado.
2. Ready meals
All ready meals, regardless of their attempt to look healthy, are the polar opposite of healthy. They are usually full of salt, sugar and chemicals. The salt in the food forces the body to bloat, therefore you will be looking puffy and ‘bigger’ even if you are losing weight. The sugar in the food is deceiving, but nevertheless still there – this will naturally spike your insulin levels and leave you feeling just as hungry an hour after your meal.
Eat This Instead: Just double up on ingredients the next time you cook dinner, then cool and toss leftovers in a microwave-safe container to keep in your fridge or freezer for the week ahead. Create fresh meals. Invest in your health.
3. High-fiber snack bars
Yes, everyone needs fiber — it keeps your digestive system churning and keeps you feeling full, even when you’re cutting back on calories.
Eat This Instead: Foods that are naturally rich in fiber — any fruit or veggie will do. Make these types of fresh food, a part of every snack and meal you eat throughout the day, and you’ll get your daily dose of filling fiber, no problem.
4. “Low-fat” foods
Research suggests that people tend to eat upward of 30 percent more when they know they’re eating a food that’s low in fat. The problem (besides overeating) is that when food makers remove fat from food, they inevitably remove some of the flavour. To compensate, they often add sugar, which makes the product even worse for you.
Eat This Instead: Healthy fats in moderation, such as avocado or hummus! E.G Dipping carrots/cucumber in home-made guacamole (which is rich in monounsaturated fats) or hummus (often made with olive oil, another good source of the same healthy fats) instead of something like fat- free cream cheese.
5. Juice
Juice SCREAMS sugar! Don’t be fooled by the ‘fresh juice means healthy’ marketing scandals most of these companies try to pull off. It takes several oranges to make one glass of orange juice, but when you drink juice, you consume all the calories from those oranges without the natural fruit fibres that fill you up. It’s why even 100 percent juice is just empty calories and another blood sugar spike.
Another thing: Fructose, the natural fruit sugar that makes fruit and fruit juice taste sweet, tricks your body into gaining weight by blunting your body’s ability to recognize when it’s full, This makes you eat more, and increases your risk of developing insulin resistance and diabetes.
Drink This Instead: Water! AAAALL the water — plus unsweetened tea or coffee when water just doesn’t do it.
6. Artificially sweetened drinks
Good-bye, diet coke, and every other sweet-tasting drink that mysteriously contains zero calories!.
Drink This Instead: Sparkling water: It’s calorie-free but carbonated, which makes your stomach feel full, so you end up eating less overall.
7. Cereal sold in a value-size box
The same goes for super-size snack packages. People consume up to 22 percent more when they eat from larger packages, according to a study conducted by researchers at Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab. When people know there is more food available, they subconsciously let themselves eat more of it.
Eat This Instead: One measured serving of said cereal.
8. Booze
It’s almost impossible to find a weight loss expert who recommends alcohol for weight loss. (Believe me, I tried.) However, we are not trying to spoil your fun here – just to advise you to make smarter and cleaner choices such as…
Drink This Instead: One of the lower-calorie options on this list: Cap it at one drink (or skip the buzz altogether) if you’re serious about losing weight.
If you need any further advice you can start your own personal weight loss journey with Skinny Revolution today.
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