For many years we knew that in order to lose weight, we had to eat fewer calories. However, new research shows that we were wrong all this time. Experts believe that eating quality foods is the secret to losing weight.
“The quality of the diet is much more important than the quantity of calories,” says JoAnn Manson, MD, DrPH, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of preventive medicine at Brigham&Women’s Hospital.
What does a quality diet entail? To lose weight effectively, we need to include nutritious foods in our daily diet.
“A high-quality diet will almost automatically lead to better calorie control—you’re going to be eating foods with higher satiety,” says Manson.
So many people are focusing on the wrong side when it comes to losing weight, such as calories. There is much more to losing or controlling weight than calories in and out. In order to prevent obesity, we need to control snacking time. Eating snacks regularly can quickly become a habit, a bad habit.
Nowadays, junk food is very accessible to everyone. Therefore, it is very easy to become addicted to processed foods like chips and cookies. Eating these sorts of foods will eventually increase the blood sugar level, resulting in insulin spikes. High levels of insulin cause a frequent sense of hunger. Even if you are an active person that goes to the gym every day, you will still feel hungry if you have bad food habits. Remember, processed food addiction can foul anyone.
“A high-quality eating plan is something like the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oil, while being low in red meat, processed meats and processed foods,” says the professor.
During snack time, eat a handful of nuts instead of the usual processed food. When it comes to a full meal, eat vegetables and grains instead of starchy vegetables. Another interesting tip is that white flour (or processed flour) products can prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes. Try adding broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, beans, mushrooms, salad greens in your diet instead of potatoes and peas.
Eventually, preventing obesity, controlling or losing weight involves a series of daily decisions. Every decision you make regarding food and exercising can lead to a positive or negative outcome. Although we are in a pandemic, we still need to pay attention to what we eat and our health.