|
Fat is fattening because
- it is a "Calorie Dense" Food. As opposed to 4
calories per gramme of carbohydrates, fat provides 9 calories per gramme i.e., 2.2 times
more calories than carbohydrates;
- fats are consumed faster, they require less chewing and are
digested more efficiently. Fats also don't decrease the inter-meal hunger time,
- they are efficiently stored. Our body spends only 3 per cent
of the ingested calories to digest, absorb and store fat as compared to carbohydrates
where it costs the body 7 per cent of the ingested calories.
Hence fat is the most fattening food substance because the
majority of its calories can be preserved (97% of net calories).
High dietary fat is
- calories dense 9 cal/gm v/s for carbohydrates
- produces slow satiety
- efficiently digested and stored
- decreases inter-meal hunger time
Fibre facts
Fibre is derived from foods of plant origin. It is that portion of plant cells which are
not digested by human enzymes the soluble fibre from gel when mixed with liquids. It slows
gastric transit time, improves blood sugar control in diabetes and also decreases blood
cholesterol. Rich sources of this type of fibre are peas, beans lentils and oats. The
insoluble fibre is derived from wheat bran, vegetable and whole grain. They are also
called "roughage" in diet they are forming agents and have shown to decrease
incidence of diverticuloses and coloric cancers.
A fibre rich diet helps in weight management in many ways. They are "Calorie
Poor" foods and bulk forming. Hence they give a sensation of fullness of stomach,
early satiety and very few calories. They also delay gastric emptying, increase the
inter-meal hunger interval and decrease insulin (appetite stimulant) levels.
High dietary fibre
- Calorie poor
- Delays gastric emptying
- Early satiety with few calories
- Increases Inter-Meal hunger time.
Hence, a high fibre diet along with a low fat diet provides
the ideal nutrition plan for sustained weight loss. The doctors should educate the patient
that only restricting calories is not the solution to obesity. It is the quality of food
that translates into avoiding fatty food stuffs like butter, cheese spreads, animal foods,
chips etc. and increase in low fat foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans, peas, whole
fruits and whole grain cereals and breads. A high-fibre and low-fat diet with regular
exercise is the key to weight reduction and good health.
Power Plants
The following are 8 of the most nutritious vegetables one is likely to eat regularly.
- Broccoli-Contains more than twice the vitamin C of oranges
and is high in B vitamins and calcium.
- Spinach-Lots of iron, calcium, potassium and vitamin A.
- Sprouts-Packed with vitamin C and iron and rich in B
vitamins and potassium.
- Beans-Best vegetable source of potassium and high in iron, B
vitamins and calcium.
- Peas-High in B vitamins and rich in iron.
- Asparagus-High in B vitamins and contains good amounts of
iron and vitamins A and C
- Cauliflower-Rich in vitamin C.
- Carrots-Has the most vitamin A, potassium, calcium.
Related Items:
|
