New Day Your Way

Understanding Calories

Good vs. Bad Calories

For breakfast you had a slice of white buttered toast with jam, a donut and a cup of coffee with milk and sugar. An hour later you're hungry again and very likely to be craving a cookie and a bag of chips. You're already looking forward to a hamburger with fries for lunch, washed down with a can of soda.

What's wrong with this scenario? It's high in saturated fat and refined carbohydrates. Quite simply, your food choices provide you with nothing but "empty" calories-in other words, bad calories with zero nutritional value.

In the medium to long term (depending on your age), this lack of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and the excessive intake of refined carbohydrates and saturated fats will create serious health problems. Saturated fats raise your cholesterol level, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Refined simple carbohydrates cause "spikes" (surges) in your sugar levels, sapping your energy, which, in turn, will have you craving yet more sugar. Repeated spikes can lead to "insulin resistance" and diabetes. You're trapped in a vicious circle of poor nutrition, ballooning weight and further risk to your overall health.

A vital step toward losing weight is to eat nutrient-rich foods. Start your day with oatmeal made with low-fat milk, add a few raisins and drink a glass of orange juice. You can even have a slice of toast with butter, as long as it's wholegrain. Snack on protein-rich nuts and seeds, and have a lunch based on lean meats or fish, accompanied by lots of vegetables. You'll soon notice a change in your energy levels and, more importantly, you'll start to lose weight and feel fitter.