Posts Tagged ‘Overweight’

Atkins Nutrition and Carbs

A glance at the list of food sources for these essential micronutrients quickly shows you how important fruity vegetables, nuts and pulses are, precisely the food groups you severely restrict on a classic low-carb diet. Fish, chicken and red meat supply a small number of these nutrients as well, but many are simply not present in these foods. And, of course, normally we eat these foods cooked, and the cooking process can severely deplete the nutritional value. A fat and protein-oriented diet will not provide the nutritional profile you need for good health.

But Atkins does recommend supplements, you may reply, surely that will ensure I get the right nutritional profile. Unfortunately Atkins was no micronutritionist, and the supplement recommendations, though they go some way to compensating for a very skewed diet, are not well thought through and in some areas are completely inadequate. For example, the importance of vitamin K, resistant starch, flavonoids and sterols to a healthy diet is simply not recognized.

Moreover there is plenty of evidence about the benefits of whole foods for health, such as the importance of fibre for healthy digestive functioning. Supplements can support a healthy eating programme, but your starting point for good nutrition should be the whole foods you eat at every meal.

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Health Benefits of Exercise: What You Should Know Before You Start

Exercise is not just important for weight control — it also brings immense general health benefits. The facts are startling:

1. Studies have shown that inactivity is as great a risk factor for heart disease as a 20-a-day cigarette habit and is as bad as having hypertension or raised cholesterol.
2. The unfit have two and a half times more risk of early cardiac death than the fit.
3. Taking sufficient exercise can override or neutralize bad eating habits.
4. Regular exercise lowers blood pressure and improves blood sugar control in diabetics.
5. Exercise lowers the level of ‘bad’ cholesterol and raises the level of ‘good’ cholesterol.
6. Exercise boosts the body’s production of its own antioxidant enzymes.

How Much Exercise
We know roughly how much exercise is needed to reduce the risk of illness. Doing 2,500 calories worth of exercise per week reduces the risk of a heart attack, 1 mile of brisk walking per day reduces the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by up to 58%, and 2,900 calories of exercise per week is sufficient in most cases to maintain a healthy body weight. That may sound like a lot of calories but it is achievable. read more »

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