|
HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Can Counting Calories Help Prevent Heart Disease? Used to be a problem in developed or rich countries, obesity has been rising globally in developing countries as well. People who are obese or overweight are at a higher risk of developing numerous diseases including hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol, Type-2 diabetes and stroke. Modern lifestyles such as sedentary and unhealthy diet have been accused as the culprit to cause such epidemic. Losing as little as 3-5 percent of the body weight can reduce the heart disease risk, according to the American Heart Association. Obviously, losing weight is the only option for people who wish to prevent from getting these diseases. Theoretically, if one wishes to lose weight or maintain normal weight, he or she should manage the daily calories intake and calories output. This simply means that the calories intake should be less than the calories output. The recommended daily calorie intake may be different across age, activity level and gender. For instance, an adult man, on average, may need about 2,200 calories a day while an adult woman may just require about 1,800 calories. People who are mostly sitting in the office may need fewer calories than those who are always on the move. Older folks might require fewer calories because their metabolism and activity levels are comparatively lower. Reducing calories can be achieved by a number of ways. People can budget their calories. If they have a big meal, they should eat fewer calories for the next meal. Swopping deep-fried dishes and foods containing high fat with lean protein, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains can help one cut calories without feeling hungry. In order to control the portions, people can use smaller plates and share desserts with friends. When ordering drinks, people should ask for less sugar or simply opt for plain water or fruit-infused water instead of sweetened drinks. If available, people should choose lower-calorie foods. Counting calories is, however, not advised for children and teenagers as they are still growing.
One should note that not all calories are equal. For instance, every gram of fat contains 9kcal (kilocalories), while every gram of protein and carbohydrate provides only 4kcal each. But this does not mean that people should opt for more carbohydrate and much less fat. This is because refined carbohydrate like white rice is linked to a higher risk of Type-2 diabetes, and recent studies did show that a moderate amount of fat like unsaturated fat can actually benefit one’s health. Eating more nutrient-dense food that contains plenty of vitamins and minerals with relatively fewer calories is recommended. Good examples of these include fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein like fish and healthier fats, such as nuts. Certain food and drinks may appear healthy but actually contain high amount of calories because of the high sugar or fat content. For instance, a glass of fruit smoothie packs 325kcal. If people were to drink a glass daily on top of the regular diet, they may gain 9kg to 15kg in a year. Cereal bars and ready-to-eat cereal, while often marketed and viewed as health foods, can be high in sugar and fat, too. A typical granola nut bar can contain up to 250kcal per serving. Lastly, nuts and nut-based butter are concentrated sources of calories. A handful of mixed nuts contains about 200kcal, so they should be eaten in moderation. However, losing weight is not just about cutting calories. In fact, physical activity also plays an important role in terms of losing weight safely and keeping it off. People should integrate more physical activity in their daily routine. They can park farther away from the mall or home, and walk the extra distance, or take the stairs instead of using lift. Furthermore, losing weight requires patient. People should aim for 0.5kg to 1kg a week. Extreme weight loss can negatively affect the energy level, mood and even cognitive function. More importantly, sticking to a low-calorie diet in the long term without medical supervision can lead to serious health problems like osteoporosis and kidney failure.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright
2007-2012 © HowToPreventHeartDisease.com . All Rights Reserved.d........ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
