Food
and exercise aren't the whole diet story. A slew of stealthy, often
surprising weight gain culprits could be causing the scale to creep
upward. Beware!!!!
Artificial sweeteners.
A
recent Purdue University study compared two sets of rats: those fed
liquid spiked with saccharin, others fed liquid sweetened with natural
sugar. When both groups were later given a sugary snack, the rats
accustomed to artificial sweeteners ate more. "Our bodies have ways of
judging how many calories a food has from how it tastes, and artificial
sweeteners may mess up that natural regulating process," says Susan
Swithers, PhD, associate professor of psychological sciences at Purdue
and one of the study's lead authors.
The
solution: "We're not suggesting you give up your diet soda at this
point," Swithers says. But if you consume artificially sweetened
products, pay extra attention to the calorie count of everything you
eat, especially snacks with real sugar.
Missing meals.
Research
shows that people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight,
and that morning meals seem to help those who've lost weight keep it
off. It's not just breakfast, either: Skipping meals of any kind results
in a "tremendous bout of compensatory hunger."
The
solution: Eat small meals throughout the day. A steady nutrient intake
will keep your blood sugar relatively constant, helping prevent
out-of-control binges.
Dining out.
We tend to eat more when we dine out.
The
solution: Eating out is fine, as long as you don't use it as a
frequent license to indulge. Choose your entrees wisely, and share your
meal!!!!
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