These 15 healthy diet tips supported by science have nothing to do with calories

Calories do not quite say when it's about eating healthy. In fact, focusing exclusively on the calories of a food can be misleading.

The most obvious problem with calories is that they do not tell you how to fill a food or drink, a factor called satiety. In addition, the number of calories does not reveal if your afternoon granola bar contains the right blend of protein and carbohydrate to help you get exercise, or if your cereal contains vitamins and essential minerals for a radiant and healthy skin.

Rather than referring to a single issue, dieticians recommend that you consider the entire food or drink, including the amount of protein, fiber and added sugar, as well as the amount of 39, processed ingredients before entering the body. Instead of shopping until you feel hungry, then buy unhealthy items are available near the cashier's booth, … ” width=”620″/>

Here are some of the simple tips that they have outlined to help you clean up your eating game.

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1. Start eating more vegetables – especially green vegetables.

Author Michael Pollan may have condensed the best nutritional wisdom into a line when he wrote: "Eat food, not too much, especially plants."

high in vegetables – especially green – for better health outcomes, including weight loss and a lower risk of a handful of chronic diseases.

Vegetables such as watercress, spinach, chives and green cabbage Prevention list of "power foods". Find a few that you like and start adding them to your plate.

But do not worry: most research does not suggest the need to cut meat, dairy products or fish from your diet. In fact, the best results generally seem to be related to diets that combine large amounts of vegetables and healthy sources of protein, including seafood, eggs and meat. Diets like these include the popular Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet.

2. Replace the soda or sweet tea with water, unsweetened tea or other sugar-free beverages.

Sugary drinks such as soda and juice can be a surprising portion of the calories you consume each day, but they do not fill you up.

In an eight-year study that included nearly 50,000 women, Harvard researchers observed what was happening when people reduced their consumption of sugary drinks or consumed more.

Unsurprisingly, participants who increased their consumption of sugary drinks gained weight and increased their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In fact, the more women consumed sugary drinks, the more they gained weight and the more their risk of disease increased.

On the other hand, people who limited their consumption did not see these negative results

. The next time you are looking for something other than water to drink, try seltzer or unsweetened tea. Even diet soda is probably a better choice. Whenever you take one on a sweet drink, you cut from 150 to 400 calories.

3. Pay attention to protein

Protein is a key ingredient that helps fuel our muscles and keep us full. It also slows the breakdown of carbohydrates into sugar, thus acting as a kind of buffer against pits and insulin spikes. For these reasons, it's a good idea to make sure that you consume enough protein with each meal.

Many Americans whose diet is based on meat actually receive too much protein. But there is evidence that people trying to switch to a more vegetative diet may have trouble getting enough of it.

To make sure your protein intake is not slumped, add eggs, beans, tofu, lentils, fish and dairy products to the cereal and whole grain meals.

4. Balance what you eat with healthy movements.

If weight loss is part of your healthy eating goals (although this is definitely not the case!), Know that exercise is not a shortcut to losing weight. weight. This is true for two reasons: first, when we increase our activity levels, our hunger levels tend to increase as well. Secondly, it is much easier to eat a lot of calories in one sitting than burn them in one gym session.

That said, regular movements are a key part of a healthy lifestyle – and it is especially important if you are looking to lose weight and lose weight in the long run.

If you drive normally to work, try walking, cycling or taking public transit when it is possible. If you usually take the elevator, take the stairs next time. And do regular gym sessions in your routine – but keep in mind that your appetite may increase a bit.

5. Cut the carbs, not the fats.

Even if you eat whole grains rather than refined grains, keep in mind that some researchers believe that they all end up being transformed in the same way. This means that reducing any type of carbohydrate is likely to be a smart move. Try to exchange flour noodles with spiral carrots or zucchini noodles, for example.

Several studies suggest that reducing your carbohydrate intake is an easy way to help stabilize blood sugar levels. Stable levels of blood sugar – also known as strict glycemic control – have been associated with beneficial health effects, including weight loss, better levels of energy throughout the day and a reduced risk of chronic diseases.

Ellen Blaak, professor of fat metabolism and physiology at the University of Maastricht, wrote in a review of studies published in the journal Obesity Reviews . His study found that poorly controlled blood sugar levels were linked to a greater likelihood of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

6. Be wary of items labeled "low fat", "light" and "reduced in fat".

Low fat products sound good. Reduce your fat intake, become thin, is not it?

The majority of scientific research suggests that it does not work that way.

One of the reasons is that many products are labeled "low fat", "Reduced Fat" (a common label on foods like yogurt, ice cream, and peanut butter) are heavily processed and engineered to taste like their entire predecessors full of fat. To achieve this, food manufacturers usually add extra sugar – and sugar, unlike fat, has been heavily implicated as a major contributor to obesity and weight gain.

7. Reinvent some healthy fats in your diet.

One of the reasons that many dieters limit their fat intake – in addition to the lingering influence of the trend of low-fat diets of the 1990s – is to reduce calories. Fat is high in calories. Cut the fat, cut the calories.

But research is beginning to show that eating fat does not necessarily lead to weight loss. Instead, it can help people lose weight, perhaps making us feel fuller and curbing our sugar intake. This seems to be especially true for fats from sources such as nuts, olive oil, avocados and fish.

Aaron Carroll, professor of pediatrics at the University of Indiana Medical School, writes in his book: 19459019 Bible: How and Why Eating Godly : "There has one thing we know about fats: fat consumption does not cause weight gain, quite the contrary, it could help us lose a few pounds. "

Here's what it means for people who count calories: Fatty foods are richer in calories than their low-fat counterparts, so consider that and cut down on carbohydrates and sugar instead.

8. If losing weight is a goal for you, set healthy benchmarks.

For lasting weight loss, dietitians, exercise specialists and nutritionists all recommend losing only one to three pounds a week. According to Andy Bellatti, registered dietitian and co-founder of Dietitians for Professional Integrity, you can afford to create new healthy eating and exercise patterns that you can keep for life. I have to give you two, three, four years of consistent behavioral changes, "said Bellatti at Business Insider last year." It's a tough job, you're building new habits, and it takes time. "

9. More and more evidence suggests that there is only one villain in our diet when it comes to gaining weight, that is to say. is sugar.

The authors of a review of 50 studies on diet and weight gain published in the journal Food and Nutrition Research revealed that, on average , the more refined carbohydrates (such as sugar) that someone ate, the more they tended to gain weight during the study period.

The researchers behind a major review of 68 studies published in the British Medical Journal found that the more sugar we consumed, the more we weighed. [196] 59057] Whenever you choose a dietary drink on a sweet drink, you'll also cut between 150 and 400 calories. ” width=”620″/>

So, reduce sweets and start paying attention to the sugar content of processed food labels – especially in sauces, salad dressings and dairy products.

10. Swap white bread and rice in your meals for whole grains.

One of the least healthy components of most American diets appears to be refined carbohydrates, a category that includes white bread and white rice. Refined carbohydrates can also be found in many other processed foods – they appear on nutrition labels like "refined flour" or simply "flour".

A 2012 study published in the journal Food and Nutrition Research links between diets rich in refined carbohydrates and weight gain. One reason for this may be that refined grains are processed quickly and turned into sugar in the body.

Whole grains, on the other hand, digest slowly and fill you up for hours. The main difference is that whole grains still have their nutritious, fiber-rich husks, such as germ and bran. Roxanne Sukol, medical director of the Cleveland Clinic's wellness business, said people should consider refined carbohydrates simply as "carbohydrates" and avoid them as much as possible.

11. Try to train in the morning.

If you choose to incorporate regular exercises into your plan, research suggests that an early workout on an empty stomach helps speed up weight loss and increase energy levels by priming the body

Exercising early in the morning can push the body to tap into its fat reserves of fuel instead of just "burning" the last snack or last meal.

In addition, training early may give you more sun, which is the key to properly regulating your body's circadian rhythm. In one study, people who bathed in sunlight within two hours of waking were thinner and more weight-conscious than those who did not receive natural light, no matter what they ate all day

fitness plan is one that you can stick to forever. If your morning motivation is too low to form a habit, working after your workday is probably a better choice.

12. Beware of trans fat.

Unlike old fats, trans fats are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them stronger.

Trans fats are closely related to heart disease. it seems to increase levels of so-called bad cholesterol and lower levels of good cholesterol.

The US Food and Drug Administration announced a plan to ban trans fats in 2015. According to a statement released by the FDA this year, "it Although trans fats are now banned for most foods in the United States they are still present in some processed foods in other countries, including many prefabricated or packaged cakes, biscuits, french fries and pastries, some breads also contain some, as well as some of the oils used to fry fries and Other Fast Foods To identify trans fats on a nutrition label, look for "partially hydrogenated oils" on the list of ingredients

In May, the World Health Organization called on governments to the world to ban industrial trans fats within five years Learn the situations in which you tend to "fall from the cart" – and prepare yourself s

If you tend to eat a healthy diet most of the time, but still have trouble losing weight, think of places or events that encourage you to move away from nutritional choices.

Places like airports, pharmacies and even housewares all sell food, but that's usually not very healthy. Instead of shopping until you feel hungry, you can buy unhealthy food near the cash counter and prepare a nutritious snack.

Sliced ​​peanuts and apples, carrots and hummus or yoghurt and Greek walnuts are inexpensive and convenient options.

14. If traditional diets have not worked for you, consider intermittent fasting.

If you are looking to lose weight and have missed other diets, you could try a diet called intermittent fasting – after consulting your doctor

There are several versions of this diet, but One of the most popular is to fast for 16 hours and eat for 8. Most people opt for a window from 12pm to 8pm, which means that you basically skip breakfast. eat what you want in the eight-hour "food" window

Large studies have found that intermittent fasting is just as reliable for weight loss as traditional diets. And some studies in animals suggest that it could also have other benefits, such as reducing the risk of certain cancers and even prolonging life. But these studies must be repeated in humans before real conclusions can be drawn.

15. If you go out to eat, take half of your meal at home in a takeaway box.

The basic portions of our snacks and meals have ballooned over the past 40 years. The average size of many of our foods, including fast food, seated meals and even groceries, has increased 138 percent since the 1970s, according to data from American Journal of Public Health Journal of Nutrition and Journal of the American Medical Association

Even the plates and cups on which we serve meals have become significantly larger . 19659003] So be aware of portion sizes. If you eat outside, think about taking away one-third to half your meal to go there

This story first appeared in Business Insider. Read it here or follow BusinessInsider Australia on Facebook.