Losing Weight and What We Eat

Do you have a fast metabolism? How lucky are you? It probably has nothing to do with what you are doing or not doing. The fact that you can eat anything you want and not gain weight, if that is the case, may all be due to inherited genes. Studies have learned...

According to a study in the "Journal Nature, those of us who claim we can eat anything and not gain weight have the advantage in their special genes, and those of us who do not have the special genes, are more likely to become overweight or obese."

"Dr. Phillippe Frogue of Imperial College, London in a study he spearheaded said: This is the first genetic cause of extreme thinness to be identified".

If we are overweight, though, we still have the responsibility of looking out for ourselves and the way we do this is by watching what we eat and exercising.

Every day we have the results of different studies that are being conducted today regarding our health. The bad news is, one of the latest studies tells us that for every hour of TV watching, we lose 22 minutes of our life, the reason being that it turns us into couch potatoes say the study scientists, because we do not exercise enough. "But while smoking rates are declining, watching TV is not says Lennert Veerman, a researcher in the Australian study."



Don't forget that living a sedentary life style contributes to heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other health problems. The good news is that for every 15 minutes a day we work out, it adds up to three years to our life.

Nutritionists suggest that we eat based on the food pyramid which states that we should eat more fruits, whole grains and vegetables; in moderation, eat hard cheeses, Yogurt, lean meats, nuts and eggs; and consume less sugars, margarine, oils, and butter, although these are necessary, they should be eaten in sparingly.

Do not forget that what we eat affects our general health; stop eating processed meats, hot dogs, meats that are full of chemicals and nitrites used to enhance the color of the meats and prolong their shelve live; hamburgers that are saturated with fats, fried foods, sodas and excessive sodium and sugars.

Try eating more whole grains, vegetables, preferably frozen, they keep their nutrients longer than the "fresh" ones which are shipped to us from one place to another and by the time they to us, they have lost most of their nutritional value. Fruits, (but watch out for those that are high in sugar), eat more legumes and be very aware of your portions. Try reducing your plate by one third; do not take seconds, especially if your purpose is to lose weight.

Do not skip breakfast, it is the jump-starter of your metabolism, eat smaller meals several times a day to keep your metabolism working, if that is not your style, then have a mid-morning snack, and a mid-afternoon snack so that you are not starving at meal-time.



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