CARBS VS. FAT, OR PERHAPS SOMETHING ELSE
Recently I was taking a look at a vending machine to see if there were any worthwhile snacks in it. Considering the shelf life of the treats (which is probably much longer than the date stamped on the package) I figured there wasn’t much that was worthwhile in there. After all, I once heard a nutritionist say “if it doesn’t rot or sprout, throw it out,” referring to all of the unhealthy processed foods and the additives that come with them.
What I saw in the machine made me chuckle. (At least I got a little stress relief from it.) Before me was a package of fried pork rinds. The label proclaimed: “Zero net carbs per serving”. Wow, give me some of those! What was even more interesting was the package of pretzels nearby. The package on these little carb-filled gems stated: “Fat Free”. So the question is: Is it best to go with the solid-fat-no-carb snack, or the fat-free-full-carb snack. Surely the marketing experts know what they are talking about, right? No wonder obesity is still on the rise.
When we look at the physical and psychological aspect of weight management, the more important ingredient is actually protein. This is because protein has the highest satiation effect and the highest thermic effect. In other words, protein is the best at satisfying hunger and helps us to feel more full.
In addition, the thermic effect has to do with the amount of energy the body uses to digest the high-protein food. When you eat protein, your body uses more energy to digest it than it uses to digest fats and carbs.
If you consider that fat is stored energy, you actually burn more fat when you eat proteins.
However, always keep in mind the following: Everything in moderation. Too much of anything can be detrimental to your health, so there is no need to go overboard with the protein. And, we can’t expect ourselves to eat “perfectly” all of the time. But above all, never neglect the mind-body-soul connection for permanent weight balance.
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