Are  all Calories Created Equal? A  Four year Study says, No Way!

Dr OZ, the Emmy winning heart surgeon, reports in the September, 2011 issue of Time Magazine that there is new research showing that all calories are not created equal. He shares a visual chart of a comparison of nuts versus French fried potatoes, all part of a large four year study that compares foods of equal calories looking at weight loss and weight gain. 

The results of eating fries versus nuts, in portions that equal in caloric content, were verydifferent in regards to how the body breaks each food down, how they were usedin the body, and the outcome of weight gained or weight lost by eating the twodifferent food groups. DR. Oz noted the following in his
chart.

Nuts take much longer to chew.
Nuts are loaded with good fats and fiber that need more time to break down in the body (more time means more calories burned). Because of the fat in the nuts your stomach stays full much longer, allowing you to go longer before your next meal and eat less.

 French Fries are basically cooked starch. 
 The fries are close to being totally broke down when you put them in your mouth. Once in the mount the starch causes a blood sugar boost, the insulin is called in to take care of the excess sugar which in turn causes hunger signals. You feel hungry so you eat your next meal early and more of it.


When the pounds were tallied, the group eating nuts lost 0.57 pounds. The group  eating the same number of calories in French Fries gained 3.35 pounds.

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 Oz,  Mehmet, the Oz Diet.” Time Magazine Special Nutrition Issue 12 September,  2011: 48-58.

Author: Nancy Merrifield RN, URMP, CCP
Life Solutions Wellness Coach.
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Tradition has encouraged us to engorge ourselves on holiday foods, decrease our exercise and  herald in the  New Year with lists of resolutions in an attempt to make up for our lack of self-control throughout the holiday season.   Ninety-five percent of those  resolutions are never accomplished and in
the end they go on the following year’s list. They become permanent fixtures on a perpetual New Year’s Resolution list that only gets longer.

I propose new  tactics. Suppose we veer from the flock and resolve to lose a few pounds in the  fall, prior to the holidays. If we can lose a few pounds in the fall months and  then maintain our weight through December, we would feel pretty good about our abilities of personal control, setting and achieving goals, and our capacity to keep a New Year’s resolution.

The holidays would require strategy. We would need to turn our focus toward making wise choices, a little easier to do knowing we have already lost a few autumn pounds.   As the holidays arrive, assess
your holiday traditions. Weed out the ones that are flat out, no getting  around it, unhealthy choices.  Alter others to where they are still  enjoyable but not solely focused on food and gaining weight. Begin by choosing to have only one or at least less than what your typical indulgence might be. If  you typically take five of your favorite cookies to eat in one sitting, take only two or choose not to make them this year, which is an even better idea. Forget the cookie swaps. Instead, make decorations, have gift wrapping or tree decorating parties. Take the family Christmas Caroling. Continue  with daily exercise, drink lots of water, be positive and perhaps in the end, even if all we accomplish is avoiding the holiday weight gain we will meet 2012 knowing we have accomplished something big  and that our goals are very achievable.

Wellness coaching is perfect  to get you through the holidays and  get you started on your 2012 goals. A  wellness coach helps you put a comfortable plan in place and then encourages you as you proceed towards goals of being fit and healthy. The pace is yours the coach is there for direction, support and 
accountability.

 The right kind of support, as reported by the American Psychology association, is vital to successful
achievement of lifestyle goals.

 A coach creates movement and forward momentum. Coaching establishes priorities and clarifies goals. Life Solutions Coaching brings out  the optimal you. Click for a Free Consult.

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