A couple of years ago I had a patient come to our office. She was overweight and was trying to “eat healthier.” She stated that she was no longer drinking sodas or snacking on chips. Instead, she proudly showed us her 20-ounce bottle of juice and her snack of whole grain trail mix.
Was this really healthier eating? She was, in fact, consuming more calories than she had when she was eating chips and soda. Since she was already very overweight and was suffering from weight-related medical problems (high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes), this change in her eating habits (and increase in calories) only worsened her health.
So, how do we know if “healthy” foods are actually healthy for us?
First, you have to know that if you are overweight, losing weight is the most important thing you can do for your health. For example, blueberries are a very “healthy” food, rich in anti-oxidants and vitamins. They are thought to decrease the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer. But if you are overweight, simply eating blueberries is not nearly as helpful as losing 10 pounds, which will decrease your risk of heart disease and breast cancer much more significantly. It’s not that blueberries are bad for you; they just won’t improve your health as much as a little weight loss will.
It’s all about perspective.
So what “healthy” foods are really healthy for everyone? Foods that are high in fiber, high in vitamins and LOW IN CALORIES are truly healthy for everyone. These criteria are met primarily in fruits and vegetables. Don’t substitute fruit juice for whole fruit because juice simply concentrates the calories and doesn’t satisfy your hunger nearly as well.
The patient I told you about earlier could have traded her oversized bottle of juice for five medium oranges and consumed the same number of calories, yet she would have felt fuller eating the actual fruit. After eating five oranges, she would likely have been too full to eat her high calorie trail mix!
Also, lean meats such as baked skinless chicken breasts, broiled pork chops with the excess fat removed and fresh fish such as tilapia or salmon are also good ways to get the protein needed to keep muscle mass (and metabolism) in good shape. Limit processed foods (hot dogs, bologna), as they tend to be very high in sodium.
Posted by Dr. Caren Beasley on under