How to eat less but not be Hungry
Quality vs. Quantity
When it comes to burning fat, a lot of people focus solely on the volume of calories that they intake. But one key factor that they forget is that the quality of the calories really matters. The more nutritionally dense a food is, the fewer calories you will need to intake to satisfy your body.
Shampoo is the perfect example. Have you ever bought a really cheap shampoo? When you buy a shampoo that is mass produced, you usually need to load it into your hair to get any benefit at all. Even still, it plays a little benefit to your hair’s health. But when you buy a high-quality shampoo, you only need to use a small dime size. This dime size drop of shampoo lathers well and provides your hair with all of the nutrients it needs to thrive.
Calories work in much the same way. When you eat foods that are nutritionally dense, you can intake lesser calories, but still, receive all of the benefits of the vitamins and minerals you need. The idea we’re trying to get across here is that you should focus on the quality of the calorie, not the quantity of it.
Why is quality so important? When your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, it will continue to create cravings and make you hungry. This will be an ongoing cycle until you provide it with the nutrients that it does need. This is why eating processed foods and nutritionally weak meals do not satisfy your body or reduce your cravings. It is also why the majority of your meals should be focused on organic, nutritionally dense vegetables, complex carbohydrates, whole fruit, and protein.
Here’s the general rule: if a scientist makes it, we don’t eat it!
The only exception to this rule is our reboot or cheat meal. And again, eat your food, don’t drink it – unless you are juicing.
And did you know that while fresh fruits and vegetables are awesome, so are frozen ones? In fact, research has shown that frozen fruits & vegetables can be more nutritionally dense than fresh fruit & vegetables because they are immediately frozen after being picked. In return, nutrients are locked in and are not exposed to the elements within the grocery store. After all, you have no idea how long ago those strawberries were picked!
What benefits do high-quality foods provide?
• They are loaded with antioxidants that help to keep our immune systems in good working order.
• They are high in fiber, which helps to regulate bowel movements and makes you feel full for longer
• They reduce your risk of serious diseases like cancer and diabetes.
• They have fewer chemicals, additives, and preservatives that can do severe damage to both our bodies and minds.
We can get all of these benefits from the calories we find in fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates. But don’t fool yourself, 500 calories from a bowl of ice cream are very different than 500 calories from a bowl of vegetables and chicken. Calories that are low in nutritional content (like those in a bowl of ice cream) are referred to as “empty calories”. How do you know if you are eating empty calories? Just look at the labels. Anything with added sugars or solid fats (such as those found in butter and shortenings) are empty calories. They taste great, but they don’t provide our bodies with any nutritional value. We’re only eating them because they taste good.
So the next time you are making your grocery list, you don’t necessarily need to focus on foods that are low in calories, you just need to make sure that the calories you are eating count!
Look Forward in Sending our next Article on how to eat for a lifetime!
In Health
No Excuse Fitness
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