Weight Loss and Wellness

The five foods that cause the most weight gain are:

1. White bread, white pasta and other processed carbohydrates
2. Ice cream, cookies, brownies, donuts and other desserts
3. Soda & fruit juices
4. French fries, chips and other fried foods
5. Fast food

   What do they all have in common? They are all processed foods - they have been created by man to taste good. They contain high levels of salt, sugar and/or fat that cause cravings. Because they are engineered to taste good and are dense in calories, they are also extremely easy to overeat.

   While you may not have ever craved all of these foods, I’m sure that you can find one that causes your mouth to water. Is it the ‘ice cold Coke’, chips, cookies, the bread basket or a big plate of pasta at your favorite restaurant? And once you start with your favorite food, you may find it hard to stop. Ever find yourself eating a whole row of cookies when you know that you should stop at 2 or 3?

Rarely will you find a natural food that causes this level of craving. When was the last time you had an uncontrolled desire to eat spinach, broccoli or carrots? How about raw nuts or fruits? Broiled/baked chicken or fish? If you’re like most people, it may take you a while to answer that question.

   Even though natural foods like beef and pork can cause some people to salivate, they are much harder to overeat than ice cream. Since they are not processed, they take more time to chew. Your body needs more time to digest them and since they don’t cause a huge sugar spike in your blood, you stay full longer. But because they are high in fat, limit your intake of them to a small portion once a week rather than everyday.

   If you want to truly lose weight and keep it off, minimize processed foods and shift your diet towards whole foods such as fresh vegetables, legumes, raw nuts, fruits, fish and chicken. The less you eat processed foods, the less your cravings become and the easier it becomes to lose weight.