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Obesity - The Proper Weight-Loss Diet

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For most of us, eating is one of the most satisfying things we do in our everyday lives. As a matter of fact, we have our favorite dishes, favorite drinks, and favorite fast foods which only prove that eating is one of our favorite activities. There's really nothing wrong with that since food, a primary necessity of man, is the one responsible for making us healthy, fit, and flexible to perform everyday tasks.

But improper intake of food might also do us no good. Yes, it makes us, but can also break us. Proper information about healthy eating should always be at hand so that certain illnesses can be prevented, and as for the case of obesity, can be treated through fat burning and losing weight.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition plays a great role in one's health. Before going through the suggested diet for losing weight, let us first take time to familiarize ourselves how healthy eating works. Below is the list and discussion of the different nutrition needed by the body to maintain healthy living.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate-rich foods are the primary source of energy needed by the body to perform different chores. Our body breaks down carbohydrates (or carbs) into fuel for use by the cells and muscles - that is why eating a moderate amount of carbohydrates is necessary for most people. There are two types of carbs: sugars and starches. Sugars are simple carbohydrates that can be easily digested by our body, while starches, on the other hand, are complex carbohydrates that take longer to be digested.

Many carbohydrate-rich foods are loaded with other nutrients. Fruits and vegetables are not only great carbohydrate sources; they're also excellent suppliers of vitamins A and C and many other vitamins and minerals. Most dairy products are also great sources of carbohydrates.

Sugar-rich foods: Cake, soda, candy, jellies, and fruits
Starch-rich foods: Breads, grains, pasta, tortillas, noodles, fruits and vegetables
Other carbohydrates-rich food: Fruits and vegetables, and most dairy products

Protein

Along with carbohydrates, our body needs protein - a nutrient made up of essential and non-essential amino acids - for good health. The human body manufactures 13 non-essential amino acids, which are not available from food. For the body to process protein properly, the foods that we eat must contain the 9 essential amino acids that are available only from dietary sources.

Protein helps to maintain and replace the tissues in the body. It is found in almost every living cell and fluid. Our muscles, organs and many of our hormones are made up of protein. It is also used in the manufacture of hemoglobin, the red blood cells that carry oxygen to our body. Protein is also used to produce antibodies that fight infections and diseases. Both children and adults need plenty of protein to grow and develop.

Proteins are considered either complete protein - which supplies enough essential amino acids - or incomplete proteins - which lacks adequate essential amino acids.

Protein-rich foods: Beef, poultry, lamb; fish and shellfish; dairy products, including cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt and milk; eggs, egg whites or egg substitutes; dry beans, peas, oats and legumes; tofu and soy products; nuts and seeds
Complete protein: Meat, eggs and dairy products
Incomplete protein: Vegetables, beans and other plant products

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds that help maintain normal body functions, such as reproduction, growth and cell repair. Our body cannot produce vitamins, so we need to obtain them from other sources. Most of the vitamins we need come from the food we eat, except for two: vitamin D, which the body acquires when exposed to sunlight, and vitamin K, which is made by the bacteria in our intestines. In addition to their presence in natural foods, vitamins can also be manufactured synthetically. Vitamin supplements may be available in tablet, capsules, or liquid form. These include:

    Vitamin A - affects the formation and maintenance of skin, mucus membranes, bones and teeth, vision, and reproduction. Vitamin A is found in milk, butter, cheese, egg yolk, liver, and fish-liver oil.
   Vitamin B Complex - are fragile, water-soluble substances, several of which are particularly important to carbohydrate metabolism. It is composed by vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B12 (cobalamin), folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin.
   Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) - important in the formation and maintenance of collagen, the protein that supports many body structures and plays a major role in the formation of bones and teeth. Sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, fresh strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, and guava. Good vegetable sources are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, spinach, kale, green peppers, cabbage, and turnips.
   Vitamin D - necessary for normal bone formation and for retention of calcium and phosphorus in the body. Also called the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is obtained from egg yolk, liver, tuna, and vitamin-D fortified milk.
   Vitamin E - plays some role in forming red blood cells and muscle and other tissues and in preventing the oxidation of vitamin A and fats. It is found in vegetable oils, wheat germ, liver, and leafy green vegetables.
   Vitamin K - necessary mainly for the coagulation of blood. The richest sources of vitamin K are alfalfa and fish livers, which are used in making concentrated preparations of this vitamin. Dietary sources include all leafy green vegetables, egg yolks, soybean oil, and liver.

Minerals

Minerals are small amounts of metallic elements that are vital for the healthy growth of teeth and bones. They also help in cellular activities such as enzyme action, muscle contraction, nerve reaction, and blood clotting. Mineral nutrients are classified as major elements (calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur) and trace elements (chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc).

Fats: To Consume or Not to Consume?

A common misconception in the area of food and nutrition is that fat is always bad. But is it really? We have already mentioned earlier that when more calories are eaten than the body needs, the body stores those additional calories as fat, causing subsequent weight gain. So, that's when fat becomes unwanted, eh?

Fat is the body's major energy storage system. When the energy from the food we eat and drink can't be used by our body, the body turns it into fat for later use. The body uses fat from foods for energy, to cushion organs and bones, and to make hormones and regulate blood pressure. Some fat is also necessary to maintain healthy skin, hair and nails. Thus, one should not eradicate all fat from his diet. But, also, too much fat can lead to many health problems such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes and more.

From above, we can entail that not all fats are created equal. There are the saturated fats - the unhealthy ones - and the unsaturated fats - the good and healthy ones.

Saturated Fat: Unhealthy Ones

Saturated fats, which are generally solid at room temperature, are the least healthy and tend to increase the level of cholesterol in our blood. Foods that contain saturated fat include butter, cheese, margarine, shortening, tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil, and the fats in meat and poultry skin. Consumption of these oils and foods should be limited. Otherwise, they may bring serious health diseases.

Unsaturated Fat: Healthy Ones

Unsaturated fats reduce blood cholesterol when they replace saturated fats in the diet. There are two types of unsaturated fat: monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fats have been shown to raise the level of HDL - the 'good' cholesterol that protects against heart attacks - in the blood, so in moderation they can be part of a healthy diet. This is why they are known as the good fats; although, consumption of these should also be given attention. Olive and canola oils, peanut butter and nuts are particularly high in monounsaturated fats.

Weight Loss Diets

Losing weight means losing body fat. And losing body fat means any of 2 ways: limiting the intake of high-fat foods or consuming fat-burning foods. Either of these ways will not only improve one's metabolism, but it will also allow him more food for his calorie expenditure because fats have more than twice the calories per gram as proteins (which contain 4 calories per gram) and carbohydrates.

Low-Fat Diet

A low-fat diet involves intake of food with little fat calories instead of those with high fat calories. This type of diet is more ideal to prevent someone from being obese. Thus, this is advisable for those who still do not suffer from obesity and want to avoid experiencing it. Most parents refer to this type of diet for their children due to fear that they might grow obese. Below is a diet suggestion for general good health or for dietary treatment. Foods are categorize according to low-fat (allowed to consume) and high-fat (prohibited to consume):

Fat-Burning Diet

Fat-burning diet is about burning unwanted fat calories that is stored in the body. Certain foods and eating habits can be used to accelerate fat-burning, either directly promoting the meltdown of the body's stored fats, or indirectly by modifying our energy use. These foods include:

  Protein-Rich Foods - significantly increase the metabolic rate (the pace at which we use food fuel), creating heat and burning many more calories than carbohydrates or fat

  Negative Calorie Foods - use up more calories to break down, digest, and assimilate them than they supply. Eating mainly negative calorie foods is said to reduce weight three times faster than fasting and to reduce body weight by an average of 0.5 kg (1 lb) a day.

  Low-GI (Glycaemic Index) Carbohydrate Foods - help us to burn up the food at our disposal rather than storing it as fat

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