weight control pack

8/9/2019 Weight Control Pack

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Weight Control Pack

This Packet contains a total of 5 articles.

1. “Why Eat To Live? – Basics” – Joel Fuhrman, M.D. (pg. 1)

2. “Eating To Live… Simplified” – Joel Fuhrman, M.D. (pg. 11)

3. “Ways To Cut The Excess Fat From Your Diet” – Jeff Novick, M.S., R.D. (pg. 13)

4. “Breaking Bad Habits” – Joel Fuhrman, M.D. (pg. 15)

5. “Keeping The Weight Off” – Jeff Novick, M.S., R.D. (pg. 17)

If you have any questions or would like to view more of our resources (books,

videos, audio tapes) please call (800) 264-2565 extension #2911 or visit our website

www.ccmhi.org



Why Eat to Live?- BasicsBy Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Your diet is the principle building block of your health. Your body uses the foods that you eat to build and repair itself. When you compromise your diet; youundermine your future health. One of the purposes of this Web site is to educate you on how to takecharge and maximize your health potential.

The body is composed of fat and lean tissue. Body composition is one of most important factors incontrolling the aging process and restoring vitality. Studies have shown that excess fat in the waistlinedirectly translates in a statistically significant reduction in lifespan.

Exercise is essential, but diet is the key for limiting excess fat tissue. The problem with telling people theyneed to exercise more is that in their present state of health they are not capable of sustaining orenjoying sufficient exercise. Many need to lose weight and get healthier so that they are able to enjoy

activity and exercise. The ability to maintain the level of physical activity necessary for ideal health isdependent to a degree on overall sense of well being. The first step is to get healthy with superiornutrition and to incorporate more and more exercise later as your weight drops, and you are feelingbetter.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) 60% of Americans are overweight. This is the highest number in human history. Being overweight is not just a cosmetic issue. Extra weight leads to an earlier death, as many medical studies confirm. Overweight individuals

are more likely to die from all diseases, especially heart disease and cancer. The main point is this – if you follow a diet that does not cause cancer and heart disease, you automatically become thin. The healthy weight is a by-product of eating such a healthy diet.

Though many accept that disease is the result of genetics or luck, the reality for the vast majority is thatwe bear responsibility for our dietary choices. Nutrition, exercise and environment simply overwhelmgenetics. For example, those living in rural China have less than 2% heart disease risk, but when theymove to America their children have the same dismal statistics as other Americans. Over Fifty percent of Americans die of heart attacks and strokes.

You cannot escape from the biological law of cause and effect. Food choices are the largest cause of disease and premature death. Health results from healthy living.

Phytochemicals and anti-oxidant nutrients are essential, not optional. More than 12,000 recently identified phytochemical nutrients in natural (unprocessed) plant foods hasgenerated excitement in the scientific community unparalleled since the first vitamin was discovered in

the early 1900's. These compounds work synergistically to detoxify cancer-causing compounds,deactivate free radicals and enable DNA repair mechanisms. These 12,000 or so phytochemicals also playa major role in human immune system defenses.

When these phytochemicals are missing, the outcome is even more spectacular - a nation of diseasedchildren and adults. From arthritis to depression, the lack of these phytonutrients, which are only found infresh fruits, vegetables, beans and raw nuts, have an inevitable consequence—chronic disease.



Effects of Typical American Diet

• Excessive Weight Gain• Hardening of Arteries• LDL Cholesterol Increase• Toxicosis• Malnutrition

• Americans eat about 40 percent of calories from animal products and 50 percent of calories fromprocessed foods such as oil, sugar and white flour products.

• Neither animal products nor processed foods contain antioxidants, bioflavonoids, caratenoids,folate, vitamin C, vitamin K or those thousands of phytochemicals that are essential for cellularnormalcy.

• Most of the animal products consumed such as cheese and milk are exceptionally high insaturated fat. Saturated fat intake correlates with cancer incidence worldwide.

• Consumption of excess animal products raises cholesterol and causes heart disease. To add insultto injury, much of the processed foods eaten are rich in trans-fat, a man-made fat that is alsolinked to cancer and heart disease.

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A Needless Tragedy

Americans eat a high saturated fat, high trans-fat diet, with a restricted intake of unrefined plant foods,guaranteeing photochemical deprivation. We could not have designed a better cancer causing, heartattack-causing environment more effectively if we scientifically planned it. The result of our nation’s foodchoices is a country with high levels or chronic illnesses, and whose health care costs have spiraled out of

control, primarily as a result of inferior nutrition.

The vast majority of Americans have significant life, threatening risk factors related to excess body fatand malnutrition. Over 80% will ultimately die from one or more of these risk factors.

The Good News

Advances in nutritional and health sciences have given us an unprecedented opportunity to be healthier,to live longer than ever before, to disease-proof our body and to add many quality years to our lives. Thisis what Eat To Live is all about.

Eating large quantities of high-nutrient foods is the secret to optimal health, disease prevention and

maintaining a healthy, slim waistline. This is the only way to lose weight permanently, in a healthfulmanner.

Anything else, like magic drinks, fat binding pills, energy boosters, herbal picker-upper and those cancer-causing high protein diets, is an insult to our intelligence. Instead of looking for magic, commit yourself to a new, healthy you.

Most diseases, which are often born from obesity, are effectively treated through nutritional means and,in many cases, are completely reversed through aggressive nutritional intervention.

If you desire to throw away your medication and recover from chronic illnesses such as heart disease,high blood pressure and diabetes, (all examples of common illnesses that are more effectively treated

with nutritional intervention than drugs or surgery), while getting slim, then the Eat To Live lifestyle is themost effective approach. Uncovering the cause, when possible, rather than covering up symptoms withmedications, always results in a more favorable outcome. Eat To Live maximizes nutrients and minimizescalories in order to make us disease resistant. Countless studies have shown the relationship betweennutrition and calories and your longevity and health potential. The majority of Americans ultimately diefrom their nutritional extravagances.

This program is for those who will not be satisfied with mediocrity, for those who are looking to stay welland maintain their youthful vigor, free of the chronic diseases that plague Americans. To live longer andlive well, Eat To Live .



Eat To Live

EAT TO LIVE Restores Health, Reverses Disease and Delays Aging

• Normalizes weight.• Gradually reduces calcified plaque (atherosclerosis) by 5 – 10% per year.• Reduces LDL cholesterol.• Permits detoxification.• High in nutrients.

This science and logic behind Eat To Live is easy to understand. Those advocating special foods, specialproducts, hidden knowledge, pills, potions, magic, or even ethical, religious or animal rights agendasoften skew facts.

Eat To Live is not based on narrow or obscure scientific principles. Dr. Fuhrman applied the findings of thousands of scientific studies to develop this plan. The result is an opportunity, unprecedented in human

history, to achieve superior health with a comprehensive program based on the nutrient density of foods.

Nutrient Density: The Real Fountain of Youth

Excess Calories and Nutrient Deficiency is the leading cause of disease

Your diet is the cornestone of your health. At the end of the day all that matters is the number of caloriesand the amount of nutrients that you have ingested. The combination of lowering calories and increasingnutrition is a combination punch that will prevent disease, dramatically slow the aging process and helpus to live longer, more youthful lives! These concepts are distilled into Dr. Fuhrman's simple HealthEquation. The Health Equation describes Nutrient Density. Forget Calories and start analyzing the nutrientdensity of the foods that you eat.

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Macronutrients the source of all Calories Macronutrients are the nutrients that contain calories, thereby supplying us with energy.

Micronutrients- the basis for Superior Nutrition

Micronutrients are those nutrients that don't contain calories, but have other essential roles to play.Examples of some micronutrients are vitamins, minerals and fiber. There are thousands of them.

My health equation simply states that in order to maintain superior health and a youthful vigor into lateryears we must maximize micronutrients as we minimize macronutrients. In other words eat as manymicronutrients as you can for each calorie of macronutrient. To do this we must eat less fat, less proteinand less carbohydrate as we increase our consumption of high nutrient foods.



The foundation of nutritional science is this simple formula:

Health = Nutrients / Calories (H = N / C)

This concept describes the nutrient density of your diet. The key to both longevity and maintaining ahealthy weight is to eat predominantly those foods that have a high proportion of nutrients (non-caloric

food factors) compared to calories.

We do not want to be deficient in any macronutrient. However, consuming more of any one of thesethree macronutrients than we need can have detrimental effects on our long term health. Protein, Fatand Carbohydrate are the only macronutrients that exist. All calories consist of one of these threemacronutrients. If you are overweight, you have consumed more calories than you have utilized.Micromanaging the percent of fat, protein or carbohydrate isn't going to change the amount of caloriesmuch. You need to consume fewer calories. Therefore, almost all overweight individuals need to consumeless protein, less fat and less carbohydrates; the source of calories. Don't worry about not consumingenough. Unless you are anorexic, it is very rare to find an American deficient in fat, protein orcarbohydrates. Inhabitants of modern western societies generally consume more macronutrients thanneeded.

Are micronutrients in our diet really that important? Could we just take a vitamin pill and eat a low nutrient diet and do almost just as well? The answer thatyou will come to understand is that micronutrient intake is the most crucial factor that determines ourhealth and that optimal micronutrient intake can only be achieved if we eat a relatively large quantity of non-starchy vegetables. Non-starchy vegetables contain the most nutrients per calorie of any other food.They also contain large amounts of not yet named compounds (phytochemicals) essential for maximizinghealth and preventing disease. Keep in mind that micronutrients include many that have not yet beendiscovered. New nutrients are being discovered all of the time. The incredible nutrient density of non-starchy vegetables and their ability to promote health and reduce our caloric drive is one of the secrets toEat To Live and a long, healthy life.

Calories - Less is More There are very few things in science that are proven. By "proven" I mean that every study performed onthe subject, has always shown the same thing, and shown it convincingly. There is only one proven wayto extend lifespan and retard aging.

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Here it is:

When you feed an animal (and that can be an animal of any species) less food in a high or at leastadequate micronutrient environment it will live considerably longer. The thinnest animals always out livethe ones that are heavier. This has also been confirmed with studies on humans, the thinnest of us, livethe longest.

Scientists have known for over sixty (60) years that if you reduce caloric intake below a certain set pointwhile maintaining adequate nutrition you can extend life. This experiment has been performed onnumerous species, including primates (we are primates too). In each case, the average animal lifespanwas increased 25 – 50 percent. Reducing calories not only extends life it delays the onset of old age. Youliterally live younger longer. In all clinical studies published to date, animals fed reduced calorie dietswere also more disease resistant. Evidence for increased lifespan by caloric restriction is enormous andirrefutable. Calorically-restricted animals are not only more cancer resistant, but oxidative stress isinhibited and youthful features of young tissue are retained with aging.

What is clear is that health and longevity are inversely proportional to caloric intake. Calorie reduction isthe closest thing that science has to a fountain of youth. Typical studies suggest that you would have to

reduce calories by about 30% to achieve significant life-extending benefits. This means that someonewho would normally require 2200 Calories would need to reduce intake to around 1600 calories in orderto achieve life-extending benefits.

However, it must be noted that if one eats less food that is low or deficient in nutrients and as a resultconsumes less calories in a low nutrient environment, diseases will appear that will destroy the dramaticeffects of caloric restriction.

The leading causes of death, heart disease and cancer, simply would not occur in a population eating adiet with a high nutrient density. In order to accomplish the powerful and proven health benefits we musteat foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories. One purpose of the book Eat To Live is todelineate those foods that are highest in nutrients per calorie so we can eat more of them. The only wayto comfortably and enjoyably eat more nutrients and less calories simultaneously is to eat more of thesefilling, high nutrient foods that will inhibit our desire to overeat.

Excess calories are toxic to all animals, including us humans. They promote the parameters of aging andthe development of disease. This is especially true of "unsupported calories." Unsupported calories,means empty calories. When we consume calories without an accompanying nutrient load, it puts amajor stress on the body, and promotes cellular aging. The ability of each cell to maintain internalcleanliness and prevent degeneration or aging is dependent on fueling its functions with an assortment of nutrients, including anti-oxidants and phytochemicals. .

Is Calorie Reduction Practical?

You might be thinking: "Are you kidding me, you want me to go around hungry all the time?"

Until now, the problem with this generally accepted viewpoint is that it was thought to be too difficult tosufficiently control our intake of food in order to benefit from caloric reduction. The beauty of the Eat To Live approach is we can accomplish superior nutrition, and optimize the nutrient per calorie density of ourdiet without deprivation or denial. When we fill ourselves up with great tasting high nutrient food it shutsdown our drive to overeat. A body deprived of vital micronutrients will continue to seek food. A body fullof high nutrient food will be satisfied with fewer calories. It will happen naturally and you won't even beaware of it. The result of consuming large volume of great tasting dishes that are high in nutrients, fiber,volume, but naturally lower in calories will reduce your drive to overeat.

Many people consuming the typical American Diet can't get enough to eat with 3000 calories per day.The typical American meal is extremely low in fiber, nutrients and volume and extremely high in calories.

With a low-nutrient diet you may fill up on calories but your body will continue to crave food in order to



satisfy the need for nutrients. It is no wonder that the message of calorie reduction is discouraging to somany; especially those with a lifelong weight struggle.

For most, calorie reduction may seem impractical and out of reach. If that describes you, you will beexcited by tutorial # 3 to follow. If you have failed with trying to cut back on portions and eat less in thepast, you will find that this information will help you understand why that didn't work for you and how

you can rid yourself of food craving and food addiction. You will enjoy eating lots of great tasting high-nutrient/low calorie food that will satisfy your urge to eat while you dramatically lower your caloric intake.

Phytochemicals & Antioxidants; Reverse cellular damage One category of micronutrients is the powerful phytochemical (other micronutrients are vitamins andminerals). Phytochemicals are plant derived compounds with antioxidant potential. These compounds aidour cellular detoxification and self-repair mechanisms; they have been shown to have powerful healingproperties. Powered by solar energy, plants draw nutrients from the earth and convert these to a set of compounds still not well understood by modern science. What is now clear is that these naturallyproduced phytochemicals are necessary to protect us from toxic damage. Without a sufficient quantityand diversity of them cancer can flourish.

Phytochemicals are nature's medicine chest. They have the remarkable ability to actually reverse cellulardamage. The body is continuously subjected to stresses which age us and wear us down on a cellularlevel. Phytochemicals repair our bodies from the inside out. Without sufficient quantity and diversity of phytochemicals we age faster and are vulnerable to the common diseases of aging.

For superior health and your ideal weight A health promoting diet must be high in nutrients (more precisely micronutrients), high in volume (fiber)and low in calories. Green vegetables, non- starchy vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms,peppers, onions) beans and fruit are all rich in phytochemicals and are low enough in calories to begranted the unlimited award. Their nutrient density is high enough (n/c ratio) and their bulk is high

enough so that it becomes impossible to consume too many calories from them. Because greenvegetables are so powerfully rich in micronutrients and low in calories, by eating large volumes of thesewe increase our micronutrient intake without increasing our calories.

For example, lettuce is exceptionally low in calories and contains over 90% water. Dark lettuce leaves arerich in phytochemicals, bioflavonoids, folate and contain a complete balance of carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lycopein as well as vitamin C, K, E, potassium. Leafy greens also contain omega-3 fattyacids, but it is so low in calories that the more of it you consume the more weight you will lose.

The ideal diet consists of lots of green vegetables and a variety of other whole foods, such as fruits,seeds and nuts. Foods like lettuces are extremely low in calories and contain significant micronutrients;they should be eaten in high quantity. These foods have been designated as unlimited in the menu planssimply because they are virtually impossible to overeat.

The most important measure of a food is not absolute calories or fat content. The most importantmeasure of a food is nutrient density. Understanding and selecting foods based on nutrient density willallow you to take control of your own health. People seeking good health and longevity will make everycalorie count choosing to design menus and meals with higher nutrient foods. Those indifferent abouttheir health will squander calories on extravagant high-calorie/low nutrient fare. The following chartshows the relative nutrient densities of foods. Select foods from top down.

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Malnutrition is the primary cause of all commonly experienced diseases. Modern health care and the future of medicine involves utilizing science to understand disease causationand prevent illness before it occurs. Even infectious diseases are powerfully modulated by environmentaland nutritional factors. For example, if tuberculosis was caused merely by infection the disease wouldhave spread to all living and be highly prevalent. The facts are that an exposure is readily resisted bymost people and disease is experienced in only a select few. Furthermore, an attack of infection is more

likely to be severe and even fatal in a malnourished or otherwise immuno-compromised person. Theninfectious disease almost always makes co-existing malnutrition even worse.

This relationship between diet and infection has been written about and studied extensively. In 1945 thehigh incidence of tuberculosis among cadets at a Navel Academy was halted in its tracks by fortifying thediet with fruits and vegetables. Of interest was that prior attempts at reducing the infection rate withseparate housing and hygiene did nothing. Many studies have replicated this observation. Both viral andbacterial infections have shown this same pattern. Superior nutrition protects and even those infected aremore mildly affected. Both deficiencies and excesses have been shown to lower resistance to all types of illnesses.

We now have an epidemic of the malnourished overweight in modern society; an unusual occurrence in

the history of the human race that is overburdening our economic resources and creating a sicker lessproductive population with a diminished work capacity. Such human suffering is even more tragic as it isunnecessary and preventable.

There is increasing experimental evidence that excessive calories significantly lower resistance to disease.This was clearly observed in the early part of this century when the polio epidemic was at its peak as itwas most prevalent and severe in the highly developed countries. We see the same thing with theincidence of autoimmune illnesses today; lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis,scleroderma, ulcerative colitis, asthma, allergies and many more occur predominantly in countriesconsuming high calorie diets that are rich in animal products and refined foods and low in protectivevegetation.



The nutritionally induced determinants of synergistic host defenses involve but are not limited to:

1. The reduced ability of the host to form specific antibodies2. Decreased activity and effectiveness of macrophages and microphages3. Lack of adequate production on non-specific protective biochemical substances4. Alterations in tissue integrity and delivery of oxygen and functional nutrients to vulnerable tissues

5. Diminished organ function, reducing capacity to remove waste products, toxins6. Abnormal inflammatory response, with both deficient and excessive production of inflammatory

mediators7. Alterations in host flora, involving presence of pathogenic organisms and inadequate symbiotic

microbes.

From the high occurrence of ear infections in our children, to acne, autoimmune illnesses, allergies,digestive complaints and headaches in early adult life, we visit physicians and receive toxic medicationwhich further impeding our delicate but protective immune defenses, placing ourselves more readilyvulnerable to future illness. Another option exists. That option is superior nutrition to prevent disease.

Preoccupation of public health officials and physicians with treating and attempting to kill microbes and

ignoring host resistance has kept medicine in what I consider a dark episode in the history of healthcare,where we have not lived up to our potential to utilize modern knowledge to prevent common medicaltragedies that occur every day throughout America.

We are faced today with an epidemic of autoimmune illnesses, allergies, obesity, cancer and heartdisease; these diseases are born of nutritional ignorance and are unnecessary. I insist we have anunprecedented opportunity in human history to take advantage of modern food transportation methods,modern plumbing and refrigeration and excellent emergency medical care to offer our population thechance to life a long healthy life, prolonging our youthful vigor, free of common illnesses that havecreated our overburdened health care crisis. I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity. Yourhealth is your greatest asset and is the foundation of your future happiness.

EAT TO LIVE is built around the concept of nutrient density. By joining our online support center you

have taken the first step. You can begin investing in your present and future health with your very nextbite. We will help you to apply this knowledge to take control of your health. By applying the principle of nutrient density and the other principles described on this site you will be able to choose to eat morenutrient dense foods and less low nutrient food that will help you achieve your precise goals.

When you eat sufficient amounts of high nutrient food your body will regain normal function. That normalfunction will have you feel well, sleep soundly, think clearly, and rejuvenate your taste to make you enjoyfood more than ever before. Let's continue on about the concept of hunger, food addiction and appetitecontrol in the next section. The beauty of eating so many nutrients per calorie is that it will not only helpyou achieve excellent health and freedom from disease, but you will NOT have to go hungry, you willenjoy eating substantial portions of great tasting food and will not have to count calories.

Three Simple Rules for Health Excellence

Rule Number One: Avoid concentrated calories, excess nutrients and refined foods. These include sugar, salt, white flour,oils, cheese and butter and margarines.

Rule Number Two:Eat whole foods, raw, steamed or made into soup. Eat as many vegetables as possible; they should formthe cornerstone of your diet.

Rule Number Three:Eat lot of fresh fruit, especially berries.

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Eating to Live...Simplified

Choosing foods based on nutrient density will help maximize your health and weight loss!

By Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

If you are reading this newsletter, it is likely you already know a lot about the relationship between what

you eat and your health. It is likely you are already attempting to eat differently from those around youin our society. It is also likely you are not 100 percent perfect, but youare still trying and still doing much better than most people.

You are not alone. Not only are thousands of people from around the globe now utilizing the dietaryprinciples in Eat To Live, but millions of enlightened individuals who have never read the book have heardabout the science that supports the principles it describes. Millions are trying to increase theirconsumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, while at the same time reducing their intake of processed foods and animal products.

Categories of foods

Foods eaten today can be divided into three categories Animal Products (AP), Processed Foods (PF), andUnprocessed Plant Foods (UPF). The key component of the lifestyle that I call Eat To Live is the reducedconsumption of both AP and PF and the increased consumption of UPF.

As you know, to build superior health, your diet should be predominately UPF. But did you know that, inaddition, the largest portion (by volume) of your diet should be those UPF foods that have the highestnutrient-per-calorie density? The Unrefined Plant Foods (UPF) categorycan be divided into six specific subcategories, and these subcategories can be ranked by theirapproximate nutrient-per-calorie density.

Nutrients per calorie

These UPF subcategories are ranked from highest to lowest in nutrient-per-calorie density.

1. Green and other Low-Starch Vegetables 2. Beans or Legumes 3. Fresh Fruit

4. Nuts/Seeds/Avocado 5. Starchy Vegetables (mostly Root Vegetables) 6. Grains

As you can see, to achieve the highest nutritional excellence, youneed to eat many more servings of green and other low-starch vegetables, beans, and fresh fruit thanstarchy vegetables and grains.

For maximizing nutritional diversity and disease-resistance, your daily goals should include:

• 5 servings of fresh fruit • 5 servings of vegetables (both raw and cooked) • 1 serving of raw nuts or seeds • 1 serving of beans

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Optimal recommendations

My dietary recommendations are different from virtually all other diets, and it is important to understandthe differences. Popular high protein diets marketed for weight loss are meat based or chicken based.The USDA recommended diet is grain based. The most popular vegetarian diets are also potato/ grainbased. Raw food diets are mostly fruit and nut based.

By contrast, Eat To Live is vegetable/bean/fruit/nut-based, with an emphasis on a high volume of greenvegetables and soups containing greens and beans. It has powerful disease reversal properties, issatisfying, and dramatically lowers body weight and cholesterol. It is the optimaldiet for those fortunate enough to be well informed.

Nutrient Density of Foods

Indicating the frequency with which various foods should be eaten

Unlimited Quantities:- Green vegetables- All-raw vegetables

- Non-starchy cooked vegetables- Beans and legumes- Fresh fruit

Limited Quantities Daily:- Cooked starchy vegetables- Whole grains- Raw nuts, seeds, and avocado

Limited Quantities Weekly:- Fish*- Fat-free dairy

- Wild meats and fowl- Eggs

Rarely: - Red meat- Refined grains- Full-fat dairy/cheese- Refined oils/sweets

*Note: Fish contains high levels of mercury.

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Ways to Cut the ExcessFat from Your DietThese Simple Tips Are Great RemindersFor You, Family, And Friends

By Jeff Novick, M.S., R.D.

In last month's newsletter, Idescribed many of the reasons whythe number of overweight and obeseAmericans has skyrocketed. The sadtruth is that Americans are eating asmuch, if not more, fat than everbefore-because we now eat morecalories than ever before.

Although most people think that ahealthful diet should contain about30 percent fat, well-informed people(like readers of this newsletter) know

that a healthy goal is to have nomore than 15-20 percent of yourtotal calories from fat. Even if youhave already transformed your diet,the following tips will be a big help tofamily members and friends who arejust starting.

Fruits and Veggies Are Best

Keeping the percentage of fat in yourdiet in the healthful range is

relatively easy if your diet is basedprimarily on fresh fruits andvegetables, whole grains, and

legumes. Ninety percent of the fat inthe American diet comes from meat,fish, poultry, dairy products, eggs,oils, and shortening. If you eliminatethese items from your diet-ordramatically reduce their intake-youare well on your way toward ahealthful low-fat diet.

If you still eat meat, fish, or poultry,limit it to 3-4 ounces of the leanestcuts, once or twice per week.Likewise, limit your intake of dairy tonon-fat dairy products and to nomore than one serving per day.Better yet, try substituting fat-free orlow-fat soy for skim milk.

Read Labels Carefully

In the next issue, I will present anin-depth exposé on misleading foodlabeling. But for now, remember thissimple rule – regardless of what the packaging says , a food is only “low-fat” if the percentage of caloriesfrom fat is less than 20 percent.

Here’s the easiest way to figure out if a food qualifies as “low-fat.” Look onthe Nutrition Facts label and find thenumber of “calories per serving” (180, for example), drop the lastdigit (the zero in our example), andmultiply the remaining number by

two (18 x 2 = 36). If the “caloriesfrom fat” number is lower, you’veyourself a low-fat food.

Is the food analyzed on Label A (below) a low-fat food? Let’s do tmath. The “calories per serving” a120. Use our formula (drop the ze

multiply 12 x 2 = 24) and comparthe result to the “calories from faton the label (15). This is a low-fatfood.

Dirty Rotten Liars?

Believe it or not, the “health” fooddescribed by Labels B, C, and D aconsidered low-fat foods by mostpeople. But when you do the mayou find out that they are high-fat

foods. Label B is 29 percent fat.Label C is 42 percent fat. Astonishingly, the packaging for thfood described by Label D claimsthat it is “99% fat free.” But whenyou do the math, you will find thais 66 percent fat.

Next month you’ll learn more aboumisleading labels. But you can stalowering your fat intake today,simply by reading labels and doingthe math. (If you hate math, justavoid the foods that need to belabeled!)

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Keeping Weight Off

By Jeff Novick, M.S., R.D.

According to a new study by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, people who lose weight are more likely tokeep the weight off permanently if they eat a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, withsmaller portions of lean meat, poultry, and seafood. (It should be noted that in addition to helping peoplekeep the extra weight off, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are also the most healthful foods.) Theresearchers collected data from the USDA’s Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals 1994-1996,which included reported food consumption information from 10,014 adults nationwide who were on diets.For the study, the researchers divided these people into four groups based on the amount of carbohydrate they ate daily—Group one: less than 30 percent of calories; Group two: 30-45 percent;Group three: 45-55 percent; and Group four: more than 55 percent. Those whose diets consisted of morethan 55 percent carbohydrates ate about 200 fewer calories per day while eating the same amount of food as the others. This group’s average daily calorie intake was 1,840 compared with the 2,031 calorieseaten daily by those whose diets were less than 30 percent carbohydrates. In addition to boasting thelowest Body Mass Index (BMI) and lower caloric intake, the high-carbohydrate group also ate the most

nutritious diet. It turns out that the high carbohydrate group ate more fruit. Also, one of their strategieswas to choose foods that were high in water content and high in dietary fiber, and foods that were low infat. This way, they were able to eat more food (by volume), without increasing their caloric intake.

A note of interest: People in all groups consumed about 10-14 percent of their daily calories from caloricbeverages, including alcohol, soft drinks, and fruit juices. Your body doesn’t register liquid calories thesame way it does solid calories. They don’t fill you up as if you had consumed the same amount of calories in the form of food. So, cutting out those caloric beverages might be a great way for you to cutout some extra calories.

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