If you have tried several diets in the past, but failed to get the desired result, then may be you have been eating the wrong foods. At least that is what the report of a new study on how eating the right food can help you lose weight is saying.
The new study was conducted by researchers at Turfs (the Friedman School Nutrition Science & Policy).
The researchers analyzed 3 previous studies that were based on more than 16 years of follow-up among 120,000 adults. They focused on Glycemic load or content of particular foods.
For starters, the Glycemic Load (GL) of food is derived by multiplying the glycemic index (the food’s ability to produce blood glucose) by the carbohydrate content.
It is important to note that the higher the GL of any food, the higher its ability to make you gain weight.
What is the Study All About?
The researchers discovered that foods with high GL like refined grains, sugars and starch increases blood sugars levels and have the tendency to lead to type 2 diabetes.
According to Jessica Smith – one of the researcher:
“There is mounting scientific evidence that diets including less low-quality carbohydrates, such as white breads, potatoes, and sweets, and higher in protein-rich foods may be more efficient for weight loss. We wanted to know how that might apply to preventing weight gain in the first place.”
The study also found that increasing your intake of processed and red meat (big on GL) can lead to weight gain.
On the other hand the consumption of seafood, skinless chicken, nuts and yogurt leads to weight loss.
The most surprising part of the research findings is about the consumption of dairy products. According to Smith:
“The fat content of dairy products did not seem to be important for weight gain. In fact, when people consumed more low-fat dairy products, they actually increased their consumption of carbs, which may promote weight gain. This suggests that people compensate, over years, for the lower calories in low-fat dairy by increasing their carb intake.”
Furthermore, the research also found that combining the right foods also play a major role in helping you lose weight.
For instance, the report suggests that avoiding high GL foods helps foods that lead to weight loss work better, increasing your chances to lose more weight.
On the other hand, weight-neutral foods like egg and cheese seemed to make people gain weight when combined with high GL foods, but are found to lead to weight loss when combined with low GL foods.
According to Dariush Mozaffarian, a senior author of the report, “Some foods help prevent weight gain, others make it worse. Most interestingly, the combination of foods seems to make a big difference.”
So what this study is saying is that all calories are not created equal. In fact it implies that it is not about the amount of calories you consume, but the type of food you eat.
The lesson here basically is, you should eat low GL foods and avoid high GL foods if you want to lose weight.
Our Thoughts
The message of this report is not lost on us at all, we sure do agree with the study that eating the right combination of foods will help you lose weight.
However, the problem is not that people do not know that they should eat the right foods nor is it that they don’t really know which foods to eat in order to lose weight.
Rather the problem is, most people find it difficult to stick to eating these weigh loss foods for a long period of time.
This is because most of us see weight loss as a short term thing. Looking at the bigger picture and making a lifestyle change with the goal of becoming healthier will be a better approach instead of focusing on just losing weight and looking slimmer.
The truth is, eating right doesn’t only help you shed those extra pounds and achieve sustainable weight loss, it also helps to improve your health and general well-being.
[Check Out: Top 10 Weight Loss Foods For 2015]
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