Weight Loss – Organic Foods, Pros and Cons
Much of the writing on diet and Nutrition is more than just informational. It often veers into the realm of values and ethics, recommendations about what you should (or should not) do. Nowhere is this more evident than in discussions of organic food. But, while advocates can reasonably debate the pros and cons of an organic food lifestyle, it’s beneficial not to lose sight of the objective science that can support either view.
What Is Organic Food?
In one sense, the phrase ‘organic food’ is redundant. If it isn’t organic (in the sense that science uses that term: a compound based on carbon) it isn’t food. Clearly, something else is meant by ‘organic’, in this case.
The generally agreed-on definition is: food grown and marketed without man-made chemicals, such as certain types of pesticides, or ones that don’t contain artificial preservatives.
But given how pesticides and preservatives are made today – from a wide range of substances often found in raw nature – the line is a little fuzzy. Many pesticides, for example, are extracts of plants that contain chemicals that naturally fight insect invasion. Nevertheless, it’s reasonable to regard organic food as that grown substantially without a wide range of inorganic pesticides and preservatives used in mass-scale food production.
Is It Better?
Organic food is generally more expensive, anywhere from 50-100% more in most cases. For those who place a high value on the purity and healthfulness of what they consume, it may well be worth the difference. But is organic food actually purer or healthier?
Unfortunately, there is no single correct answer that applies to all organic (or non-organic) food available on the market today.
Some organic farms take great care to ensure that their food is grown to maximize nutrients, minimize harmful compounds and is delivered fresh. Others may use manure as fertilizer that can introduce E. Coli bacteria into the food that can only be destroyed by cooking.
Organic food producers often tout the lack of pesticides used as proof that their food is healthier than that produced by large industrial farms. And, indeed, that can be true. Thousands of reliable studies done over decades show that high levels of inorganic compounds found in some pesticides increase the risk of a variety of cancers.
But it’s also true that the USDA has set levels for allowable concentrations of pesticide residue in food sold to the public. There is no evidence that, at the concentrations allowed (and frequently measured for compliance), there are harmful health effects. All food sold, ‘inorganic’ and ‘organic’, must meet stringent criteria before it can be legally sold to the public.
Apart from potential toxin levels, are there differences in the Nutrition levels of inorganic versus organic food? There, the jury is even more mixed.
A French study that analyzed 12 different foods showed that organic foods contained higher quantities of Vitamins A, B-complex, C, E and essential minerals such as zinc and calcium. Another recent study published in the Journal of Applied Nutrition had similar results. Mineral content of organic apples, pears and others had lower levels of heavy metals than those grown by non-organic methods.
Yet processed food is often fortified with vitamins that the ‘natural’ food may lack to some degree. Cereals are a case in point. Commercially produced orange juice is another.
If the level of nutrients in both types is high enough that any excess is discarded by the body, and the level of toxins low enough to cause no harm, does it matter? All foods that aren’t spoiled carry some benefit and some risk. It’s simply a matter of degree.
Trade-offs are inevitable when deciding whether the extra time and cost to buy organic are worthwhile. Those decisions can only be made by each individual, according to their own circumstances and views.
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Weight Loss – Phytonutrients, An Introduction
Phytonutrients are the new hot item in diet and Nutrition. But what are they and why are they believed to be so healthful?
Phytochemicals are a class of compounds found in the highly colored skins of some fruits and vegetables. Since their nutritional properties are still under investigation no FDA guidelines are available about their health benefits. As a result, some avoid labeling them phytonutrients.
Still, numerous studies suggest that these compounds are very likely to have beneficial effects. Further, no one doubts that the foods that contain them are good Nutrition. They are recommended by all experts. The chief area needing clarification is the degree to which they aid in combating certain diseases, such as colon cancer, or how effectively they aid the immune system.
What Foods Contain Phytonutrients, and How Do They Help?
Any strongly colored fruit or vegetable will contain some phytochemicals.
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene. While research is ongoing, many large scale studies have already shown a link between consumption and reduction of prostate cancer. In one, men who consumed more than 10 servings per week had a 35% lower risk, compared to those who only consumed 1.5 servings or fewer.
‘Eat your spinach’ is a familiar phrase from childhood. Phytochemicals called carotenoids may be the reason that it is good advice. Those who consumed it regularly had a 46% lower risk of macular degeneration, compared to study participants who only ate it once per month or less.
Another category called flavonoids are well-known to be beneficial, based on thousands of studies. That’s because they act as antioxidants. Roaming oxygen atoms called free radicals carry enough energy to damage cells. Antioxidants combine with them and render them harmless. Flavonoids are a rich source of antioxidants.
According to a European study published in Lancet, a leading British medical journal, Dutch men who consumed more than 30 mg of flavonoids daily had a 58% lower risk of heart disease than those who consumed only 19 mg or less per day.
Flavonoids are part of a larger class called polyphenols that have similar properties. They are in such foods as strawberries, blueberries, apples and more. Red wine, long known to be a boon to health in moderate quantities, contains polyphenols.
A study in the Journal of the AMA (American Medical Association) linked fruit and vegetable consumption to a decrease in the odds of stroke. For each additional consumption of three daily servings subjects had a 22% decrease in the chances for hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke.
How Much Do We Get?
The average American gets 3.3 servings of vegetables per day. But those containing phytochemicals are consumed in much smaller quantities, only about 0.2 servings. About 10% of the population eats less than one serving per day of vegetables.
Less than a third of the population (29%) eats the minimum number of daily fruit servings. Nearly half eat less than one serving of fruit per day. Even for those on a restricted carb diet that is very low.
Summary
Like many areas of nutritional science, research on phytochemicals continues at a rapid pace. But even at the present level of knowledge it’s clear that certain fruits and vegetables should be part of a healthy, balanced diet.
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Weight Loss – The Food Pyramid, Revisited
The USDA Food Pyramid has been controversial since its first appearance in 1992. While it incorporated many valuable features, it led to some confusion. Attempts to clarify the guidelines it contained in 2005 were only partly successful. What’s the scoop?
The Original Food Pyramid
In an attempt to make dietary guidelines easy to follow, the U.S. government developed a graphic called the Food Pyramid. Both visually and with supplemental text it outlines how much of what type of food should be consumed daily.
For example, it recommended 6-11 servings of whole grains per day. On the whole, that’s good advice. Whole grains contain valuable fiber, essential fatty acids, valuable carbohydrates and more. Such things as oatmeal, whole grain bread and brown rice are definitely nutritious.
It also recommended 3-5 servings of vegetables daily. Leafy green vegetables contain needed vitamin A and C, bushy vegetables are rich in calcium and iron. All tend to be low in fat and calories, a definite boon to a weight conscious public seeking healthy weight loss guidelines. Again, good advice.
But it also had some drawbacks.
Nutritional science continues to grow by leaps and bounds. The number of well-done research projects, written up in professional journals, continues to increase. Many thought by the turn of the millennium that the Food Pyramid was simply getting outdated.
Worse still, the original recommendations contained some questionable suggestions even by the standards of the early 1990s. Three cups of whole milk or an 8 oz hamburger contain considerable fat along with their proteins. Yet fats were supposed to be consumed ’sparingly’. Fat is essential, but keeping the amount low is helpful to those seeking healthy weight loss. It also comes in different types. The pyramid didn’t give clear guidelines here.
The amounts recommended, too, were sometimes confusing particularly to those seeking healthy weight loss. The pyramid contained a recommendation of 2-3 servings daily of meat, poultry, fish, dried beans, eggs or nuts in order to get proteins. But this was meant to be a maximum. By contrast, it contained a recommendation for 2-4 servings of fruit, though the guideline was intended as a minimum.
Perhaps worst of all, the question arises: what is a serving?
The answer turns out to be highly confusing. It varies with the food being discussed.
In the grains section, a slice of bread is one serving. An ounce of cereal is one serving. In the vegetable area a 1/2 cup of broccoli is a single serving. But for raw, leafy vegetables a cup equals a serving. A cup of fruit equals one serving, unless it’s dried in which case 1/2 cup is a serving.
No one could possibly keep these things straight.
MyPyramid
The new food pyramid introduced in early 2005 was an attempt to overcome some of these difficulties. Regrettably, in some ways, it’s even worse. Using the interactive tool on the USDA website (http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html) yields such information as: ‘Eat a variety of fruit’ and ‘Eat at least 3 ounces of whole grain bread’ and ‘Eat more dark green veggies’.
However, there is an interactive applet that does a better job of providing more detailed information at MyPyramidPlan (http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx). It may take more time, but the guidelines are more carefully tailored for specific age, weight and activity level.
Summary
The lesson to be learned is that diet and Nutrition, especially for those seeking healthy weight loss, is a highly individual affair. It requires some attention to the details of what is consumed and what that contains. As with any intended approach to diet, seeking the advice of your physician is always wise.
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Diets – Why Not Just Stop Eating?
One sure way to lose weight, it might seem, is simply to stop eating for a while. Simple as it sounds, that idea is fraught with potential problems.
The basic weight loss equation certainly remains valid in this case: using more calories than are consumed results in weight loss. If you don’t take in calories by eating, it’s fairly easy to satisfy that equation. Your body burns 70 calories per hour even just sitting idle on the couch.
But while you may be idle, your body’s systems are not.
First of all, the body – deprived of food – will slow down the metabolism and burn calories more slowly. Weight loss can be sudden at first, but the rate slows very soon thereafter.
At first, it goes after glycogen stored in the liver and converts it to glucose to burn for energy. That energy is used to power all the body’s activities.
When that is used up (to a degree), the body then begins going after the energy stored in the bonds of certain molecules in fat cells. The process is called ketosis and accounts for why your breath sometimes smells like fingernail polish (made with ketones) after hard exercise.
So far, that all sounds good. You burn calories, reduce body fat and lose weight. Exactly what you wanted. But, unfortunately, this isn’t all the body is doing under these circumstances.
Because of the relatively rapid weight loss/calorie burning from this method of ‘dieting’ the body will experience a ‘rebound’ effect. In other words, it will cause you to crave food like crazy. The food you do eat will cause you to put on more pounds than you lost. The body is compensating for a radical deficit.
At the same time, there are serious health risks to simply starving or a long term fast. Going without food for a few hours or even a day isn’t dangerous, though it can be uncomfortable since you’ll get very hungry. But this method causes a number of carefully balanced nutrients to get out of whack.
It upsets the delicate balance of insulin, sugar and a variety of other essential compounds. Apart from regulating energy levels, they influence hormones that regulate the brain and nervous system.
Concentrations of potassium and sodium get out of balance unless you compensate with sports-style drinks, which can be more difficult to adjust in the absence of food. Those minerals are key to regulating the heartbeat, not to mention being found in every cell of the body and the fluid in between where they participate in an enormous variety of vital tasks.
Fatigue, dizziness and difficulty concentrating are only three of the milder symptoms that will result. Dehydration is likely, since much of the fluid we gain is from food, not just liquid. That can easily lead to heat stroke if the weather is at all warm and you are even a little active.
The kidneys will have a more difficult time filtering properly. They clean waste material from the blood, play a role in regulating blood pressure and stimulate the bone marrow to make red blood cells.
The odds of heart attack are increased, brain function suffers,… the list is endless. Even if the fast is ended long before death (at about 4 weeks), serious physical effects would occur.
Instead of fasting, eat a balanced, healthy diet of limited calories – combined with an age and circumstance-appropriate exercise program and find a way to stay on track. Motivation is the key to staying with any new kind of life style. Lets not kid ourselves, what permanent weight loss requires is a permanent change in life style. Hypnotherapy is one of the best ways to create a new habit and get rid of old negative or unhealthy ways of thinking about food. That is the surest way to lose pounds safely. Your physical health will be in harmony with your mind and your new healthy eating/exercise habits will become part of who you are.
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Nutrition 101
In order to optimize your health a good diet is essential. But, with all the fad diets around it can be difficult to know what is ‘good’. Nutrition science to the rescue! Though some things are still controversial, numerous studies reinforce the following basic information.
A healthy diet requires not just items from the four basic food groups, but in the proper proportion. The average person will need about 2000-2500 calories (sometimes more for larger men, less for women and those looking for rapid weight loss). About 50% of those calories should come in the form of carbohydrates, with 30% from fats (yes, fat is good!) and 20% from proteins.
Carbohydrates are the main source of compounds needed for energy. Simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose, are rapidly broken down in the intestine and absorbed. Some processing starts the minute they hit your tongue. Complex carbohydrates – starches, such as those found in potatoes – take longer, but are also healthy in moderation.
Fats are chemically similar to carbohydrates, and contain fatty acids essential to health. Proteins are lysed (split) to make amino acids, that are then recombined to form proteins used in muscles and other structures.
Meat is a valid and healthy source of proteins for almost everyone. About 3 ounces per meal is about right for the average sized person. A cup of pasta is a good source of carbohydrates. Two cups of leafy green vegetables supply fiber, minerals and vitamins.
A balanced meal can be made up of a serving of meat or other protein source, starchy carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, corn or potatoes, and fruit. Easy on the butter or margarine, go light on cheese, sauces and anything high in sugar or fat.
Though you could get the basics from a variety of sources, when considering weight control in addition to getting the proper balance, it’s important to know which sources are high in what.
Fat contains nine calories per gram, which is double than other energy sources. Thus, you need to keep those foods high in fat down to modest levels. That also helps control cholesterol levels.
All sources of carbohydrates have four calories per gram. But healthy sources also contain needed minerals, vitamins and fiber. Some examples are fruits (apples, pears, peaches), nuts (walnuts are lower in fat than peanuts or cashews, for example) and grains (for fiber and minerals).
Why is candy bad, unless consumed in very modest portions? Because they are designed to be high in fat, high in sugar with much lower amounts of helpful nutrients. Neither fat nor sugar are harmful in moderation. Indeed, they’re essential to good health. But when consumed in a form that contains an excessive proportion, they provide enormous calories and fewer other nutrients.
Making a list of items you consume will show you the relative amounts of helpful nutrients – and how many calories each contains. Putting a little arithmetic into your diet plan will help you reduce the number you obsess over – your weight.
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