Food : Awareness

Eggs

According to Reza, it's time to crack coconuts. Eggs may be high in cholesterol, but they do not interfere with blood cholesterol in most people. In the presence of a heart problem or high cholesterol, ask your doctor about the amount of eggs you can eat.

Low fat, eggs are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and protein.

Choose:

* Eggs poached or boiled, which provide fewer calories;
* Eggs served on a slice of whole wheat toast, fruit or vegetables.

Avoid:

* Fried eggs served with bacon, sausage, ham and home fries.

Cheese

"Some people are concerned about the saturated fat content of cheese, but overall, the cheese is a highly nutritious food," says Reza.

Cheese contains a lot of calcium, protein, vitamin A, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. In addition, it helps strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Choose:

* Hard cheeses like cheddar and mozzarella - "they have a strong taste, so you do not need to eat a lot to appreciate them," suggests Reza;
* Cheese with crackers or fruit such as grapes, apples or berries.

Avoid:

* Slices of cheese;
* Cheese lean - they have less flavor and we tend to eat more.

Foods of Poor Reputation

Good in these "foods of poor reputation"

Some foods attract unfairly blamed. Consider, for example chocolate, cheese and beef - considered evil things that we hold them accountable for raising cholesterol, heart disease and overweight. But their bad reputation is justified?

Zannat Reza, RD Toronto, reviewed five of these disreputable foods that are actually good for your health.

Chocolate

Enemy number one health-conscious people, chocolate is not as bad as you think, according to Reza.

Despite its high fat, sugar and calories, chocolate also contains antioxidants such as flavanol, which help fight cancer and heart disease. Some researchers also suggest that chocolate stimulates the mood: it contains an amino acid called tryptophan that our body uses to produce serotonin, the hormone of good humor.

Choose:

* Dark chocolate: it is purer, less fatty and more nutritious; melted, it gives a delicious sauce that can be used with strawberries, bananas or other fruit.

Avoid:

* Chocolate bars sold in the supermarket near the checkouts, which are filled with marshmallow, nougat and other fatty products.

Satiating Foods

Guess which meal is richer in calories: one that consists of a bun submarine filled with tuna salad or one with 1 ½ cups whole-wheat pasta topped with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan mixed with 1 cup stir-fry vegetables in olive oil and garlic? And now, try to guess which meal is likely to be the most satiating?

The sandwich has about 530 calories, just like the flat pasta. But when it comes to satiety (satisfaction of a condition that causes the interruption of meals), all calories are not alike. Indeed, a few bites of certain foods have a caloric value equivalent to a plateful of other foods. And, believe it or not, but according to their nutrient composition, such foods can be equally if not more satiating.

The amount of calories a food contains per unit of volume is called its energy density. When one considers that a food has a high energy density, a large number of calories is housed in a small portion of that food. In contrast, a much more generous portion of food with low energy density provide the same number of calories.

Elements such as water and fiber add bulk to food, but without additional calories (and therefore they make it more filling). Many fruits and vegetables have high water content and fiber, what makes this so-called food "for rabbits is more filling than one might suppose. And foods that are rich in fiber, like whole grain products, are digested more slowly, fully satisfy your hunger for longer.

Hunger can be a barrier of major importance to many people trying to lose weight. But the choice of foods that give you much compared to their caloric value could be a sensible strategy when it comes to avoid hunger pangs. For example, chew popcorn as a snack, add some vegetables to your spaghetti and start your meal with a salad or a bowl of soup - these are good ways to increase the volume of your meals rather than your hips!

Corn Chips - Good or Bad

How does one call a plate of corn chips, topped with melted cheese, salsa, peppers and various other tasty toppings spicy or salty? Delicious? Dangerous?

Good or bad? A portion of only 7 nachos dipped in cheese, beans, peppers and ground beef contains about 600 calories, about half come from fat. Additions such as jalapeno and onions can cause heartburn, smoking and the combination of the above may be difficult to digest, even for a stomach ostrich.
Treat: candy

The walkways of the amusement park are covered with fragments of all kinds of goodies, such as Amish donuts, cotton candy and ice cream.

Good or bad? Obviously, these friadises not very nutritious, but it is part of the pleasure of such an output, and is a rare moment of indulgence. Amish donut covered with powdered sugar? 760 calories, mostly from sugar and fat. An apple good for health dipped in caramel? You go from 55 to over 300 calories. A small tuft of cotton candy? 170 calories of pure sugar pink.

It is not every day basevall stage or at the amusement park. Choose your favorite treat at each visit and enjoy it with pleasure. Or choose both and share them with a friend! Leave the sticky candy and frying behind you when you get home. Do not rush to buy a hot dog stand or a frying pan to dip your donut Amish home.