Become A Member

Editorial                   Benefits of Healthy Eating and                                   Calories Burn

Mohsin Masud Jan

Editor

Who eat home-cooked meals five or more times per week were 28 percent less likely to be overweight and 24 percent less likely to have excess body fat than those who ate at home fewer than three times per week. That's according to a 2017 study involving more than 11,000 people published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. The researchers found that those who dined at home ate more fruits and vegetables, too.

A research has shown that when vegetables are competing with other – possibly more appealing – items on your plate, you eat less of them. But when you get the vegetables alone, you eat more of them. Make a salad and sit down to eat it before you put any other food on the table. You’ll not only eat more vegetables, you’ll also fill up a bit so that you eat less.

A 2016 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that replacing animal protein with an equivalent amount of plant protein was associated with a lower risk of mortality, especially from heart disease.

Many people think of nuts as having a lot of calories and fat, but they typically don’t cause people to pack on the pounds. Plus, they help reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to several studies. For instance, almonds have more fiber than many other nuts and supply calcium, while walnuts are packed with a heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid.

More than 40 percent of the carbohydrates we consume are low in nutritional quality, according to a 2019 study published in JAMA. Simply switching from refined grains to whole grains, such as farro, bulgur, oatmeal, and even popcorn, can increase your fiber intake and help keep you full. In one study published in 2011 in the New England Journal of Medicine, adding just one serving of whole grains per day led to an average weight loss of about a third of a pound over four years.

A recent study suggests that exchanging one serving per day for a glass of water could help reduce overall calorie intake and the subsequent risk of obesity, lowering your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by
14 to 25 percent. Take a look at your fruit juice intake, too. Even 100 percent fruit juices can contribute a lot of calories and sugars to your diet.

Obesity is associated with health risks¹. Monitoring the prevalence of obesity is relevant for public health programs that focus on reducing or preventing obesity. No significant changes were seen in either adult or childhood obesity prevalence in the United States between 2003–2004 and 2011–2012². This report provides the most recent national data on obesity prevalence by sex, age, and race and Hispanic origin, using data for 2011– 2014. Overall prevalence estimates from 1999–2000 through 2013–2014 are also presented.

A new research suggests that a bacteria Lactobacillus found in fermented foods and yogurt may help prevent depression and anxiety. Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have discovered that the bacterium Lactobacillus helps the body manage stress, potentially preventing the onset of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

Dr. Bankole Johnson, neuroscientist in Miami agrees and said that this study highlights the role of gut microbes on stress and anxiety, and in turn, how diet affects our mental wellbeing. “Microbiota influences brain signaling, and so changes in microbiota alter brain stimulation. The gut is often called the “second brain” due to the bidirectional communication between the gut and the central nervous system. When abundant in the gut, Lactobacillus appears trusted Source to modulate this communication, influencing the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which play key roles in mood regulation.

A scientist recommends increasing your intake of Lactobacillus by incorporating fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles into your diet. Ideally, you’ll consume one serving of fermented food per day. Beyond Lactobacillus-rich foods, a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts) has been associated with reduced depressive symptoms. A scientist said that antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and foods containing magnesium (like leafy greens, nuts, and seeds) may also be beneficial for mental health.

Eating healthy has many benefits;

·         Reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes mellitus

·         Improve brain function

·         Stronger bones and teeth

·         Better mood

·         Better sleep

·         Improve digestive function

·         Stronger immune system

·         More energy

·         Fewer eye problem

·         Less joint pain

·         Improved gut health

·         Eating lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables.

·         Limiting foods, high in sugar, salt, fat and refined carbs.

·         Choosing whole fruits instead of juices

·         Swapping  soft drinks for water or herbal tea

·         Ensuring each meal consist of some fresh produce.

After healthy eating calories can burn and broken-down into four categories³.

1.       Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

2.       Thermal Effect of Food (TEF)

3.       Exercise Energy Expenditure (EEE)

4.       Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

The BMR represents approximately 60% of TEE. The TEF also contributes to TEE, and by some estimates composes as much as 10% of TEE. The mechanism by which energy is expended with food ingestion and digestion, including mastication, digestion, absorption, and transportation of nutrients, constitutes the TEF. The inter individual variability of the TEF is not reviewed herein, but note that compared with lean individuals, the TEF in obese people is reduced, with studies suggesting a lower level of sympathetic nervous system activation⁴ and a diminished thermogenic response to the high-carbohydrate meal.⁵

The greatest impact on how many calories you burn while working out.

Body Weight: Generally, the more you weigh, the more calories you’ll burn per session. Calories are just a measure of energy, so the more you weigh, the more energy it takes to move your body. Put differently, of two people with different weights, the one who weighs more will burn more calories, because they have a greater energy expenditure when moving. People with larger bodies also tend to have larger internal organs which is a significant factor in how many calories are burned during exercise and at rest, because these organs and their processes require energy. This is one of many reasons that weight loss is so complicated – your body burns fewer calories as your weight decreases, which can lead to a weight loss plateau or even regaining weight.

Muscle Mass: Someone with more muscle mass will burn more calories than someone else who weighs the same but has less muscle. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue. During exercise, having more muscle mass will increase your total calorie burn, because your body needs to produce more energy to support the increased rate at which your muscles are contracting. Long story short, if you want to enhance your calorie burn, consider stepping up your strength-training game.

Age: After age 30, you begin to lose as much as 3 to 5 percent of your muscle mass per decade. The reasons for this aren’t perfectly understood, but one review explains that it’s likely because your body becomes more resistant to hormones that promote the protein synthesis that’s key to muscle maintenance. This loss of muscle mass lowers your metabolic rate – the speed at which you burn calories – at rest and during exercise.

Fitness Level: The more you do a certain type of workout, the easier it seems. That’s not in your head – your body actually does adapt to do things more easily over time. Overall, this is a good thing. It means that you can run faster or for longer with practice, and your muscles will be able to lift heavier weights with proper training. But it also affects your calorie burn. “As your body adapts to training, you will burn less calories with the same workouts. From your lungs to your muscles to your heart to your brain, your body becomes more efficient as you become more fit. That’s why a newbie might burn significantly more calories than someone who’s been doing the same workout for years.

Training Intensity: It’s also possible that two people doing the same workout are burning a different number of calories because they’re not actually doing the same workout. Someone exercising at a high intensity, meaning you’re breathing heavily and can’t carry on a conversation, can burn twice as many calories in the same amount of time as someone exercising at a low intensity.

REFERENCES

1.       U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General. The surgeon general’s vision for a healthy and fit nation. Rockville, MD: 2010.

2.       Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011–2012. JAMA 2014; 311(8):806–14.

3.       Ravussin E, Lillioja S, Anderson TE. Determinants of 24-hour energy expenditure in man: methods and results using a respiratory chamber. J Clin Invest 1986;78:1568-1578

4.       Tentolouris N, Tsigos C, Perea D. Differential effects of high-fat and high-carbohydrate isoenergetic meals on cardiac autonomic nervous system activity in lean and obese women. Metabolism 2003; 52:1426-1432

5.       Nagai N, Sakane N, Hamada T. The effect of a high-carbohydrate meal on postprandial thermogenesis and sympathetic nervous system activity in boys with a recent onset of obesity. Metabolism 2005; 54:430-438.