Bigger meals: smaller waist 500 calories = 500 calories.It's summer again. And for many disillusioned dis·il·lu·sion tr.v. dis·il·lu·sioned, dis·il·lu·sion·ing, dis·il·lu·sions To free or deprive of illusion. n. 1. The act of disenchanting. 2. The condition or fact of being disenchanted. dieters, the search for a new bathing suit has morphed into a search for a larger cover-up. It's tough to stay lean in a fattening fat·ten v. fat·tened, fat·ten·ing, fat·tens v.tr. 1. To make plump or fat. 2. To fertilize (land). 3. world. Food is available anytime, anywhere--from gas stations to bookstores to movie theaters to shopping malls to drugstores--and most of it squeezes a lot of calories into just a few bites. Those calorie-dense foods--often in supersized portions--make it easy to overeat o·ver·eat v. To eat to excess, especially habitually. , says nutrition researcher Barbara Rolls of Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University, main campus at University Park, State College; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1855, opened 1859 as Farmers' High School. . Foods like French fries French fry n. A thin strip of potato fried in deep fat. Often used in the plural. , potato chips, doughnuts, cakes, cookies, and pies are nearly always calorie-dense. Others get that way thanks to melted cheese, chocolate coatings, extra mayo, bacon, butter, oil, or the frying pan. Here's how to shrink your calorie density and maybe your swimsuit size. Q: Why are so many Americans overweight? A: We are surrounded by a huge variety of tempting high-calorie foods, and we are less and less active. In that kind of obesity-promoting environment, it's difficult for most of us to avoid putting on weight. Q: What does your research have to do with weight? A: In our lab, we study how the properties of food--like portion size, fat content, and calorie density--affect how much people eat and how hungry they feel. Based on that research, we came up with "volumetrics," an eating plan to help people control hunger while they lose weight or avoid gaining it. Q: And the key is boosting satiety satiety being in a state of satiation; in experimental animals used with reference to eating and drinking. satiety center located in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus. ? A: Yes. Satiety is the feeling of fullness you get as you eat. The more satiety you feel after a meal, the less you eat later. If you cut calories by simply eating less, you'll feel hungry and deprived. But volumetrics helps you feel satisfied while you're reducing calories, so you can stick with a diet for the long term. We now have pretty good data that three elements of food--low calorie density, high fiber, and lean protein--can enhance satiety. Q: What is calorie density? A: It's the calories per gram of food. A food that is high in calorie density has a lot of calories in a small weight, while a food that is low in calorie density has fewer calories for the same weight. Over a day or two, a person eats about the same weight of food. When we lower the calorie density of foods, people eat the same amount and feel just as full, but take in fewer calories. Water Everywhere Q: How do you lower calorie density? A: Water is the biggest component of most foods, so it has the biggest impact on the amount we can eat. It adds weight and volume but no calories. So going for water-rich foods gives you a bigger portion for the same number of calories. We found that if people eat a first course of a broth-based soup or a large salad that's low in calorie density, they eat fewer calories than if they'd had no first course at all. So they get an extra course and they end up eating fewer calories. Q: Can you just drink water with the meal? A: No. To reduce hunger, the water has to be in the food. For example, in one study, we fed women a 270-calorie first course at the start of lunch. On one day they got a chicken-and-rice casserole. On another, they got the same casserole plus a 10-ounce glass of water to drink along with it. On another day they got the casserole with 10 ounces of water cooked into it to make a soup. When the women ate the soup, they consumed 100 fewer calories at lunch than when they ate the casserole alone or the casserole plus the water. And the women didn't eat more at dinner to make up the 100 calories. Q: Why doesn't a glass of water help? A: Water consumed on its own empties out of the stomach rather quickly. And the brain controls hunger and thirst Hunger and Thirst (French original title La Soif et la faim) is one of the last plays by Eugène Ionesco. It was first published in French in 1966. The play has one act divided into four periods. by separate mechanisms. So it doesn't make a lot of sense that water would curb hunger. Of course, water would help with weight management if people substituted it for caloric caloric /ca·lo·ric/ (kah-lor´ik) pertaining to heat or to calories. ca·lor·ic adj. 1. Of or relating to calories. 2. Of or relating to heat. drinks like soda or juice. And for some people, water helps psychologically because they believe it will. For most people, drinking more water than they need doesn't do any harm because their kidneys take care of the excess. But only water incorporated into food matters for weight management. Q: Why? A: It's complex. If the water is bound into food, it should stay in the stomach longer while the food is being digested. So soup should keep your stomach feeling full longer than drinking water drinking water supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. , which empties the stomach quickly. And I can tell you--because we always test ourselves first--that it was a big cup of soup and it seemed like a little bit of casserole, even though the ingredients were identical. So there's a psychological component--you feel like you're getting more food with the soup. And you do get more sensory stimulation sensory stimulation, n in acupuncture, the practice of inserting needles into skin and tissue to coax the body into using its energy to heal itself. because you've got a lot more food going through your mouth. You're eating for longer. Fruits & Veggies Veggies of Nottingham, also known as Veggies Catering Campaign, is a campaigning group based in Nottingham, England, promoting ethicalbum alternatives to mainstream fast food. Q: Are fruits and vegetables water-rich? A: Yes. They're about 90 percent water, and the water is bound into them. Fruits and vegetables have a huge impact on the calorie density of the diet. Q: Are all vegetables the same? A: No. Starchy starch·y adj. starch·i·er, starch·i·est 1. a. Containing starch. b. Stiffened with starch. 2. Of or resembling starch. 3. vegetables like sweet potatoes sweet potato, trailing perennial plant (Ipomoea batatas) of the family Convolvulaceae (morning glory family), native to the New World tropics. Cultivated from ancient times by the Aztecs for its edible tubers, it was introduced into Europe in the 16th cent. and corn have a higher calorie density, so you have to start exerting some portion control. Non-starchy vegetables like celery celery, biennial plant (Apium graveolens) of the family Umbelliferae (parsley family), of wide distribution in the wild state throughout the north temperate Old World and much cultivated also in America. and green beans green beans Noun, pl long narrow green beans that are cooked and eaten as a vegetable are so low in calorie density that you'd have to eat enormous quantities for the calories to add up. We like to think of them as free foods--foods people should turn to when they have the munchies munchies Substance abuse A popular term for the craving for salt-rich and/or high-carbohydrate 'junk food,' associated with use of marijuna, amphetamines, and other recreational drugs. See Junk food. . Q: Are any of your studies long-term? A: We've done two clinical trials that haven't been published yet. In one, we divided 97 overweight women into two groups. One was told to reduce fat intake and eat smaller portions. The other was told to reduce the calorie density of their diet by eating more fruits and vegetables, more broth-based soups, and less fat. Neither group had to count calories or fat grams. Of the 71 people who completed the study, the 35 women in the low-calorie-density group lost 20 pounds and the 36 women in the smaller-portion group lost 15 pounds after six months. By the end of 12 months, both groups had regained about 2 pounds. So the low-calorie-density group actually ate more food and lost more weight than the smaller-portion group. These weight losses were as good as you usually see in clinical trials. Q: Did the second study last a year, too? A: Yes. We and the Campbell Soup Company Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) (also known as Campbell's) is a well-known American producer of canned soups and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey. , which sponsored the study, wanted to know if people would lose more weight by incorporating soup into their diet instead of getting the same number of calories from calorie-dense snacks. We gave 200 overweight men and women a plan to cut calories. In addition, one group was told to eat one bowl of soup a day, another to eat two bowls a day, and a third to eat two calorie-dense snacks like bagel chips each day. The fourth group added nothing to the calorie-cutting plan. After 12 months, the two-soup group had lost 50 percent more weight than the two-snack group. The one-soup group was smack in the middle--not statistically different from either the two-soup or two-snack group. Up with Fiber Q: Don't fruits and vegetables have other advantages? A: Yes. They contain fiber, which helps lower calorie density because it has only 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 calories per gram, compared to 4 calories per gram for other carbohydrates. We can't eat large amounts of fiber, so it only has a small impact on calorie density compared to water. But doubling the amount of fiber you eat--from the average 15 grams a day to around 30 grams--helps reduce calorie intake. Q: Why does fiber make you feel full? A: We're not sure, but high-fiber foods take more chewing chewing or mastication Up-and-down and side-to-side movements of the lower jaw, using the teeth to grind food for easier swallowing. During chewing, the tongue shapes food into a lump and saliva lubricates it for swallowing. , fiber may slow the passage of food through the digestive tract digestive tract n. See alimentary canal. Digestive tract The organs that perform digestion, or changing of food into a form that can be absorbed by the body. , and it may stimulate satiety hormones that tell the brain to stop eating. Down with Fat Q: Does cutting fat lower calorie density? A: Yes. The lower the fat, the bigger the portion you get for the same number of calories. We think that's why eating less felt helps people reduce their calorie intake. If you compare two diets with the same calorie density and palatability palatability (pal´  t , fat has little effect on food
intake.Q: Do you recommend a very-low-fat diet? A: No. Lowering fat can lower calorie density, but if people go too low with fat, they won't enjoy the food and they won't stay on the diet. People should eliminate fat where they don't need it, by switching from whole to lowfat or fat-free milk, for example. And we want people to switch from saturated and trans fats trans fat n. 1. A trans fatty acid. 2. Trans fatty acids considered as a group. trans fat A fat containing trans fatty acids. to the healthy unsaturated fats unsaturated fat: see saturated fat. . Q: Is it enough to just cut fat? A: No. It's really easy to take in too many calories with dry foods like crackers and pretzels. Even though pretzels are fat-free, they have about the same calorie density as cheese (see "Calorie Density Counts," p. 6). That's higher than bread, pasta, and hot cereal, which have more water. Chips are even worse than pretzels. They combine very little water and a lot of fat, which makes them really calorie dense. Lean on Protein Q: Does protein make you feel full longer? A: Studies suggest that, calorie for calorie, protein seems to prolong pro·long tr.v. pro·longed, pro·long·ing, pro·longs 1. To lengthen in duration; protract. 2. To lengthen in extent. satiety more than carbohydrates or fat. So when you cut calories, don't eat more high-protein foods than you usually do--but don't eat less. Cut calories from fat and excess carbs instead. Q: Why? A: When you lose weight, you lose not just fat, but muscle. Getting enough protein as you lose weight will minimize muscle loss. And muscle keeps your metabolic rate Noun 1. metabolic rate - rate of metabolism; the amount of energy expended in a give period basal metabolic rate, BMR - the rate at which heat is produced by an individual in a resting state high, which helps keep you from regaining weight. Q: How much protein is enough? A: The recommendation used to be about 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight. That works out to 40 grams of protein a day if you're 110 pounds, 47 grams if you're 130 pounds, 54 grams if you're 150 pounds, 65 grams if you're 180 pounds, and 76 grams if you're 210 pounds. Now the Dietary Guidelines dietary guidelines Cardiology A series of dietary recommendations from the Nutrition Committee of the Am Heart Assn, that promote cardiovascular health. See Caloric restriction, food pyramid, French paradox. and National Academy of Sciences recommend up to 0.8 grams per pound. Most people get more than enough. Q: So you don't recommend a high-protein diet Noun 1. high-protein diet - a diet high in plant and animal proteins; used to treat malnutrition or to increase muscle mass diet - a prescribed selection of foods ? A: No. Eating more protein than your body needs won't boost your metabolism, build more muscle, or make you thinner. And the standard high-protein American fare is high in calorie density. Instead, choose protein foods that are low in calorie density, like lean meat, chicken, seafood, low-fat dairy, and legumes Legumes A family of plants that bear edible seeds in pods, including beans and peas. Mentioned in: Cholesterol, High legumes (l . Don't Drink Your Calories Q: Aren't beverages low in calorie density? A: Yes. But hunger and thirst seem to be regulated by separate mechanisms, so we consider the calories in beverages separately. And the calories in beverages are critical to what people consume. We looked at people consuming five different beverages--soda, orange juice, low-fat milk Noun 1. low-fat milk - milk from which some of the cream has been removed milk - a white nutritious liquid secreted by mammals and used as food by human beings , diet soda The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. , or water--or no drink before lunch. All of the caloric drinks were 12 ounces and had 150 calories. If people drank the 150-calorie beverage, they ended up eating 104 extra calories by the end of the meal. It didn't matter if they drank milk, orange juice, or soda. All three drinks had the same effect: most of their calories added on to the food's calories. So people don't reduce their food intake to accommodate the extra calories in beverages. Those calories count, and they count big time. Q: And many people are drinking 20 or 32 ounces, not 12. A: Right. We're studying the effect of beverage size on intake right now. SuperSized Q: Does portion size matter with foods other than beverages? A: Yes. We've already found that the bigger a bag of chips, the more people eat. We found the same with macaroni macaroni: see pasta. and cheese, submarine sandwiches, and a pasta dish at a restaurant. When we increased the pasta portion by 50 percent, people ate about 43 percent more and they didn't notice the difference. Q: So it helps to cut both portions and calorie density? A: Yes. We reduced both portion size and calorie density by 25 percent in commonly consumed foods like pizza and sandwiches and fed them to people for two days. Each independently reduced calorie intake. But when we combined the two, the calorie savings added up and we got a spontaneous reduction of 800 calories a day. We couldn't believe it. Q: And people didn't notice the difference? A: That's right. The only time they noticed was in some of the baked goods. When we replaced some of the fat with applesauce, they rated the lower-fat version less tasty. But with other foods, like pizza, you take the cheese down a bit, add a few veggies, and people don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. the difference. If only the restaurant industry could do that and not increase the price, we could help people avoid overeating overeating eating too much food too quickly; leads to acute gastric dilatation in dogs and horses, acute carbohydrate engorgement in ruminants, dietetic (dietary) diarrhea in young calves and foals, abomasal tympany in bottle fed lambs and calves. when they eat out. Q: Does lower calorie density mean a healthier diet? A: Yes. We're finding from national diet surveys that low-calorie-density diets are higher-quality because people are eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and less saturated fat saturated fat, any solid fat that is an ester of glycerol and a saturated fatty acid. The molecules of a saturated fat have only single bonds between carbon atoms; if double bonds are present in the fatty acid portion of the molecule, the fat is said to be . So it's a win-win. BALSAMIC balsamic (bäl·sämˑ·ik), n a substance that can soften and reduce mucus. BERRIES Traditional Berries & Cream 60 calories Volumetrics Balsamic Berries 60 calories How to Lower the Calorie Density * Substitute balsamic vinegar balsamic vinegar n. 1. An aromatic vinegar of Modena, Italy, made from white Trebbiano grape juice that is heated and aged in wooden barrels for several years. 2. Any of various similar vinegars. and a small amount of sugar for the cream * Add more strawberries ALMOND almond, name for a small tree (Prunus amygdalus) of the family Rosaceae (rose family) and for the nutlike, edible seed of its drupe fruit. The "nuts" of sweet-almond varieties are eaten raw or roasted and are pressed to obtain almond oil. CHICKEN SALAD SANDWHICH Traditional Chicken Salad Croissant 270 calories Volumetrics Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich 270 calories How to Lower the Calorie Density * Use whole-wheat bread and reduced-fat mayonnaise * Add grapes CHARLIE'S PASTA PRIMAVERA Pasta primavera is an Italian dish that consists of pasta and fresh vegetables. A meat such as chicken, sausage or shrimp can be added if desired, but the focus of primavera is the vegetables themselves. Traditional Pasta Primavera 330 calorie Volumetrics Charlies's Pasta Primavera 330 calories How to Lower the Calorie Density * Decrease the amount of pasta * Increase the amount of pasta * Omit o·mit tr.v. o·mit·ted, o·mit·ting, o·mits 1. To fail to include or mention; leave out: omit a word. 2. a. To pass over; neglect. b. the cream sauce cream sauce n. A white sauce made by cooking together a mixture of flour and butter with milk or cream. Noun 1. cream sauce - white sauce made with cream TUNA AND WHITE BEAN SALAD Traditional Salad Nicoise Noun 1. salad nicoise - typically containing tomatoes and anchovies and garnished with black olives and capers salad - food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing; usually consisting of or including greens 260 calories Volumetrics Tuna & White Bean Salad 260 calories How to Lower the Calorie Density * Decrease the oil * Use tuna packed in water * Add more vegetables Barbara J. Rolls, professor of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University, has studied hunger and obesity for more than 20 years. She has served on the National Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity and is the author of the best-selling best·sell·er also best seller n. A product, such as a book, that is among those sold in the largest numbers. best book The Volumetrics Eating Plan (New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of : HarperCollins, 2005). She spoke to NAH's Bonnie bon·ny also bon·nie adj. bon·ni·er, bon·ni·est Scots 1. Physically attractive or appealing; pretty. 2. Excellent. Liebman by phone from State College, Pennsylvania. Calorie Density Counts Here's a snapshot of the calorie density of some commonly eaten foods. While calorie density stays the same no matter how large or small the portion, portion size still matters. Two tablespoons of (high-density) peanut butter may not cause as much harm as two cups of (medium-density) French fries, for example. You can calculate the calorie density of any food by dividing its calories by its weight (in grams), which you'll find on most food labels. If a food has fewer calories than grams, its calorie density is less than 1.0. Keep in mind that calorie density isn't everything. Don't forget about sodium, bad (saturated and trans) fats, and whole grains. Very Low Calorie Density These are as close to "free" foods as you can get. Food Calorie Density Cucumber 0.13 Celery 0.16 Chicken broth 0.16 Lettuce 0.18 Tomato 0.21 Asparagus 0.24 Broccoli 0.28 Grapefruit 0.30 Strawberries 0.30 Vegetable soup 0.30 Watermelon 0.32 Cantaloupe 0.35 Winter squash 0.39 Carrots 0.43 Peach 0.43 Italian dressing, fat-free 0.47 Orange 0.47 Fruit yogurt, fat-free, artificially sweetened 0.53 Blueberries 0.56 Apple 0.58 Medium Calorie Density Be careful how much you eat, especially at the bottom of the list. Food Calorie Density Frozen yogurt, soft-serve 1.6 Turkey or chicken breast, no skin 1.7 Sirloin steak, lean 1.9 Tuna, canned in oil 2.0 Margarine, lower-calorie 2.1 Salmon 2.1 Premium ice cream 2.5 Bread 2.6 Apple pie 2.7 Lean ground beef 2.7 Plain bagel 2.8 Blueberry muffin 2.9 Cheese pizza 2.9 Raisins 3.0 French fries 3.2 Mayonnaise, light 3.3 Italian dressing, full-fat 3.6 Chocolate cake with frosting 3.7 Baked potato chips 3.9 Hard pretzels 3.9 Low-Calorie Density As you get to the bottom of the list, start to watch how much you eat. Food Calorie Density Tofu 0.61 Oatmeal, made with water 0.62 Plain yogurt, low-fat 0.63 Grapes 0.67 Chicken noodle soup 0.73 Cottage cheese, 1% fat 0.73 Split pea soup 0.77 Black beans 0.78 Green peas 0.78 Corn on the cob 0.86 Banana 0.92 Fruit yogurt, low-fat 1.0 Shrimp or scallops 1.0 Sweet potato 1.0 Baked potato with skin 1.1 Bran flakes with low-fat milk 1.1 Flounder or sole 1.2 Lentils or split peas 1.2 Light ice cream 1.2 Rice 1.2 Tuna, canned in water 1.2 Avocado 1.4 Pasta 1.4 Ham, extra-lean 1.5 High Calorie Density Don't go overboard on any of these foods. Food Calorie Density Cheddar cheese 4.1 Croissant 4.1 Glazed or plain doughnut 4.1 Onion rings 4.1 Pecan pie 4.2 Brownie 4.4 Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting 4.4 Chocolate chip cookies 4.6 Bacon 5.0 Milk chocolate bar 5.4 Potato chips or corn chips 5.4 Almonds 5.9 Peanuts or peanut butter 5.9 Butter or margarine, stick 7.2 Mayonnaise, regular 7.2 Salad or cooking oil 8.8 Sources: The Volumetrics Eating Plan and U.S. Department of Agriculture. |
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