Have You Fallen Into the “Healthy Food” Trap?
Nova Health Club • June 22, 2019
Salads, avocados and nuts are all great for a healthy diet and losing weight, aren’t they?
When we think of healthy foods we often think of nutrient-dense foods that have a lot of healthy attributes. BUT if your goals include body composition changes, focusing on consuming only “healthy” foods can actually lead to an increase in body fat and weight. Things like salads, salmon, nut butters, smoothies and avocados are all nutrient-dense foods with great health benefits. The caveat is that when consumed without moderation they are also extremely calorie dense.
When your goal is to change your body composition, putting your focus on eating healthy foods alone will not get you any closer to your goals. In the end, the main determining factor of your weight is your caloric balance.
The number of calories you burn each day versus the number of calories you consume.
The differentiating factor between consuming foods deemed healthy and those that are less ideal comes down to the nutrients in these foods. Vitamins and minerals play a large role in both how your body functions and feels. By shifting your focus to a combination of calorie control and consuming more natural and healthy foods you will get the best of both worlds.
When we completely shift our focus to calories, getting in enough protein and not over-consuming carbohydrates and fats, it is really easy to find ways to eat mostly processed foods. On the other hand, when we completely shift to focusing on healthy foods, calories can go out the window. Ideally, what you need to do is find a way to balance the two components and consume as many whole foods as possible while maintaining a calorie balance.
Are you wondering how many calories you burn in a day? Have you tried our new InBody Scale yet? The new scale not only gives you a very accurate measurement of body fat, muscle and weight but also determines your Basal Metabolic Rate which is the number of calories you burn when sedentary. We can then use this, in combination with your daily activity rate, to determine an approximate number of calories you require each day to either lose weight, gain weight or maintain your current weight.
To help you reach your goals when consuming highly calorie dense health foods be sure to limit your serving.
Helpful Hint:
With salads, it’s important to start with leafy greens, add in as many vegetables as possible then add in the texture (nuts/seeds, avocado, cheese) and a protein. Whenever you are eating out be sure to get the dressing on the side to allow you to portion control the oil.
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