Which Spread is Best
We have all heard that some of the most important things in life are considered your “bread and butter.” But if youre gonna grace a piece of toast or your loaf of bread with your favorite spread, here are some key things to consider:
Don’t choose stick margarine. While margerine can claim it has no cholesterol and less saturated fat than butter, the hydrogenation process used to turn it into stick form creates saturated and, even worse, trans fats. Although we’re not big fans of recommending eating anything that comes in a tub (fried chicken and wings come to mind), margarine is an exception. In general, the less solid the margarine, the fewer the trans fats.
Consider a cholesterol-lowering spread. If you come to the table with somewhat high cholesterol, you may want to try a spread — such as Benecol or Take Control — that contains plant stanols or sterols that help lower cholesterol. Their downside? They can lower beta carotene levels, so don’t serve them to kids or use them if you’re pregnant.
Don’t slather. Using a butter substitute doesn’t give you license to spread it on thick. Many spreads aren’t that much lower in calories than butter, and they do have some saturated fat. And there’s a loophole in labeling when it comes to trans fats: Spreads labeled “no trans fat” can still have up to 0.5 grams of them per serving. Considering that a serving is a tablespoon, the trans fats can add up quickly. Our favorite spreads: Real (peanuts only) peanut butter or walnut butter. And only on 100% whole-grain bread.
Cutting Those Calories
We know that the key to losing weight is increased expenditure (more exercise), and decreased intake (cutting calories). But if you cut too many calories, you may not lose weight at all. So how can you figure out how many calories to burn each day and still lose weight? Just follow these easy steps:
1. Estimate what your body burns through normal processes and activities. To do this, multiply your current weight in pounds by 8 and add 200.
2. Figure out how many calories you burn through exercise (don’t know? Find out at www.healthcalculators.org).
3. Add line 1 to line 2 to get total calories per day. That’s how many calories you need to keep the scale right where it is.
4. To lose a pound a week (that’s a good, healthy goal), you need to either cut 500 calories a day or increase your physical activity by 500 calories a day — or do a combination of the two. So subtract 500 (or less, if your going to burn more with exercise) from your “total calories a day” number and go by that.
Just remember that subtracting calories doesn’t mean subtracting flavor! For instance, put soups and vegetables into meals that previously contained meat — you’ll scrimp on calories but splurge on deliciousness. Similarly, swapping sweet, sensational fruit for sticky traditinal desserts leaves you satisfied rather than foraging for more later.
As you know, we’re big fans of leaving calorie counts behind and learning to let your body, stomach and brain give you the signals to stop eating when you’re satisfied and not stuffed. That means stopping when you’re no longer hungry. Really try it!
For more information and to read more of this article, visit www.realage.com.