Diet Tips from the BBC
February 2nd, 2007 Posted in Quest for Fitness
Last night’s edition of “The Truth About Food” was all about dieting. They covered the science behind foods and proposed some interesting facts (having done the studies to back up their statements too).
If you missed the programme, I can summarise the findings and recommendations:
- “It’s not my fault, it’s my metabolism”.
- Bollocks. Metabolism’s got nothing to do with it. If anything, cuddlier folk tend to have a higher metabolism because it takes the body more effort to pump blood around the body. The only reason anyone’s overweight is that they’re taking in more energy than they can dispose of. Nothing surprising there.
- Recommendation 1: Drop the high-calorie, high fat comfort snacks for three square meals.
- Not a surprise.
- Bad foods: High calories, high-fat treats. Eat regular meals instead.
- I’m dreadful at not keeping to proper mealtimes and it’s such an easy thing to do, isn’t it? I’ll try my best.
- Recommendation 2: Find the best foods to fill you up for longer
- Which do you reckon’s the most filling? A meal high in fat, carbohydrate or protein? Surpisingly (to me, at least) the answer is protein. The key is to choose low-fat protein, then.
- Good foods: skinless chicken, fish, tofu, beans and cheese.
- Tofu? <shudder> Looks like I’ll need to develop some good (low fat) marinades.
- Recommendation 3: Dairy foods help you diet!
- No, really. It’s true. As long as you go for the low-fat options, dairy foods can actually help a diet thanks to the calcium. Let’s just say that calcium binds to the fat and, rather than get absorbed and add to the waistline, it … umm … passes straight through. Not all of it, of course, but twice as much fat goes straight through if you increase the low fat dairy content in your diet.
- Good foods: low fat milk, low fat cheese, low fat yoghurt.
- Recommendation 4: Change your crockery
- Does “No dessert if you don’t clear your plate, young man/lady” ring any bells? I don’t know about you, but I was raised to clear my plate. This is a bad thing and it’s too easy to make too much food - especially when cooking for one. I must be more aware of my portion sizes.
- Good foods: Whatever you’re eating, keep the portion sensible because you won’t stop just because you’re full. Use smaller plates and/or keep a food diary.
- Don’t worry. If I start a food diary it won’t be here.
- Recommendation 5: Follow Cohen the Barbarian’s example!
- Does a glass of water before a meal help curb hunger? Nope. Well, not for long enough to curb your appetite, I’m afraid. That said, water’s the drink of choice if the alternative is high-sugar alcohol.
- However, you can keep hunger at bay by changing the way food is served. Liquid meals - i.e. soup - keep you full for longer than the identical amount of “solid” food washed down with a glass of water. Research showed soup meals keep hunger at bay for an hour more than the solid version.
- Good food: Soup.
- Don’t know who Cohen the Barbarian is? For shame - get out there and read some Pratchett! An elderly warrior he declared his three favourite things in the world to be “Hot shoup, good dentishtry and shoft lavatory paper.”
Following these tips, the show’s guinea pig (DJ Andrea Oliver) dropped from a size 22 to a size 16. Now, as a male, I have no idea what that means in real terms but I’ve been assured that’s impressive. Well, if it’s good enough for a “celebrity” I’ve never heard of …