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February 2009
Hidden fats in foods may lead to over-eating
A recent study from the Netherlands examined peoples’ food intake after eating lunches that were either high in fat that was clearly visible (such as the fat you can see on some meats) or high in ‘hidden’ fats.
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Interestingly, the study showed that people who ate lunch containing hidden fats consumed 9% more kilojoules at that meal than people with a lunch containing visible fats. People who had eaten the lunch with hidden fats also consumed 8% more kilojoules at dinner that night compared to those who ate lunch with visible fats.
The participants in the hidden fat group had a tendency to over-consume foods with a high fat and kilojoule content because they could not actually see the fat that the foods contained, suggesting that hidden fats may contribute to over-eating. |
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Take-home message: How you perceive foods can have a strong influence on how much of them you eat, and how often you eat them. Increase your awareness of what’s actually in your favourite foods by speaking with a dietitian at FNA who can show you how to read nutrition labels or invest in a fat and kilojoule counter book so you can make more informed food choices!
Source: Journal of Nutrition, February 2009
Beans pack a punch for health
People who eat legumes regularly (such as lentils and dried beans) have a consistently lower risk of heart disease and obesity. To strengthen the research in this area, data from a US food intake survey was reviewed and showed that bean consumers:
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- Had higher intakes of dietary fibre, potassium, magnesium, iron and copper than people who do not eat beans, and
- Had a lower body weight, a smaller waist size and a 22% reduced risk of being obese.
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Baked bean consumption was also associated with lower blood pressure.
Take-home message: Beans such as kidney beans, chick peas and three bean mix can make a delicious addition to any pasta, casserole, soup, salad or rice dish. Making a simple change to your usual eating habits such as this can have a big impact on improving your health!
Source: Journal of the American College of Nutrition, October 2008
Protein vs. carbohydrate for weight maintenance
Moderately higher protein diets have again shown they have greater effectiveness for managing weight compared to higher carbohydrate diets. After an intensive 5 week weight loss program, 48 people were given either a low fat, higher carbohydrate or low fat, higher protein eating plan to follow for a further 12 weeks, with the aim of maintaining their new lower weight. Participants also received dietary counseling from a dietitian and maintained higher than usual physical activity levels throughout the 12 weeks.
Following an initial substantial weight loss, people in the high protein group had significantly better success at weight maintenance compared to the high carbohydrate group. People following the high carb diet gained weight while the high protein group lost a further 1kg over the 12 weeks. Waist measurements also increased in the high carb group and decreased in the high protein group.
| Take-home message: For people who have already lost weight, including protein foods such as lean red meats, skinless chicken, fish, lean pork, eggs and legumes as part of a weight maintenance eating plan can help prevent weight regain. |
 | Source: International Journal of Obesity, January 2009
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