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THE VALUE OF CALORIES: HEALTHY CALORIES VS EMPTY CALORIESWhen looking at calories, do you believe you know the difference between healthy calories and calories considered ‘empty?’ By definition, empty calories are calories that come from foods or drinks that have little or no nutritional value. Then obviously, nutritional calories carry much value. There are many everyday sources of empty calories. People may choose to limit or eliminate these foods and drinks from their diets to stay healthy and within their ideal weight range. It is always my goal to help you all lead a healthy life and move you toward a healthier life in the future. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what is healthy and considered empty calories, shall we? Empty calories can be found in foods that are high in calories but carry little nutritional value. Processed foods and foods high in sugar are often considered empty calories. This means the body will be able to use the food for energy but it provides the body little nutrients and the minerals it needs to keep strong and healthy. Any leftover calories will be stored in the form of fat. The most common sources of empty calories are highly processed or refined foods. These foods usually contain a high amount of fat and sugar or other carbohydrates. They include most fast foods, processed snacks, and sweets such as cakes, cookies, ice cream, and candy. Empty calories are divided into three categories - sugar, solid fat, and alcohol.Sugar: Sugar is one of the most common types of empty calories. It is found in soft drinks, fruit drinks, baked goods, condiments, dairy products, processed foods, and fast food. Adding sugar to the diet adds energy without adding any other nutrients. This means there is little the body can do with those calories but use them for energy (if you move enough) or store them as fat.Fats: Many fats are counted as empty calories, as they provide few additional nutrients to the body. They include butter, margarine, and vegetable shortening, and exclude certain healthy fats, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Excess fats are found in or added to foods like cakes and pies; cookies, muffins, and biscuits; chips and crackers; fast food and take out; pizza, whole milk; processed meat products, such as hot dogs, bacon, and hamburgers. It is true that healthy fats are an important part of a balanced diet. Healthy fats include avocados, nuts and seeds, and olive oil. Keep in mind excessive fat content, particularly from saturated and Trans fats, adds unnecessary calories while providing little of the necessary building blocks to sustain life.Alcoholic Drinks: Empty calories many times come from processed foods and sweets; however, many extra calories can come from drinking alcohol. Beer is a grain-based alcoholic beverage that is usually rich in carbohydrates and little else. This can quickly add unnecessary calories to the diet. Mixed drinks, usually made with syrups, fruit drinks, and drink mixes, contain a lot of excess sugar. Wine also has high sugar content.How to avoid empty calories: This is what I want you to take a serious look at! You can limit empty calories by making simple changes in your diet. Moving away from a heavily processed diet has helped many people lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Eliminating or limiting empty calories starts with eating foods that are more nutritious. In general, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, and lean proteins are the choices you want to make. I am going to lay out some simple steps that will be helpful and direct you toward a healthier lifestyle. Cut out processed foods: My first suggestion is to reduce the intake of empty calories you may be consuming by cutting out the number of processed foods and fast foods you may be consuming. Planning a number of meals to cook at home each week can turn this into a long-term habit.Plan meals in advance: Meal planning may also help you avoid empty calories. While there may not be spare time every day to cook each meal, most people can find 1 day a week to plan and cook their meals at home. I choose Sundays to do my planning. It just works for me. Having a plan truly helps. Change drinking habits: Many empty calories are found in drink choices. Sweetened tea and coffee, soft drinks, and fruit-based drinks can add a surprising amount of calories to the diet. Work on replacing these with water, unsweetened tea or coffee, or sparkling water. This may also mean reducing alcohol intake. Truly, this is a necessary step you may just need to take for your overall health! Having nutritious snacks on handA great way to avoid high-calorie snacking is be ready for those hunger craves. I have some great suggestions: For salty snacks, baked potato chips vs fried or a few salted nuts. For sweet cravings, a fruit salad or fruit smoothie can stop a craving vs reaching for a candy bar. The Bottom LineA healthy diet can be a daily habit. Limiting the amount of empty calories you eat per day can help you maintain your ideal weight and achieve your health goals over time. Additionally, replacing empty calories with nutritious foods and drinking more water versus pop can contribute to your overall health and well-being. *Teaching your children to avoid empty calories will also help them choose their own nutritious foods later in life. Be the example. Make it a great week all. Look forward to seeing you next week!God speed,Tammy Cowden & Chance, too! ................
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