Lose Weight Program > The foods by category, with calorie counts

ANIMAL PROTEIN FOODS -- MILK, MEAT, EGGS, CHEESE

Reasons why: Protein foods satisfy your appetite earlier, make it content with fewer calories. Protein calories step up your metabolism and tend to use up more energy, hence are more effective in reducing weight than fat or carbohydrate calories.



Proteins help to eliminate surplus water from the tissues (70 per cent of your weight is water). Animal proteins are necessary to supplement the less complete ones of vegetable foods. Proteins are indispensable in restoring vital tissues -- the "raw meat" of your own body. They also enter into the manufacture of vital hormones, enzymes, and blood. Vitamin A from animal proteins is better assimilated if you use mineral-oil dressings than are precursors of the vitamin from vegetable foods. Include a minimum of 325 protein calories in your diet; 400 or more is even better. Foods listed in italic type are of particular value in reducing diets.



VEGETABLES

Reasons why: They satisfy your need for bulk because you can eat large quantities without taking in many calories (except for legumes, which are high in fat). Vegetables are valuable carriers of vitamins and minerals, and provide bulk for intestinal roughage. Choose a substantial proportion of your carbohydrate calories from vegetables rather than from concentrated sweets and sugars, which have low. mineral and vitamin values. Generally speaking, the proteins of vegetables are inferior, except for the legumes, but they increase in value when supplemented by animal proteins. Vegetables should be boiled, baked, or eaten raw, since frying adds fat and increases calorie values hugely.



FRUITS

Reasons why: Fruits are excellent carriers of vitamins and minerals and, like vegetables, most of them leave an alkaline ash that helps prevent acidosis in restricted diets. Fruits are outstanding for carbohydrate calories, because of their content of natural sugars and starches. When canned in heavy syrups, fruits may more than double their calorie values if the juice is used in average servings. By choosing water-packed or "diabetic" canned fruits, you can consume twice the quantity with no greater calorie intake. Containing natural sugars, most fruits are not low in calorie value.



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