If you hate counting calories but want to eat more and lose more, a study about nuts can help you understand how picking the right foods can simplify the weight loss equation.
In the study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, participants were asked to eat approximately 1 serving of walnuts per day for three weeks, and then the researchers collected urine and feces to determine how the energy from the nuts were being absorbed. It seems pretty boring (and maybe a little gross), until you see what happened.
The nuts were 185 calories. But, people only absorbed about 145 of those calories. That means people burned approximately 20 percent of the caloric content, which is a perfect example of how all calories are not equal.
This wasn’t the first time researchers witnessed this phenomenon. High-fiber foods tend to require more energy. The same can be said for protein. Some research suggests that up to 30 percent of your calories you eat from protein will be burned during the digestive process. In other words, for every 100 calories of protein you eat, your body might only absorb 70 calories.
Add it up, and research suggests that protein plus fiber are your best friends for controlling your hunger and calories. The reasoning is that when you eat protein and fiber, you’ll absorb fewer calories, feel fuller for longer, and help your brain feel more satisfied, so you crave less food. That combination will help you manage your hunger and lose weight, without ever counting a calorie.
—
Photo Credit: dizain / Shutterstock.com