Why You Should Ditch Low-Fat, Zero-Calorie Foods

If you’re looking to lose weight or even just maintain your good health, your first course of action should be to revisit your grocery shopping habits. If you’re like most people, chances are you gravitate towards healthy-sounding products that carry “low-fat,” “0% fat” or zero-calorie labels. However, in doing so, you’re not making the healthy choices you think you are.
Experts say that while phrases like “low-fat” and “zero-calorie” are incredibly enticing to health conscious people, foods with such designations actually have the potential to harm your health. Every time you eat such foods, you increase your risk of gaining weight, suffering from nutrient deficiency and developing diseases like diabetes and cancer.

Low-fat foods can make you eat more and can lead to serious health problems

As for weight loss, a Cornell University study found that individuals consume up to 28% more food when they’re eating low-fat options, demonstrating that people tend to overindulge when they’ve been eating something that sounds healthy. Either they eat more than the suggested portion size of the low-fat food of choice, or—because they’ve been eating low-fat products regularly—they think it’s alright to feast on the likes of pizza and ice cream. Either way, they’re taking in excessive amounts of foods with the thought that “low-fat” is synonymous with “low-calorie.” Consequently, they end up in a constant struggle with their expanding waistlines. Interestingly, the researchers in the Cornell study also found that people would even eat foods they typically didn’t enjoy just because they had a “low-fat” label.
Contrary to what many people think, foods with the right kind of fats are good for you; scientists have found no significant evidence linking certain dietary fats with a higher risk of heart disease. Information discussed at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria, also found that eating full-fat dairy products like butter, cream and whole milks can reduce, not contribute to, the risk of developing diabetes.
Coconut, naturally-fed meats and nuts are some foods containing types of fats that won’t destroy your health. Coconuts, for example, are associated with aiding the fat-burning process and bolstering brain function, while some meats contain an amazing mix of essential vitamins and minerals.
It’s even been found that eating a low-fat diet plays a role in lowering the “good” cholesterol (HDL). Furthermore, experts note that low-fat meals contribute to diabetes, heart disease, cancer and lower testosterone. There’s something to be said for eating foods as they exist naturally, without the questionable chemical and processing modifications that make them able to carry “low fat” or “reduced fat” labels in the first place.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should eat these items in excess. As with anything, moderation and sticking to recommended portion sizes is essential.

Zero-calorie foods confuse your body and have the potential to destroy health

When it comes to calorie control, those low-calorie or zero-calorie items containing artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on your health. Whether you tear open the packets and stir them into your coffee or buy diet soda that already contains the ingredient, you’re lessening your chances of losing weight and are harming your health in the process.
For example, studies have found that zero-calorie sodas end up making you feel hungrier; your body actually becomes confused due to the fact that it’s not getting any energy or nutrition during the digestive process. Sure, you’re satisfied with the thirst-quenching sweetness, but over time you will find yourself in a mode that essentially becomes numb to what constitutes “sweet” because you’re so used to the false tastes coming from those pink, yellow or blue packets.
Even worse than feeling hungrier than normal and potentially overeating as a result is that eating zero-calorie products containing artificial sweeteners are linked to headaches, fatigue and cancers, although claims about this topic remain controversial.
Avoiding foods with healthy fats or consuming zero calorie items robs your body of essential nutrients, so you’re depriving yourself of what’s needed to function optimally. So, next time you’re in the grocery store, consider swapping that skim milk for whole milk and reaching for regular yogurts instead of ones that make low-fat promises. In many instances, you’ll even find that the calorie difference isn’t shocking. Yes, the total will be higher, but in the case of many yogurts (for example), you’ll see that the difference may be closer to 30 calories than 300.


Sources:
http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/outreach/low-fat.html
http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/13572-full-fat-dairy-reduce-diabetes.html
http://vegetarianspotlight.com/2012/zero-calories-zero-benefits-why-diet-sodas-are-bad-for-you/
http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/food/dangers-artificial-sweeteners
http://authoritynutrition.com/7-ways-the-low-fat-diet-destroys-your-health/
http://www.aphroditewomenshealth.com/news/20061115004304_health_news.shtml