Vegetables...the best food to lose weight - but raw isn't always bestVegetables are the foundation of a great sustained weight loss. Not only do vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, but they are low in calories and high in fiber. But there are a few simple thoughts that might help when thinking about vegetables. Raw is not necessarily the best way to get the vitamins and minerals out. There is a movement of people who believe that one should only eat raw vegetables because that is the best form -- this group, which has great intentions -- has never really done research on whether they get more nutrition from something raw or cooked. But, as with all science, making an assumption often proves wrong-- even if it sounds like it should be the correct one. For many vegetables a bit of cooking allows the nutrition to be released from the indigestible fibrous matrix so that our bodies can absorb them. The British Journal of Nutrition studied a group of Germans who adhered to the "raw food" diet -- where 95% of their food comes from raw vegetables. They discovered that 80% of this group had low levels of lycopene. Lycopene is a potent anti-oxidant that is found in tomatoes and other "red" vegetables -- and some believe is an important factor in fighting disease. Fried is probably the worst way to prepare vegetables. Not surprising. Boiling is the best way to prepare most vegetables Steaming might actually be second best way to prepare vegetables. Boiling is better for carrots, zuchinni, and broccoli. For these vegetables the fat soluble vitamins, A,D, E, and K as well as carotenoids (another anti-oxidant) had better levels when prepped with a bit of water in boiling. There are compromises with boiling, as levels of polyphenols were lost with boiling. Salad dressings can be a big source of fat caloriesOne other surprising factor is this: what you eat with your salsa (one of our favorites) and salad is important. Often salad is a vehicle for high-fat dressings. It is easy to eat a lot of salad for most WLS patients - most go right down, and eating too much high fat can contribute to a hidden calorie. Still, a bit of fat -- such as avocados is ok. Again, moderation in all things. An Ohio State study showed that when salad or salsa was accompanied by avocado or a rich salad dressing the people had absorbed more lycopene, lutein, and beta-carotene than those who had low-fat dressing or just plain vegetables. But as summer comes- we get two more fun choices: grilling vegetables and eating more salsa. Enjoy the summer! 51 is the new 31...Weight loss has a lot of benefits.A reduction in excess weight leads to better control, if not outright eradication of type 2 diabetes, the heart feels better, you sleep better, and the joints like having less stress. In fact, most people note that older Americans are typically thinner -- especially the healthy ones. But also, people note that they have better thinking as they lose weight -- perhaps this is because they sleep better at night and are more alert. So -- on a personal note, this year I feel younger than I did last year. Pretty soon I will have to figure what I will do when I grow up!
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