Follow The Health Equation
In losing weight, you do not simply target to drop your excess pounds. You also have to consider your
health condition aiming to live longer. You now know that Dr. Fuhrman’s
formula expressed in the equation H = N/C is crucial to a longer life.
You also realize that the key in using this formula for longer life is to increase
your intake of food with high nutrient density and decrease your intake of
unhealthy food, especially those with empty nutrients and low in fiber.
To appreciate and apply this formula more effectively, it will help if you understand why you need to
follow it in the first place. To do this, here are some of the common practices in human nutrition along
with the effects of these practices to weight and health.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Having a Sweet Tooth
It is human nature to have a sweet tooth. It is for this reason that this human nature can also be an
advantage when losing weight healthily. Your sweet tooth can direct you to one of the types that has
high nutrient-density- fruits.
Several studies prove that in consuming fruits, you are equipping your body with the strongest shield
against some types of the deadly ‘C’, namely: lung, pancreatic, prostate, esophageal and oral cancers.
Fruits are indispensable in benefiting from a healthy weight loss diet.
Other health benefits of fruits are the following:
• Delays the aging process
• Slows brain deterioration
• The strongest weapon in lowering mortality rate from cancers
The disadvantage of sweet tooth is that most people choose to satisfy it with commercial products filled
with refined sugar. Refined sugar is a major contributor to excess weight and all its complications.
Clearly, to benefit from having a sweet tooth, redirect your craving to eating fresh fruits.
The Problem with Refined Food
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The problem with sugar and other refined food items is that while they encourage your sweet tooth and
increase your food consumption, they are deficient in nutrients and fiber. Unregulated consumption of
the food results with weight gain, and deficiency in nutrients and fiber triggers multiple health
problems.
With scientific and medical proof of their link, some of these health problems are the following:
• Cancers specifically oral, colorectal, stomach, breast, intestinal, thyroid, and respiratory tract
• Diabetes
• Heart diseases
• Gallbladder
Do you have to give up eating refined food or dishes with refined food ingredients? While it is
preferable, Dr. Fuhrman suggests that you do not have to give it up completely. However, it is better to
choose these food items carefully, and limit their intake.
For instance, if you have to eat pasta, choose whole-grain or bean pasta and then use only small
quantity as much as possible. In its place, you can increase your green veggies such as lettuce, kale,
spinach as well as onions, mushroom, and tomatoes. As much as you can, avoid those that have white
flour as the main ingredient.
Food items that undergo refining are substantially deficient in nutrients. While you can see food
products carrying the labels “enriched” or “fortified”, they are still deficient in nutrients and the
enrichment and fortification are only about ten percent (10%) that usually comes from adding synthetic
vitamins and minerals.
Clearly, your food choice matters in losing weight. Choose food items that are as close to their natural
condition as possible to enjoy healthy weight loss.
Not All Whole Food is Healthy
Nevertheless, you should also be aware that not all whole-grain food is healthy. There are those that
involve processing already stripping them of their nutrients and health benefits. For instance, whole
grain cereals have already lost most of their nutritional value from processing, as well as finely ground
whole wheat.
Following this, if you are to buy your oatmeal, avoid the instant variety as they no longer contain the
nutritional value associated with oats. To avoid cooking, you can soak your oats for a certain number of
hours before consumption.