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Milk and Weight Loss?
A
nice cold glass of milk may sound like the perfect
drink to quench your thirst but have you been
shying away from this frothy beverage because
of fat calories? Have you sworn off all dairy
products for fear of weight gain? Well, it may
be time to rethink your weight loss strategy.
New research shows that the calcium found in dairy
products may actually help you lose weight and
maintain a leaner body. Now that's news we can
all use!
Scientists
at the University of Tennessee have found that
drinking low-fat milk (approximately three, eight-ounce
glasses) each day may help the body increase its
fat burning potential. The researchers conducted
studies on lab mice and then applied their results
to consumers by analyzing the data from the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES
III). When they applied the lab results to the
NHANES data they found that people who ate more
low-fat dairy products had less body fat. It also
seems that a diet high in low-fat dairy products
may help decrease the amount of fat produced by
fat cells as well as stimulate the body's "fat
burning" mechanisms. And, researchers from Purdue
University found that women who received a minimum
of 780 milligrams of calcium per day either lost
weight or gained less weight over the span of
a two-year period than women who did not receive
as much calcium.
So,
now that you've got the green light for diary
products, here's a little bit of caution. First,
to help you reduce calories, try low-fat or fat
free dairy products. Low-fat and skim milk still
provide the same amount of calcium and other vitamins
and minerals as the full-fat version, but without
the added fat and calories. Secondly, even low-fat
and fat-free dairy products still contain calories
and calories count no matter what you're eating!
So, if you want to incorporate more dairy products
into your diet, make sure you account for the
calories in those products and adjust your diet
accordingly. And, don't forget about the exercise
component. Although reducing calories is an effective
means of losing weight, exercising will help give
your metabolism a boost and burn even more calories.
Here
are some tips for adding more dairy products to
your diet:
-
For
variety, buy low-fat chocolate or strawberry
milk.
-
Add
fresh or frozen fruit to fat-free or low-fat
cottage cheese or yogurt. Top with a tablespoon
of granola for added crunch!
-
Make
a smoothie using low-fat or skim milk or yogurt.
Add fresh fruit, peanut butter or other tasty
ingredients.
-
Milk
is not just for breakfast. Have a nice cold
glass with dinner.
-
For
a refreshing change, try a "diet soda float."
Add ½ cup of low-fat vanilla ice-cream and
your favorite diet soda for a true summertime
treat!
Don't
forget to check out this week's latest articles
and meal plans. Learn more about spinning as well
as the "right" way to dress a salad. And, you
won't want to miss this week's Featured Recipe:
"Lite" Lemonade with Ginger.
Yours
in Good Health,
Beth
Hubrich, MS, RD
Director, Health and Nutrition Communications
CaloriesCount.com
P.S.
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