Q. I’m a 30-year-old man and I’m struggling to gain weight. I exercise 5-7 hours a week. My health is good. I really enjoy vegetables and other healthy foods, but it’s hard to get enough calories without adding soda and dessert to my meal of chicken salad, for example. I know sugar causes a host of bad health effects, but what alternatives are there? How can I get more calories without causing collateral damage?
A. You’re absolutely right: You don’t want to get those extra calories by loading up on soda and dessert!
Simply substituting chicken or turkey for beef or pork doesn’t necessarily make a recipe healthier. Find out why red meat can sometimes be the better choice and learn the healthiest choices for both red and white meat in this week’s podcast.
Q. I started an exercise regime that says I should eat more than I normally do so that my body will burn the calories to lose the weight. The exercises are weight training and cardio and last about 45-60 min per day/ 5 days a week. Is it true that we should to eat more to burn more? I’m have been on the program for 90 days with minimal weight loss.
A. I wish you’d written about 89 days ago because I’m afraid you’ve been given some bad information. Simply eating more (or eating more frequently) does not cause your body to burn calories at a faster rate than it otherwise would. Continue reading “Ask Monica: Should I Eat More to Burn More?”>
A couple of readers have written this week with variations on this question.
Gwen notes that many weight loss plans allow for unlimited amounts of vegetables and wonders whether this rule is really a good one or whether some restrictions make sense. Jim says he’s not dieting but he’s gradually increased his vegetable intake to the point that he’s now eating up to five pounds of vegetables a day. He wonders whether that may be excessive and whether he should be concerned that almost all of the calories in vegetables come from (natural) sugars.
Obviously, you can overdo just about anything…even water. Drink several gallons of water in a short period of time and and you can put yourself into a hyponatremic coma. (Don’t try this at home.)
But assuming you’re not actually trying to hurt yourself, how easy would it be to get yourself in trouble by eating too many vegetables? All in all, not that easy. In most vegetables, the ratio of water and fiber to calories and sugar is high enough to keep you from from over-doing it. But as you appear to be craving some guidelines, here are a few:
Curry powder adds a sophisticated twist to this fruit and veggie salad, along with an anti-inflammatory boost. Perfect for brown bag lunches and picnics, this salad goes well with grilled or cold chicken.
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
grated lime peel
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 large apple, cored (but not peeled) and diced
1 large carrot, shredded
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup seedless raisins
1. In medium bowl, stir together mayonnaise, lime juice, lime peel, and curry powder.
2. Add apple, carrot, walnuts, and raisins and stir to combine.
Nutrition information (per serving): Calories 168, Carbohydrates 20g, Fiber 3g, Sugar 13g (added sugar <1g), Protein 2g, Fat 10g.
Q. I watch my sugar intake and I’ve been searching for a healthy granola bar. Finally, I found Larabars at my grocery store: Only three ingredients and no added sugar. Awesome! My only concern is that the sugar content, while derived completely from dates, is very high. If I’m limiting my added sugar intake, should I also pay attention to sugars from natural sources? Thank you for your advice!
A. You have to be impressed by a processed food with only three ingredients! But I’m glad you didn’t let the glare of that health halo blind you to the high sugar content.
In terms of “added sugars,” the Larabars squeak through on a technicality. Added sugars usually refers to refined sugar and other concentrated sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. (Yup, even though they’re natural, they’re considered added sugars!) The naturally-occurring sugars in whole fruit and dairy products are usually given an exemption.
By the usual definition, the dates in your granola bar wouldn’t be considered added sugar. But, frankly, dates are about as close as you can get to sugar and still call yourself a fruit. (For that matter, I guess sugar cane could technically be considered a whole grain!)
How Nutritious are Dates?
An ounce of medjool dates contains 19 grams of sugar and 2 grams of fiber. An ounce of honey provides 23 grams of sugar and 0 grams of fiber. Neither one is a significant source of vitamins or minerals. (Click the links to see the complete nutrition facts.)
Aside from a gram or two of fiber, a bar sweetened with dates is really not that much different from a bar sweetened with honey. Ask yourself this: If the bar were sweetened with honey instead of dates, would it be more sugar than you’d be willing to eat? Although I’m all for whole foods and short ingredient lists, I agree with you that a bar with less sugar might be a better choice.
Q. I’m a 30-year-old man and I’m struggling to gain weight. I exercise 5-7 hours a week. My health is good. I really enjoy vegetables and other healthy foods, but it’s hard to get enough calories without adding soda and dessert to my meal of chicken salad, for example. I know sugar causes a host of bad health effects, but what alternatives are there? How can I get more calories without causing collateral damage?
