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Q: I’m concerned
about your advice to eat more dried beans – aren’t
they high-calorie?
A: Legumes (dry beans and peas) are higher in calories
than an equal portion of vegetables like broccoli and peppers,
but they may end up actually helping weight control. Here’s
the key: Instead of simply adding dried beans to your diet, let
them replace something else you’re currently eating. Identify
foods you typically eat that supply calories without adding the
nutrients you need. Or perhaps there are healthy foods that you
eat in amounts beyond what you need. One half-cup of legumes
contains about 110 to 150 calories. If you use beans to replace
some of the meat in a casserole or part of a portion of white
rice, you will not add extra calories to your meal. If including
a hearty portion of dried beans in your soup or salad means that
your meal now satisfies your hunger longer and you snack less
afterward, your overall calorie consumption again stays even.
You raise an important point: Just because a food is "healthy,"
if it ends up causing undesirable weight gain it’s not protecting
your health. But in the case of dried beans, the nutrients, fiber
and compounds they provide are so valuable it’s worth looking
for other foods they can replace.
Q: I heard that the
FDA declared a lot of weight-loss supplements unsafe. What ingredients
should I look for to check safety?
A: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified
69 weight-loss supplements as illegal because they are tainted
with active pharmaceutical ingredients that are not listed on
product labels. According to U.S. laws, manufacturers are responsible
for their products’ safety and for label information that
is not misleading. In this case, the supplements in question
are reportedly contaminated with pharmaceutical ingredients found
in prescription medicines. These ingredients, when given in improper
amounts or to the wrong person, can cause high blood pressure,
palpitations, seizures, DNA damage, allergic reactions or other
problems. To check whether a supplement is on the list of contaminated
products, go to the FDA
website. But just because a supplement is not on this
list or claims it is "natural" or "herbal"
does not mean it is safe. Check with your health professional
before you try any supplements. When it comes to weight-loss
supplements, evidence is sparse that any non-prescription product
is both safe and effective. |
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