Ready Set Win! Subtract 300 Calories Each Day
By Sandy Schroeder
If you look closely at the suggestion to cut 300 calories from your daily diet, you may recognize it as the basis for many popular diet programs. Now it is showing up in a research study for heart health.
According to a new study from Duke University, cutting 300 calories per day could significantly benefit cardiovascular health for individuals, including ones of normal weight.
Three hundred calories adds up to two chocolate chip cookies or a cup of ice cream. Or it could mean doing smaller portions of meat and potatoes with a bigger scoop of veggies for dinner.
Check the Benefits
Either way, the researchers found people who followed the 300-less daily calorie diet lowered their blood pressure, reduced bad cholesterol and had a 24 percent drop in triglycerides, a form of fat in the blood.
Wherever you are in the weight spectrum, from normal to overweight, this may be a simple way to improve heart health and stay trim or become trimmer.
I did a version of this program some time ago and shed 20 pounds over six months. That worked out to be about a pound or more per week. It is not speedy, but it does retrain you to look at what you are eating, and can help you create new healthier eating habits.
Give It a Go
If you like the idea, try it out with a few simple steps.
- Keep a daily food diary showing what you ate and what your daily calorie intake was
- Shop for more fruits and veggies, leaner meats, poultry and fish, and healthy oils such as olive oil
- Review your diary daily to see what worked the best
- Avoid friends who gravitate to pizza and beer, and skip driving by your favorite franchises
- Make a point of eating with others instead of the TV or your computer
- Keep looking for new recipes and dishes that you and your family enjoy that are not loaded with fats or sugar.
- Pair your new diet with 30 minutes of daily exercise
If the diet works, keep rotating recipes, foods and menus. You may find your tastes for sugar, salt and fats may change, making avocados, cucumbers and hummus more appealing than franchise burgers and fries. You may also find nothing tastes as good as thin feels as you and your heart thrive.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Mesa, Ariz