When we buy processed foods from a shopping centre we know what we are buying because there is a ingredients list on the packaging, which is mandatory for processed foods. For natural foods like fruit and vegetables, no health advice is considered necessary because they are 'naturally' rich in nutrients for our bodies.
This is not the case for foods that we consume in restaurants and other take-out food stores that is made on the premises. Few such businesses provide details as to their food ingredients or the calorific value of their foods. This of course makes a healthy selection more difficult. Either we can take an interest in these issues, we can limit the amount of 'unidentify calorific intake' or we can adjust by changing our exercise regime.
What we really want to know from these businesses is the following:
1. What is the calorific value of the foods they sell?
2. Are the products made from natural ingredients?
3. How much added sugar is there?
If you are not asking those questions or the processed food vendor is not offering you an answer, then you need to be asking yourself - What amount of exercise do I need to perform to regulate my weight level?
Monday, December 31, 2007
Cakes vs Pies
Not all pies and cakes are the same. Among the biggest ingredients of cakes and pies are flour, oil and sugar. Cakes tend to be sweeter and lighter because they tend to have more flour, flour and sugar. In contrast, pies tend to have higher oil content to make the pastry more malleable, so its less inclined to break apart during preparation an baking. Much depends on what filling is used in the cakes and pies. Pies containing a fruit, vegetable or meat filling are healthier than ones containing custard (higher sugar and animal fat). Fillings can also have a high amount of added sugar to sweeten the filling.
Eating alot of pie or cake is going to increase your calorie intake - so all things being equal - you need to increase the amount of exercise you perform or reduce other sources of calories if you are to effectively manage your weight.
As far as the question of which food group is best for you - I make the following observations:
1. Cakes are lighter so you are more likely to eat more
2. Pies have higher calorific value but require more energy consumption to break down the fats (oil), protein (any meat filling) and complex carbohydrates (vegetable or fruit)
3. Cakes tend to have higher sugar contents. The problem with eating large amounts of sugar is that it is readily absorbed into the bloodstream and the excess used to create fat. In addition, the sudden drop in sugar in the blood is likely to make you crave more food.
4. The higher oil content content in pies is likely to fill you up faster, so you are likely to feel more satisfied eating pies than cakes.
5. Oils are not all the same, and cannot simply be considered bad for you. In fact, the human body requires fats for important bodily functions. The oil used in cakes and pies is vegetable oil, which is considered 'good fat'. Animal fats are considered 'bad fats'. Nuts are also good fats and eggs are bad fats.
6. Fillings tend to feature as an important constituent of pies - more so than cakes. If the pie is based on natural ingredients like vegetables and fruit, you can expect pies to offer greater nutritional value than cakes. The amount of carrot in a carrot cake is far less than a carrot based pie, but also be mindful of the added sugar added to sweeten that apple pie.
In the modern diet most people tend to be eating excess calories, so its important to regulate total calorie intake. The best way of doing that is including exercise in your daily activity so you stay fit and increase your metabolic rate. You should also monitor your body mass so that you can adjust your exercise regime to moderate your weight.
Eating alot of pie or cake is going to increase your calorie intake - so all things being equal - you need to increase the amount of exercise you perform or reduce other sources of calories if you are to effectively manage your weight.
As far as the question of which food group is best for you - I make the following observations:
1. Cakes are lighter so you are more likely to eat more
2. Pies have higher calorific value but require more energy consumption to break down the fats (oil), protein (any meat filling) and complex carbohydrates (vegetable or fruit)
3. Cakes tend to have higher sugar contents. The problem with eating large amounts of sugar is that it is readily absorbed into the bloodstream and the excess used to create fat. In addition, the sudden drop in sugar in the blood is likely to make you crave more food.
4. The higher oil content content in pies is likely to fill you up faster, so you are likely to feel more satisfied eating pies than cakes.
5. Oils are not all the same, and cannot simply be considered bad for you. In fact, the human body requires fats for important bodily functions. The oil used in cakes and pies is vegetable oil, which is considered 'good fat'. Animal fats are considered 'bad fats'. Nuts are also good fats and eggs are bad fats.
6. Fillings tend to feature as an important constituent of pies - more so than cakes. If the pie is based on natural ingredients like vegetables and fruit, you can expect pies to offer greater nutritional value than cakes. The amount of carrot in a carrot cake is far less than a carrot based pie, but also be mindful of the added sugar added to sweeten that apple pie.
In the modern diet most people tend to be eating excess calories, so its important to regulate total calorie intake. The best way of doing that is including exercise in your daily activity so you stay fit and increase your metabolic rate. You should also monitor your body mass so that you can adjust your exercise regime to moderate your weight.
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