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HEALTH AND FOOD
Extracts from an article published on June´s issue of Cosmopolitan: www.COSMOPÒLITAN .CO.UK
Are you an accidental eater? You ‘re sticking to your diet, so why’s the flab still sticking to your hips? That’ll be those hidden fat traps you’re falling into without even knowing it….. H
CALORIES YOU DRINK DO COUNT.
Coffee, Coke, cocktails…If they don’t fill you up, their calories don’t count, surely? Sorry, but they do. A new US study found that overweight people who swapped soft drinks for water lost around 5lbs in six months. Not hard to believe when you consider a Prêt A Manger latte has the same calories as two Soleros- but won’t fill you up half as much. Your brain doesn’t register liquid calories in the same way as solids, so it doesn’t send out the’ I’m full’ signals that stop you sipping more. And when it comes to alcohol? Step away from the cocktails. “It´s hard to keep track of how many calories you’re knocking back as they often contain three times more spirits than you’d normally have in one drink,”says nutrition lecturer Dr. Sue Reeves. For example a Long Island Iced Tea has 275 calories- more than a McDonalds’s Hamburger. If you must drink cocktails stick to the ones with just one type of alcohol like a Sea Breeze, with just 140 calories.
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TV SNACKING IS DEADLY You weren’t even published when The Voice started – so how come you’ve inhaled eight Celebrations and 288 calories before Tom Jones has even mentioned his good friend Elvis? When we eat in front of the TV- or on our laptops, or reading a book- we do it without thinking. “ The more we focus on what we’re watching, the more we forget how much we’ve eaten” says Dr. Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating. Counter this by putting a small portion of your snack into a bowl. And never eating straight from the packet- it’s way too easy to scoff the lot.
ARE YOU AN ACCIDENTAL EATER? MEAT-FREE DOESN’T MEAN FAT-FREE THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS Thought these snacks were diet-friendly? Think again… • Starbucks Nut Mix: 401 calories/25.2 g fat. • Tesco Celery, Fruit & Nut Salad:390 calories/ 34.5 g fat ( 3tbsp serving) • Marks & Spencer Banana, Date & Oat Probiotioc Smoothie: 225 cal/1.5g fat • Starbucks Granola Bar:397 calories/25.2 g fat
+ The decor of your favorite romantic bistro is designed to make you linger longer and thus eat more.
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RESTAURANTS DON’T CARE… IF YOU GAIN WEIGHT. “The longer you stay in a restaurant, the more you’ll spend” says Dr. Brian. Compare the soft music and nice décor of your favorite bistro with bright lights and fast music found in takeaway joints that favor a quick turnover. Then there’s what happens in the kitchen… Dieters know lashings of butter and oil make food tastier, but tend to avoid them at home. But restaurants aren’t quite so worried- they just want you to come back, so don’t skimp on fattening (but delicious) ingredients. Maybe it’s time to learn how to cook your favorite pasta dish at home…
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AVOIDING TEMPTATION TRAPS THE GREATER CHOICE OF FOOD ON OFFER, THE MORE WE EAT
Weddings, work parties, festivals and all-inclusive holidays have been the undoing of many dieter, because they give us easy access to large amounts of food. “ The greater the choice of food on offer, the more we eat” explains Dr. Sue. And the more people you eat with, the more you can manage, making social occasions particularly deadly. But there’s an easy way to rein yourself in. “ Never have more than two items on your plate at any one time” says Dr. Brian. “ You can go back if you’re still hungry, but the lack of variety slows down and you end up eating less.” YOUR BODY COUNTS ‘ SNEAKY’ CALORIES- EVEN IF YOU DON’T . Wonder why scales haven’t budged despite your religiously counting calories? According to studies, slimmers underestimate their intake by a massive 500 calories a day. It’s not easy tracking every morsel that passes your lips- but be aware that it’s the little thing that count. Those four oven chips you swiped from his plate contain 48 calories. Half a slice of Starbucks carrot cake shared with a friend has 280 calories. And that sliver of Parmesan you nibbled while cooking dinner? That’s 40 calories consumed in seconds, and forgotten even sooner.
VOCABULARY YOU NEED TO KNOW about …. FOOD Fat Carbohydrates Proteins DCI - Daily Calory Intake To lose/put on weight To nibble To go on a diet dieter morsel Obesity/obese (adj) ‘sneaky’ calory bistro to linger to skimp on fattening take-away fat-free diet-friendly to fill you up overweight /underweight people to swap for to keep track of your weight soda/fizzy drinks salty hot/spicy bitter/sour/sweet still/ sparkling water dressing to eat out
READING COMPRENHENSION QUESTIONS
1. According to the article, what shouldn’t be done if you don’t want to gain weight?
2. What is the difference between restaurants and take-aways?
3. Could you explain the concept of a ‘sneaky calory’?
4. Are certain snacks diet-friendly?
5. Should you avoid eating in front of the TV or your laptop? Explain why.
6. From your point of view: why is it important to stick to a healthy diet and keep track of your DCI? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________