Count 2000 Calories

This is a new post about when do you need to count 2000 calories, it explains the conditons during which you need to count 2000 calories.

Count 2000 Calories

A New Way to Count Calories

This is my new blog about a new way of counting calories. The main cause why I set this blog up is the difficulty in shifting from consuming 5000, 4000, or even 3000 Calories a day to
1000 or 800 Calories a day in some diet plans. It will deal with different types of food and how you can
derive the required information by yourself to start up , or maintain a weight loss plan.

Welcome to my new blog !.

Count 2000 Calories
This blog is about how,why and when should you count 2000 Calories every day.
Learn how to count by yourself !

About Me
Waheed Elqalatawy
Graduate of faculty of pharmacy. Worked in different pharmaceutical fields including, retail pharmacy , hospital pharmacy and in promotion and marketing in some European companies. I am self employed in a private pharmacy , yet I am not here to sell any thing. I keep reading about health topics since I was graduated to date. I have a personal experiment with counting calories, and any information included here is derived from an updated personal experience. Please ,if you are leaving my blog to another website, keep me away from click-fraud and do not click ads repeatedly. View my complete profile

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Why do You Count 2000 Calories
But why do you need to count 2000 calories, and over which period of time will you need to count 2000 calories?.
A human being needs around 2000 calories daily, and human race consumes more than 12 trillion calories (6 billion humans x 2000 calories) every day, the spare calories left after doing the basic activities are utilized to either build proteins mostly before the age of 30, or to build fats mostly after the age of 30.

Calorie Consumption Pattern Before 30 :
Over 30, the body has its own laws that work differently from that way we experienced before 30. From birth to full growth in the early 20s, the hormonal balance in our bodies is dominated by the anabolic hormonal orchestra that utilizes most of the consumed calories to build the body organs.
The anabolic - building - hormonal orchestra is composed primarily of Growth hormone, Sex hormones (mainly male sex hormone), together with Thyroid hormones.

Growth hormone and Calorie Regulation :
Growth hormone derives calories basically from fats (fatty acids), spares carbohydrates and build proteins. This is explained as follows :

* Growth hormone suppresses storage of calories in the form of fats by fat cells, through :
1- It stimulates fat cells to increase calorie production through stimulation of triglycerides breakdown and releasing fatty acids to be oxidized.
2- It decreases the ability of fat cells to store calories through suppressing their ability to take up and accumulate lipids.

* Growth hormone directs the body to consume calories in production of proteins, through stimulating the liver and other tissues to secrete insulin like growth hormone which is the key player in muscle growth, as it stimulates amino acid uptake and reduces their oxidation, thus preventing them from being used as a calorie source.

* Growth hormone carbohydrate sparing effect, preserves them to be stored in the "on-call" or "stand-by" form, i.e. Glycogen, so that they serve as the calorie store for prompt demand by the muscles and the Red Blood Corpuscles, moreover this effect helps maintain blood glucose within the normal range, and maintains supply of sufficient amounts of essential sugars required for structural purposes.

Sex Hormones and Calorie Regulation :

* Testosterone ( male sex hormone) stimulates protein metabolism, promotes burning of fats, and accelerates muscle growth, producing fat free muscle of greater size.
* Absence of Estrogen ( a female sex hormone) receptors in the brain of experimental rats, were found in a recent study in Rockefeller university, to lead to less calorie expenditure. The rats also developed several hallmarks, including glucose intolerance and resistance to insulin.

Calorie Consumption pattern After 30 :
1- Levels of Anabolic Hormones :
* Growth Hormone:At the age of 25 -the peak time for growth hormone- the total secreted amount is 600 mcg/day. It decreases by age and goes down to 15 percent of this amount at the age of 60-70, this ratio can be accelerated by unbalanced diet to happen at 40-50. Rough estimation of its level at different ages is as follows:At the age of 20, growth hormone secretion is 500 mcg/day, at the age of 40, growth hormone secretion is 200 mcg/day,at the age of 80, growth hormone secretion is 25 mcg/day.

* Sex hormones :
The high level of testosterone in males starts to decline in the third decade and this decline proceeds with age, leading to marked lower levels of bio available testosterone in substantial proportion of elderly men compared to the young adult male range.
In females, all hormones abruptly decline after menopause.

2- Calorie consumption pattern :
After 30 , there are different factors influencing calorie consumption pattern, these are :# Decreased levels of anabolic hormones.
# Decreased expenditure of calories with sedentary life.
# Abundance of nutrients that are in less demand.
# A battery of catabolic hormones, that degrade body tissues, primarily the muscles. They are present all the life time, yet some of them are not endocrine in nature ( not submitted to age changes ), they are available on demand in stress conditions ( fight or flight ), examples are: Cortisol and Epinephrine.

This new situation dictates the body to convert surplus calories into a storage form that meets the following criteria :
# It delivers the substrate for calorie production in a form that can be acted upon by the predominant hormones ( many of them derive calories from fatty acids, e.g. Epinephrine, Cortisol and Glucagon).
# It is an efficient storage form on weight basis, to store a lot of calories that are neither used for building tissues, nor consumed in physical activity.
The form that fulfils these criteria is FATS.

The base line is that whenever you need to consider changing your eating behaviour, you should start with the scientifically calculated calorie needs per day. You have to count 2000 calories every day.

Glycemic Index ( GI ) Food List

From this glycemic index food list we can see that most of the vegetables, most of beverages, and most of the low fat dairy products have low ratings on the glycemic index. Most of the bakery products, breads and biscuits have medium or high ratings on the glycemic index.Repeated revision of the list makes you taste the type of food glycemic index.

Low Glycemic Index ( Rating below 55 )

Vegetable and Beans :
Artichoke .............................................. 15
Asparagus.............................................. 15
Broccoli ................................................. 15
Cauliflower ........................................... 15
Celery ................................................... 15
Cucumber ............................................ 15
Eggplant ............................................... 15
Green beans ........................................ 15
Lettuce, all varieties ........................... 15
Peppers, all varieties .......................... 15
Snow peas ............................................ 15
Spinach ................................................. 15
Young summer squash ...................... 15
Tomatoes ............................................. 15
Zucchini ................................................ 15
Soy beans, boiled ................................ 16
Peas, dried ........................................... 22
Kidney beans, boiled .......................... 29
Lentils green, boiled ........................... 29
Chickpeas ............................................. 33
Haricot beans, boiled .......................... 38
Black-eyed beans ................................ 41
Chickpeas, tinned ................................ 42
Baked beans, tinned ........................... 48
Kidney beans, tinned ......................... 52
Lentils green, tinned .......................... 52

Fruits & Root Crop :
Cherries .............................................. 22
Grapefruit .......................................... 25
Apricots (dried) ................................ 31
Apples ................................................. 38
Pears ................................................... 38
Plums .................................................. 39
Peaches .............................................. 42
Oranges .............................................. 44
Grapes ................................................ 46
Kiwi fruit ............................................ 53
Bananas .............................................. 54
Carrots, cooked ................................. 39
Yam .................................................... 51
Sweet potato ..................................... 54

Pasta :

Spaghetti, protein enriched ............... 27
Fettuccine ............................................ 32
Vermicelli ............................................. 35
whole wheat ......................................... 37
Ravioli, meat filled .............................. 39
Spaghetti, white .................................. 41
Macaroni .............................................. 45

Dairy Foods
Yogurt low- fat (sweetened) ...................... 14
Yogurt low-fat (artificially sweetened)..... 15
Milk, chocolate ............................................. 24
Milk, whole ................................................... 27
Milk, Fat-free .............................................. 32
Milk, skimmed ............................................. 32
Milk, semi-skimmed ................................... 34
Ice-cream (low- fat) ................................... 50

Cereal Grains :
Pearl barley .................................................. 25
Rye ................................................................. 34
Wheat kernels .............................................. 41
Rice, instant .................................................. 46
Rice, parboiled .............................................. 48
Barley, cracked ............................................. 50
Beverages Soy milk ...................................... 30
Apple juice ..................................................... 41
Carrot juice .................................................... 45
Pineapple juice .............................................. 46
Grapefruit juice ............................................. 48
Orange juice ................................................... 52

Cereal Grains , Breakfast Cereals :
Pearl barley ................................................... 25
Rye .................................................................. 34
Wheat kernels ............................................... 41
Rice, instant ................................................... 46
Rice, parboiled ............................................... 48
Barley, cracked .............................................. 50
All-Bran .......................................................... 42
Porridge, non instant .................................... 49

Bakery Products & Breads :
Multi grain bread .......................................... 48
Whole grain .................................................... 50
Pound cake ..................................................... 54

Snack Food and Sweets :

Peanuts Low 15
M&Ms (peanut) ............................................. 32
Snickers bar ................................................... 40
Chocolate bar; 30g ........................................ 49
Jams and marmalade's ................................. 49
Crisps .............................................................. 54

Soups
Tomato soup, tinned ..................................... 38
Lentil soup, tinned ......................................... 44

=========

Intermediate Glycemic Index Food : ( Rating 55 - 70 GI )

Bakery Products & Bread :
Danish pastry ................................................ 59
Muffin (unsweetened) .................................. 62
Cake , tart ...................................................... 65
Cake, angel ..................................................... 67
Croissant ........................................................ 67
Pita bread, white ........................................... 57
Pizza, cheese .................................................. 60
Hamburger bun ............................................ 61
Rye-flour bread ............................................ 64
Whole meal bread ......................................... 69

Cereal Grains & Breakfast Cereals :
Rice, brown .................................................... 55
Rice, wild ........................................................ 57
Rice, white ..................................................... 58
Barley, flakes ................................................. 66
Taco Shell ....................................................... 68
Oat bran ......................................................... 55
Muesli ............................................................. 56
Mini Wheats (wholemeal) ............................ 57
Shredded Wheat ........................................... 69

Bakeries & Breads :
Danish pastry .................................................. 59
Muffin (unsweetened) .................................... 62
Cake , tart ......................................................... 65
Cake, angel ....................................................... 67
Croissant ........................................................... 67
Pita bread, white ............................................. 57
Pizza, cheese .................................................... 60
Hamburger bun ............................................... 61
Rye-flour bread ............................................... 64
Whole meal bread ........................................... 69

Biscuits :
Digestives ......................................................... 58
Shortbread ....................................................... 64
Water biscuits .................................................. 65
Ryvita ............................................................... 67


Fruits & Root Crops :
Fruit cocktail .................................................... 55
Mangoes ............................................................ 56
Apricots ............................................................. 57
Apricots (tinned in syrup) ............................. 64
Raisins ............................................................... 64
Pineapple .......................................................... 66
Potato, boiled ................................................... 56
Potato, new ....................................................... 57
Potato, tinned ................................................... 61
Beetroot ............................................................ 64
Potato, steamed ............................................... 65
Potato, mashed ................................................ 70

Snack Food and Sweets :
Popcorn ............................................................. 55
Mars bar ........................................................... 64
Table sugar (sucrose) ...................................... 65

Pasta :
Spaghetti, durum wheat ................................. 55
Macaroni cheese .............................................. 64

Dairy Products :
Ice-cream (low- fat) ........................................ 50
Ice-cream .......................................................... 61

Soups
Black bean soup, tinned .................................. 64
Green pea soup, tinned ................................... 66

==========

High Glycemic Index Food ( Rating Higher than 70 )


Bakery Products & Breads :
Waffles .............................................................. 76
Doughnut .......................................................... 76
White bread ..................................................... 71
White rolls ........................................................ 73
Baguette ........................................................... 95

Biscuits
Wafer biscuits .................................................. 77
Rice cakes ......................................................... 77

Fruits & Root Crop :
Watermelon ..................................................... 72
Potato, mashed ............................................... 70
Chips ................................................................ 75
Potato, micro waved ...................................... 82
Potato, instant ................................................ 83
Potato, baked ................................................. 85
Parsnips .......................................................... 97

Snack Food and Sweets :
Corn chips ...................................................... 74
Jelly beans ..................................................... 80
Pretzels .......................................................... 81
Dates .............................................................. 103

Cereal Grains & Brakfast Cereals :
Millet .............................................................. 71
Golden Grahams ........................................... 71
Puffed wheat ................................................. 74
Weetabix ........................................................ 77
Rice Krispies .................................................. 82
Cornflakes ...................................................... 83

Golden Grahams ............................................ 71
Puffed wheat .................................................. 74
Weetabix ......................................................... 77
Rice Krispies ................................................... 82
Cornflakes ....................................................... 83

Pasta :
Rice pasta, brown ........................................... 92
Broad beans ..................................................... 79

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Stop cravings with GI Diet at eDiets.com

Glycemic Index Food

Glycemic Index of food is one of its most important traits.

*** What is Glycemic Index
The glycemic index is a conventional measure of how quick a food can raise our blood sugar. Foods are given a rating from 0 to 100 on the glycemic index with glucose in the highest position.
The more the simple sugar - such as glucose, sucrose or starch - a food contains, the higher is its glycemic index rating, and vice verse, where food containing complex carbohydrate increases blood sugar slowly, and thus it has a low glycemic index rating.
If we are to assist weight loss or control diabetes we should be concerned about glycemic index of food we eat.

*** How does our bodies respond to different Glycemic Index ratings :
There are individual variations in response to different types of food with different glycemic index ratings. Factors controlling the body response to glycemic index may be divided into two sets:
* Factors related to the body includes:1- Age 2- Activity level 3-Time of the day when eating 4-Insulin activity 5- Body metabolism

* Factors related to food include :
1- Amount of fibers, fats and proteins in a food.
2- Ratio of carbohydrates to fats and proteins in a food.
3- How refined is a food,i.e. a food contains less fibers.
4- How processed is a food (are fats leaked out or added to a food, since fats slow down gastric motility).

The response of the body to glycemic index is determined by the carbohydrate form and content in a food on the one hand, and how quickly the intestines deliver glucose to the blood on the other hand.The intestines are the fixed element for 1 person and the changeable one is the food entering it.

The food either contains simple or complex carbohydrates. By simple we mean that carbohydrates are simply digested, and complex carbohydrates are indigestible.
If we look at the chemical structure of both starch (simple) and cellulose (complex), we find that the building unit is one and the same molecule (glucose), yet the way these building units are linked to each other determines its stereo shape, and consequently their reaction to enzymes. Animals including humans can only digest simple carbohydrates (starch), while complex carbohydrates (cellulose) can only be digested by bacteria, which digests cellulose for the ruminant animals, and then the animal digests bacteria.

Besides the low content of the complex, they have another property that affects glycemic index of a food, that is their ability to absorb a good deal of water which makes them move in an apathetic lagging pattern, and this in turn makes them:
1- Deliver their trapped digestible content slowly.
2- Consume calories along their way inside the digestive canal (that is what happens with negative calorie foods)

Food that contains starch, like pasta , white bread, and Potatoes will rate high on the glycemic index. More ratings for foods that contain simpler sugars such as soft drinks, sweets, candies,chocolate bars..etc
Foods that contain complex carbohydrates like whole grains, Rye bread, breakfast cereals (which are based on wheat bran, barley, and Oats),fruits, Lentils, Soybeans, baked beans...etc. have low glycemic index ratings.

The complex carbohydrates with low glycemic index may not necessarily be present in food as is in nature, rather it can be admixed with other types of food as made by some food manufacturers, and this incurs a new property to the food known as glycemic load , yet this is another story.

How to utilize Glycemic index :
1- If you appreciate what is in this article (hopefully you dig it), then you will find that glycemic index may be a helpful planning tool, specially when you watch your body response to types of food with different glycemic index ratings.
2- Low glycemic index food will release glucose over a longer period of time, and you will feel less inclined to eat, because energy is slowly released into the blood stream, a good tool for those planning to lose weight.
3- High glycemic index food is good for raising low blood sugar after intense exercising, whereas low glycemic food is good for maintaining blood sugar levels for longer periods of exercise.
4- A diabetic person can use glycemic index in conjunction with other meal programs to assist in managing diabetes.

LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX = 55
INTERMEDIATE GLYCEMIC INDEX = 55 - 70
HIGH GLYCEMIC INDEX = MORE THAN 70.

Stop cravings with GI Diet at eDiets.com

Extracts other than Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss

Extracts of many plants have been used for their health benefits knowingly or unknowingly, since long time ago. Among these are Tea extract, Celery extract, Grape fruit extract, Mustard extract, Apple cider vinegar, in addition to many other extracts which will be dealt with in this article.

1- Apple cider Vinegar :
Well branded variety should be used to ensure it is natural and pure.You will add 1 tablespoonful of this vinegar to 1 cup of water, mix and take it directly after meals. It is said that it interferes with digestion of foods, but probably the dissolved indigestible carbohydrates (pectins) may hook some nutrients so that they will not be absorbed , yet they are excreted.

2- Grape Leaves :
The extract is prepared by boiling the leaves with water. To make the extract, put 50 grams of washed grape leaves in 1 Liter of water over a quite heat, and leave until boiling, then put it down and leave to cool, clear or filtrate, and take 1.5 cups after meals.If you have the grape leaves powder, you can use 35 grams powder through the same procedure.

3- Fennel :
Extract of the powdered whole plant except seeds is used for weight loss. To make the extract, add 36 grams of the whole plant powder (except seeds) to 1/2 Liter water and put on quite heat until boiling,put down, clear or filter, leave to cool and then take 1 cup after meals

4- Rhubarbs
The extract is prepared by adding 1 teaspoonful of the coarse powder of Rhubarbs with 1 cup of boiling water, and taken as a whole without filtering after directly after meals.

5- Cumin seeds :
The extract is prepared by adding 1/2 teaspoonful of powdered Cumin seeds, and added to a cup of boiling water, stir, add a whole cut Lemon without discarding peel or seeds, cover and leave for 12 hours.The extract is taken before breakfast.

6- Evening Primrose
The extract of this plant is the evening primrose oil, which is a fixed oil and can be taken 1/2 teaspoonful 3 times daily. Thanks to its content of Linolenic acid, Primrose oil is very good for skin health,inflammatory disorders and women health in general.

7- Meadow sweet ( Filipendula Ulmaria) :
It contains flavonoidal and phenolic glycosides, as well as volatile oils. Its extract is prepared by immersing 1 tablespoonful of the plant in 1 cup of boiling water, leave over night , and drink 1 cup of the extract before breakfast.

8- Pineapples
We all know that the extract of the plant is its juice, yet it is better if you eat the whole fruit ( at least 1 fruit day). It contains Bromelin which facilitates digestion of foods.

8- Onions
If you want to take its extract , take 1 tablespoonful to be mixed with fruit or other vegetable juices. Nevertheless, eating onions as a whole may present the same effect.

9- Lady's Mantle :
The whole plant powder is used to prepare the extract.Add 1 teaspoonful to 1 cup of water and boiled , leave to cool, and drink 1 cup after breakfast and another cup after dinner.

10- Celery :
The extract is prepared by making it into juice, yet you can take the whole plant raw with other vegetables, unless you suffer indigestion.

11- Pyres Pears :
I t is the richest fruit with Potassium which can regulate diuresis apart from the harmful laxative and diuretic herbs. Is there a need to make an extract? it is better if enjoy its delicious taste.

As that is said about extracts, we can mention some other plants that are not necessarily taken as extracts, they can be eaten as raw, or added to other foods, they include :

1- Red Pepper :
It is said to boost metabolism. A study was conducted in Oxford, where 1 teaspoonful of red pepper and 1 teaspoonful of Mustard were added to every meal of obese people who eat balanced diet, and the result was that they boosted metabolism by 25%.

2- Chickweed ( Stellaria Media ) :
It contains triterpenoid saponins, coumarins, falvonoids, and vitamin C.It is commonly known to reduce weight. It can be boiled or eaten raw.

3- Walnut :
It is fat rich plant (polyunsaturated fats), yet it contains Serotonin,a key neurotransmitter responsible for satiety feeling, and it is added to marketed supplements of weight loss. One handful of walnut makes you feel not hungry and you do not eat too much, this simple technique was tried for thousands of people successfully.

4- White Radish :It is well known and tried for weight loss.

5- Marrow Courgette :You can eat a lot of this plant without gaining any weight.

6- Plantain :
Plantago ovata - Plantago - Plantago psyllium.
It is well known as a filling material, thanks to its content of mucilaginous substances. Many pills are made containing its seeds and husks.

Busters Sugar

The authors of " Sugar Busters " diet - 3 physicians and a former SEO -choose sugar among foods that increase Insulin secretion to be the core of their plan. They claim that calories are not the answer to weight loss or gain, and that gaining weight is the result of the 'sin' of eating foods made with refined sugar (e.g. sweets) , or foods with a high-sugar content (some fruits and vegetables), as they wreak havoc on your metabolism.

They exclude counting calories or measuring foods from their plan, yet they suggest that you consider " looking at portion size".

They mention that moderate exercise will not significantly affect weight loss, if you continue to eat foods with high sugar content, and they warn that the diet is not for exercise fanatics.


Foods Forbidden on the Sugar Busters Diet :

# White bread (includes any bread with white flour in it)
# Pasta, unless whole grain
# White rice
# White flour, and products made with it such as cake, cookies, crackers, pretzels, doughnuts, bagels, and muffins
# Potatoes and potato chips
# Corn and corn chips
# Sugar and products with added sugar, e.g. canned fruits in syrup
# Jams and jellies containing added sugars # Ripe bananas (unless green )
# Raisins
# Pineapple
# Beets
# Parsnips
# Honey
# Syrups
# Salad dressings and sauces with added sugar
# Fruit drinks containing added sugar
# Sugar-sweetened soft drinks
# Sugar-cured meats
# Beer


Recommended Carbohydrate Foods on Sugar Busters:

# All other vegetables and fruits
# Whole grains, such as brown rice and oatmeal
# Whole grain flour
# Products made with 100% whole wheat flour , as long as they have no added sugars
# Beans
# Sweet potatoes


Other Recommended Foods:

# Lean meats (remove skin from poultry, trim lean cuts of beef, pork, and lamb), Nothing sugar-cured.
# Fish and seafood (not breaded)
# Eggs
# Nuts and nut butters
# Flax Seeds
# Olive and canola oils
# Low fat milk and other dairy products (low fat sour cream, yogurt, etc, with no added sugar) # Mayonnaise and other sauces and dressings with no added sugar ( but with artificial sweeteners )


Foods to Eat in Moderation:

# Fruit juices with no added sugar
# Artificially sweetened colas
# Chocolate (at least 60% cacao)
# Pure fruit jams and jellies without added sugar
# Carrots
# Butter, cream and regular cheese
# Beverages with caffeine
# Small portions of sugar-free ice cream

Free Weight Watcher (WW) Users Review

Before we see what the users of Weight Watcher(WW) say about using it, we better recognize some properties of the diet itself. WW diet does not deal with cutting down any of the major categories of food, rather it deals with portion size. Here is more information that describes the plans of the diet,as came in www.wikipedia.com :
The Flex Plan:
Under this plan, participants are assigned a set number of points to consume per day based on their current weight. The number of points allowed may be increased with exercise. The "Flex" part of the plan is that several additional points are allotted (which is not based on weight) that can be used or not used during the week.
The Core Plan:
In part as a response to the popularity of plans like Atkins and South Beach, Weight Watchers has recently developed a separate plan, known as the Core Plan. This plan classifies certain types of food as "core," and permits participants to eat core foods with the restriction that they should only eat these foods "until satisfied, not full." Core foods are a list of healthy foods from all the food groups, including fruits, vegetables, fat free dairy, lean meats, and whole grains. Non-core foods are assigned the usual point values, and participants are given an allotment of 35 non-core points that they can eat in a week.

here is how the users of the diet see its pros and cons:

THE PROS :

1- Users of WW see that it is easy to follow.

2- WW promotes behavioural changes to eating/exercise.

3- Users of WW see that they can eat what they want in moderation.

4- WW users gain a healthy life style for life, AND lose weight in the process.

5- Users find WW balanced and flexible to different body type needs.

6- WW teaches its users portion control, encourages exercise, and promotes group support.

7- Users say they do not get bored using WW, as it involves a vast variety of foods.

8- Users of WW can survive on a lime time basis.

9- Users see that WW has an excellent coaching and support network.

THE CONS :
1- Users of WW would not find rapid results.

2- Users find WW sometimes more focused on women.

3- Users of WW complain its high cost, yet they find it cost effective.

4- Users think that the points system provides a lazier method to losing weight.

5- They find weight loss is slow, they say slower is better than too fast.

6- Users of WW find themselves often hungry.

7- WW users think that you should be strongly committed , otherwise it is easy to stray away from the plan.

8- They find that it is not easy to figure out points for some foods.

Whole-Grain Cereals Good For Heart Health | DogFlu.ca

Whole-Grain Cereals Good For Heart Health DogFlu.ca