A summary of the book EAT MOVE SLEEP Chapter 3.
CHAPTER 3
What Counts More than Calories
Most products in the supermarket have a nutrition label. It will list down the total calorie per serving, its macro & micro nutrition contents and ingredients. However, focusing on calories alone will lead you astray. A product with a low calorie label may not necessary means it is better. Some low calorie food or drink may contain high amounts of carbohydrates and sugar.
Most people eat more carbohydrates than they need and don’t get enough protein. If you look at most packaged foods, you will notice the total grams of carbohydrates outnumber the grams of protein in a serving. In most cases, the carbs outweigh protein by 10 to 1 or higher.
“INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON CALORIES, LOOK AT THE RATIO OF CARBOHYDRATES TO PROTEIN.”
At a minimum, avoid foods with a ratio higher than 5 to 1 carbs to protein. Most snack chips and cereals have a ration of 10 to 1. Maintaining a better balance will give you additional energy while improving your health in the long run. This help ensure that you’re not overloading on carbs.
Use Product Placement at Home
You are far more likely to purchase items placed at eye level in the grocery store than items on the bottom of the shelf. Using the same principle, use product placement to your advantage. Healthy items like fruits and vegetables are often the least visible foods at home. They are hidden in a drawer at the bottom of the refrigerator. These good foods are out of sight and out of mind.
Foods that sit out on tables and countertops are even more critical. When you see food every time you walk by, it gives you permission to graze. So to improve your choices, leave good foods like apples and pistachios sitting out instead of crackers and candy.
Organize your house so that best choices items are the first things you see and easiest to reach. Then hide poor choices in inconvenient places. Better yet, clean your house and discard foods with little nutritional value you know and you’ll be tempted to eat.
– Select one food to eat today with a balanced ratio of carbs to protein. Avoid foods above a ration of 5 to 1.
– Put the healthiest foods in your home on a shelf at eye level or in a bowl on the counter