Readers wrote to tell me that when they changed their diets to include more of the World's Healthiest Foods, not only did they have better health, but those who wanted to lose weight were also able to do so without even trying. We were able to gain a better understanding of why Readers lost weight and why the World's Healthiest Foods were so effective at shedding pounds thanks to the research we conducted.
Let me now explain why it might be beneficial to you. These foods have a lot of health-enhancing nutrients in high concentration, which is why they are so beneficial. I refer to this remarkable quality of the World's Healthiest Foods as "nutrient-richness." In order for you to fully comprehend why this essential criterion of the World's Healthiest Foods is so significant, I would like to elaborate on the advantages of it.
A food's nutrient-richness is measured by how many nutrients it can provide for the number of calories it contains.
Nutrient-richness is shown qualitatively (a food may be defined as a good, very good, or excellent source of a particular nutrient) and quantitatively (the numerical scores that a food achieves in association with each particular nutrient) on the World's Healthiest Foods website (www.WHFoods.org) and in my book, The World's Healthiest Foods.
It is essential for us to get as many nutrients as possible in relation to the number of calories that we consume because we only have a limited amount of calories that we can consume if we want to lose weight or maintain our weight while simultaneously taking in a sufficient range of nutrients to maintain our health. Fortunately, focusing on the world's healthiest foods, which are nutrient-dense, makes it simple to lose weight. CHAPTER 2: Why Nutrient-Richness Can Help You Lose Weight 30 Healthy Weight Loss — Without Dieting
The most recent studies clearly demonstrate that consuming nutrient-dense foods is necessary for weight loss success. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies have consistently been linked to higher body weights in large, nationwide studies involving participants of both healthy weight and overweight. A lack of fresh vegetables and fruits has been linked to weight issues as well as inadequate nutrition. Increased consumption of nutrient-dense vegetables has also been linked to greater weight loss success in studies of overweight children trying to lose weight.
Because phytonutrients—beneficial compounds found only in fruits and vegetables—have the power to help keep us healthy and help the body maintain an optimal, healthy weight, new evidence links diets high in salads, fruits, and vegetables and low in processed and refined foods to healthy weight. Additionally, salads, fruits, and vegetables are abundant in antioxidants, which are necessary for weight loss. Due to an excess of free radicals and a lack of antioxidants, overweight individuals have higher levels of oxidative stress, according to studies.
What is it about foods high in nutrients that help people lose weight?
There are numerous factors at play. World's Healthiest Foods, which are high in nutrients, give our body the support it needs to perform its metabolic functions to their full potential. A nutrient-dense diet is best for supporting metabolic activities like the burning of unwanted fat (a process called betaoxidation).
It is essential for us to get as many nutrients as possible in relation to the number of calories that we consume because we only have a limited amount of calories that we can consume if we want to lose weight or maintain our weight while also taking in a sufficient range of nutrients to maintain our health.
Fortunately, focusing on the nutrient-dense World's Healthiest Foods makes this simple.
31 Reasons Why Being Nutrient-Rich Can Help You Lose WeightThe Nutrients We Need Every DayWe need hundreds of nutrients every day to stay healthy, and the food we eat must provide these nutrients.
You can get a sense of the variety of nutrients that we need to get from our food each day to maintain a healthy weight and be in optimal health by looking at the chart below. Please be aware that this chart does not cover everything; It does not provide you with all of the necessary nutrients.
For instance, phytonutrients—plant nutrients like carotenoids (beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthan) and flavonoids (anthocyanins, catechins, and quercetin)—are now known to be essential to health. However, despite the fact that researchers have identified approximately 10,000 phytonutrients, they estimate that at least 40,000 phyonutrients may eventually be categorized.
These phytonutrients are still very much present—in nutrient-rich foods like the World's Healthiest Foods—despite the fact that they have not yet been named or identified in the laboratory. In fact, you can only get them there at the moment! They have not yet been isolated from the whole, natural foods that contain them, so they cannot be obtained from dietary supplements, for instance. They are also not found in highly processed "fast" foods.
The "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling" published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration include a number of nutrients that have been well-established and the subject of extensive research. These nutrients can be found in the chart below. The Daily Value (DV) that was established as part of the FDA's labeling program can be found next to each nutrient. Please keep in mind that this DV value is a population-based goal and may not accurately reflect the amount of a particular nutrient that is best for you (for more information, consult a nutrition-oriented healthcare provider). However, these Daily Values can provide you with a sense of your overall nutrient intake and highlight the outstanding benefits of nutrient-rich World's Healthiest Foods in terms of Daily Values. To learn more about how each of these nutrients works,
Nutrient
DV
Biotin (mcg)
300
Calcium (mg)
1000
Carbohydrates (mg)
300
Chromium (mcg)
120
Copper (mcg)
2000
Fat – total (g)
65
Fiber (g)
25
Folate (mcg)
400
Iodine (mcg)
150
Iron (mg)
18
Magnesium (mg)
400
Manganese (mg)
2.0
Molybdenum (mcg)
75
Vitamin B3-Niacin (mg NE)
20
Omega-3 fatty acids* (g)
2.5
Pantothenic Acid (mg)
10
Phosphorous (mg)
1000
Potassium (g)
3.5
Protein (g)
50
Vitamin B2-Riboflavin (mg)
1.7
Selenium (mcg)
70
Vitamin B1-Thiamin (mg)
1.5
Vitamin A (IU)
5000
Vitamin B12 (mcg)
6
Vitamin B6 (mg)
2
Vitamin C (mg)
60
Vitamin D (IU)
400
Vitamin E (IU)
30
Vitamin K (mcg)
80
Zinc (mg)
15
All DVs, with the exception of omega-3 fatty acids, are based on the Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling established by the US Food and Drug Administration. DVs calculated using 2,000 calories per day.
carried out at the National Institutes of Health Omega-3 fatty acids should account for at least 1.2% of daily calories, with alpha-linolenic acid accounting for 1% and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) accounting for 0.1% and 0.1%, respectively, in the context of a 1800-calorie diet. We adopted this workshop standard as the standard for our food and recipe rating system.
**Based on the 2002 DRI value of 7 mg/g of protein and the protein DV of 50g, we provide a DV of 0.35 grams for the amino acid trytophan for females aged 31-50 on our website and in The World's Healthiest Foods book.
The most nutrient-dense foods are, without a doubt, fresh fruits, vegetables, and salads. Nutrient density is essential for healthy weight loss. And what are some of the foods with the most nutrients that people can easily incorporate into their healthiest eating habits to help them feel better? Salads, vegetables, and fresh fruits.
But which foods do the majority of us eat too little of? Salads, fresh vegetables, and fruits.
By not eating enough fresh fruits, salads, and vegetables, eighty percent of Americans are jeopardizing their health and jeopardizing their ability to maintain a healthy weight. This concerns me a great deal. It is not difficult at all: You will be able to get the nutrients you need for optimal health at a "caloric cost" so low that you will easily lose weight if you eat more fruits, salads, and vegetables. In the Healthy 34 Healthy Weight Loss — Without DietingWeight Loss Eating Plan, I will show you how to make these foods taste good so that you will truly enjoy them. I strongly believe that Americans' apparent aversion to whole fruits, salads, and vegetables is one of the primary causes of the obesity epidemic in this country.
Fresh fruits, salads, and vegetables—the world's lowest-calorie food group—are at the center of my healthy weight loss plan. More than two dozen low-calorie vegetables and more than twenty fruits are featured in our profiles on the WHFoods.org website and in The World's Healthiest Foods book. I will assist you in consuming the 5-9 recommended servings per day through simple recipes and menus that rely on low-calorie, deliciously prepared fresh fruits, salads, and vegetables. These foods, according to research on weight loss, are the best way to eat more of them, enjoy tasty, filling meals, and consume fewer calories overall.
Illustrations of Nutrient-Rich Foods Spinach I'd like to show you some food comparisons to help you understand the unique characteristics of nutrient-rich World's Healthiest Foods and how crucial they are to health and healthy weight loss. The % Daily Value (DV) of 22 nutrients, of which spinach is a particularly concentrated source, are shown in the chart that follows.
One cup cooked spinach
41 calories
Nutrient
%DV
Vitamin K
1111
Vitamin A
377
Manganese
84
Folate
66
Magnesium
39
Iron
36
Vitamin C
29
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
25
Calcium
25
Potassium
24
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
22
Tryptophan
22
Vitamin E
19
Dietary Fiber
17
Copper
16
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
11
Protein
11
Phosphorus
10
Zinc
9
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
6
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
4
Selenium
4
(Beta-carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin are carotenoids that are also highly
concentrated in spinach. Since there is not a DV for carotenoids, however,
they are not included above.)
As you can see, one cup of cooked spinach contains only 41 calories.
That's 2.3% of the calories that would be included in a 1,800-calorie
diet. Yet, for just over 2% of your daily calories, you get between 10%
and 100% of the Daily Value for 16 nutrients! In addition to these
remarkable benefits for these nutrients, this one-cup serving of
spinach lets you exceed (by leaps and bounds) your daily intake goals
for vitamin K (1111%) and pro-vitamin A (295%). All of these
amazing benefits and you still have about 1,760 calories left to enjoy
and "use" to get more nutrients! That's almost 98% of your day's
calories left to enjoy after meeting such important nutritional goals on
your path to vibrant health, increased energy, and healthy weight loss.
Romaine lettuce
Speaking of salads, most people who struggle with getting 5-9 daily
servings of vegetables forget that enjoying a salad—as part of lunch
and/or dinner—can put them well on their way to meeting these
goals. That's because a food like romaine lettuce is more than just a
base for a delicious salad. It provides an impressive handful of
nutrients for an equally impressive small number of calories. If you
look at the following chart, you'll see how two cups of romaine
lettuce—the least you'd probably use for making a salad—is so
nutrient-rich. For just 16 calories, you're well on your way to meeting
your daily goals for vitamin K, pro-vitamin A, vitamin C, folate,
manganese, and chromium, while also enjoying a host of other health promoting nutrients. This is why I recommend eating a salad made of
romaine lettuce (or another type of nutrient-rich lettuce) everyday
Two cups romaine lettuce
16 calories
Nutrient
%DV
Vitamin K
144
Pro-vitamin A
58
Vitamin C
45
Folate
38
Manganese
36
Chromium
13
Potassium
Molybdenum
9
9
Dietary Fiber
8
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
7
Iron
7
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
7
Phosphorus
5
Calcium
4
Protein
4
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
3
Tryptophan
3
B3 (Niacin)
3
B6 (Pyridoxine)
3
Molybdenum
9
Dietary Fiber
8
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
7
Iron
7
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
7
Phosphorus
5
Calcium
4
Protein
4
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
3
Tryptophan
3
B3 (Niacin)
3
B6 (Pyridoxine)
3
(Romaine lettuce also contains beta-carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin, two carotenoids, in high concentrations. Carotenoids are not included above because there is no DV for them.)
3 Molybdenum 9 Dietary Fiber 8 Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) 7 Iron 7 Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 7 Phosphorus 5 Calcium 4 Protein 4 Omega-3 Fatty Acids 3 Tryptophan 3 B3 (Niacin) 3 B6 (Pyridoxine) 3 Now, let's compare romaine lettuce with iceberg lettuce so we can get an even better feel for the amazing way in which the World's Healthiest Although iceberg lettuce is definitely a whole, natural food, it lacks the nutrient content of romaine lettuce and many of the World's Healthiest Foods. Because of this, iceberg lettuce is not included in our food chart. Even though iceberg lettuce has very few calories (20 calories per two cups of shredded lettuce), it has significantly fewer nutrients than romaine lettuce, one of the World's Healthiest Foods' best choices that is also rich in nutrients.
For instance, two cups of iceberg lettuce contain 723 IU of vitamin A, which is about the same as two cups of romaine lettuce. Therefore, you would need to consume approximately eight cups of iceberg lettuce, which you probably would not be willing to consume, which would result in the expenditure of approximately 64 additional calories in order to obtain the same amount of provitamin A that is found in two cups of romaine lettuce. Although 64 additional calories may not seem like a lot, they are essential if you want to lose weight and count every calorie. You would directly slow down your weight loss by approximately 450 calories per week, or one-eighth of a pound per week, if you had to consume those 64 additional calories every day during your weight loss. In one month, you would lose about half a pound, and in six months, you would lose three full pounds.
Just ponder: If you ate four cups of nutrient-dense salads with romaine lettuce every day, you would probably consume less than 100 calories and meet or exceed your goals for dozens of nutrients that are good for health. That is, in my opinion, an excellent recipe for health and healthy weight loss.
Blueberries are another fruit with a lot of nutrients in a small amount. In addition, they provide yet another wonderful benefit: They can satisfy a sweet tooth because they are a natural source of sugar. Therefore, if you consume fruit as a snack or dessert, you will not only reap the benefits of its variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients 39 Why Nutrient-Richness Can Help You Lose Weight, but you will also steer clear of high-calorie, high-sugar foods like cakes, cookies, and ice cream.
Taking blueberries as an illustration of a fruit, the chart below reveals that they contain a high concentration of important essential nutrients. However, the data presented here can be misleading due to the high concentrations of phytonutrients like carotenoids and flavonoids found in blueberries and many other fruits. The chart does not include these nutrients because they do not currently have DVs.
1 cup blueberries
81 calories
Nutrient
%DV
Vitamin C
31
Manganese
20
Dietary Fiber
16
Vitamin E
7