People trying to lose weight should avoid three types of food, according to a diet expert.
Dr Michael Mosley, founder of the 5:2 and Fast 800 eating plans, has been sharing tips via his podcast Just One Thing. In a recent episode, he highlighted which foods to cut out or reduce when trying to shed the pounds.
And he warned against three food groups in particular, reports The Mirror. His advice is outlined below.
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Sugar
In the podcast episode, which you can listen to via the BBC Sounds app, Dr Mosley encouraged listeners to cut back on sugary treats, such as desserts and sugary breakfast cereals. He advised: "Cut right down on sugar, sugary treats, drinks and desserts. That includes most breakfast cereals, which are usually full of sugar, as well as most commercial smoothies."
Starchy carbs
According to Dr Mosley, those looking to slim down should "minimise or avoid starchy carbs - meaning the white stuff: bread, pasta, potatoes and white rice." Slimmers are instead urged to swap their usual carbs for "whole grains including bulgur (cracked wheat), whole rye, wholegrain barley, wild rice and buckwheat".
Dr Mosley went on to clarify that "brown rice is okay", while "healthy and filling" legumes such as "lentils, kidney beans, and chickpeas" would also make for a good swap.
Ultra-processed food
Dr Mosley warned: "Ultra-processed foods include chicken nuggets, burgers, chips, pizzas, hotdogs, pre-packaged meals, mass-produced ice cream, sweets, crisps, energy bars, bakery goods, biscuits, margarine and pretty well anything that says 'instant'. Processed foods and takeaways could be to blame for the UK's obesity epidemic."
According to the NHS website, generally speaking, the recommended calorie intake is 2,000 calories per day for women and 2,500 calories per day for men. People are advised to stick to a healthy, balanced approach when it comes to food, ensuring they eat "a wide variety of foods in the right proportions", and stay hydrated with plenty of fluids.
This includes eating at least five portions of fruit and veg each day, and basing meals on higher fibre starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, pasta or rice. Proteins such as beans, pulses, eggs, fish and meat should also be incorporated into a person's diet, as should dairy products or non-dairy alternatives.
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