JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE November issue 2015 | Page 40

People, even qualified experts, often seem to have the exact opposite opinions. However, despite all the disagreements, there are a few things that are well supported by research. Here are 27 health and nutrition tips that are actually based on good science. 1. Don’t Drink Sugar Calories Sugary drinks are the most fattening things you can put into your body. This is because liquid sugar calories don’t get registered by the brain in the same way as calories from solid foods (1). For this reason, when you drink soda, you end up eating more total calories (2, 3). Sugary drinks are strongly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and all sorts of health problems (4, 5, 6, 7). Keep in mind that fruit juices are almost as bad as soda in this regard. They contain just as JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE much sugar, and the small amounts of antioxidants do NOT negate the harmful effects of the sugar (8). 2. Eat Nuts Despite being high in fat, nuts are incredibly nutritious and healthy. They are loaded with magnesium, vitamin E, fiber and various other nutrients (9). Studies show that nuts can help you lose weight, and may help fight type 2 diabetes and heart disease (10, 11, 12). Additionally, about 10-15% of the calories in nuts aren’t even absorbed into the body, and some evidence suggests that they can boost metabolism (13). In one study, almonds were shown to increase weight loss by 62% compared to complex carbohydrates (14). 3. Avoid Processed Junk Food (Eat Real Food Instead) All the processed junk foods in the diet are the biggest reason the world is fatter and sicker than ever before.