Liquid Calories May Be Making You Fat… Even Your Favorite Protein Drinks!
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com

At least 7 scientific studies have provided strong evidence that energy containing beverages (i.e., “liquid calories”) do not properly activate the satiety mechanisms in the body and brain and do not satisfy the appetite as well as food in solid form.

Epidemiological research also supports a positive association between calorie-containing beverage consumption and increased body weight or body mass index. New research now suggests that soda may not be the only culprit…

The primary source of liquid calories in the United States Diet is carbohydrate, namely soda. Now running a close second are specialty and dessert coffees. Did you know that a 16 ounce Frappucino can contain 500 calories or even more! That’s one-third of a typical female’s daily calorie intake while on a fat loss program.

A recent study at Purdue University published in the International Journal of Obesity set out to learn even more about this bodyfat – liquid calories relationship.

Researchers compared solid and beverage forms of foods composed primarily of carbohydrate, fat or protein in order to document the independent effect of food form in foods with different dominant macronutrient sources.

Based on previous research, some experts have recommended targeting specific beverages as being “worse” than others. High fructose corn syrup and soda has been singled out the most and you’ve probably seen that yourself in the news.

There’s no question that soda has been on top of the “hit list” for some time now, by virtue of the amounts and frequency of consumption alone.

However, this recent study says that from a pure energy balance perspective, we should be cautious about ALL liquid calories, not just soda and not just carbohydrates!

Fruit juice for example, appears to be an obvious improvement over soda, so many people have swapped out their soda for fruit juice. However, when fruit juice is compared to an equal amount of calories from whole fruit, the whole fruit satisfies appetite better (largely due to the bulk and fiber content), and so you tend to eat fewer calories for the day.
[On an interesting side note, soup does not seem to apply; soup has higher satiety value than calorie containing beverages, possibly for mere cognitive reasons.]

If you were to meticulously track your calories from beverages and you made sure that your calories remained the same for the day, whether liquid or solid, there would probably be little or no difference in your body composition.

But that’s not what usually happens in free-living humans. Most people do not accurately track or report their caloric intake. Our mistake is that we tend to drink calories IN ADDITION TO our usual food intake, not instead of it.

Men are especially guilty of this when they drink alcohol – Men tend to drink AND eat, while women tend to drink INSTEAD OF eating.

This new research found that with all three macronutrients – protein, carbs or fat – daily calorie intake was significantly greater when the beverage form was consumed as compared to the solid.

Yes, it’s true! Even protein drinks did not satisfy the appetite the way that protein foods did!

While you would think that protein drinks are purely a good thing, because protein foods have been proven to reduce appetite and increase satiety, if you turn a solid protein food into a protein drink, it loses it’s appetite suppressive properties in the same way that happens when you turn fruit into fruit juice.
[NOTE: After weight training workouts, liquid nutrition may have benefits that outweigh any downside, especially on muscle-gaining programs]

Why do liquid calories fail to elicit the same response as whole foods? reasons include:

high calorie density
lower satiety value
more calories ingested in short period of time
lower demand for oral processing
shorter gastrointestinal transit times
energy in beverages has greater bioaccessibility and bioavailability
mechanisms may include cognitive, orosensory, digestive, metabolic, endocrine and neural influences (human appetite is a complex thing!!!)
last but not least, nowhere in our history have our ancestors had access to large amounts of liquid calories. Alcohol may have been around as far back as several thousand years BC, but even that is a blip on the evolutionary calendar of humanity.

As a result, our genetic code has never developed the physiological mechanisms to properly register the caloric content in liquids the way it does when you eat, chew and swallow whole foods.

Bottom line: This study suggests that we shouldn’t just target one type of liquid calories such as soda. If you’re trying to beat body fat, it’s wise to limit all types of liquid calories and eat whole foods as much as possible.

Start by ditching the soda. Then ditch the high calorie dessert coffees. Then cut back on the alcohol. From there, be cautious even about milk, juice and protein drinks.

Drink water or tea instead, or limited amounts of black coffee – without all the high calorie extras.

If you do consume any beverages that contain calories, such as protein shakes, be sure to account for those calories meticulously and be sure you don’t drink them in addition to your usual food intake, but in place of an equal amount of food calories.

Remember, those protein shakes you might be drinking are called “meal replacements” not “free calories!”

For many years I have suggested focusing primarily on whole foods rather than liquids, even protein shakes. Unlike so many other fat reduction programs, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle does not require any kind of liquid meal replacement or protein drinks and our company does not exist to sell supplements; we are here to educate you and millions of others about the realities of body fat loss.

We now have even more scientific data that confirms what Burn The Fat has been teaching all along.

I hope you found this helpful. You can learn more about “Burn The Fat” at www.BurnTheFat.com

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com

Reference: Effects of food form on appetite and energy intake in lean and obese young adults. International Journal of Obesity. 2007 Nov (11):1688-95. Mourao DM, Bressan J, Campbell WW, Mattes RD. Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2059, USA.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com

Key Ingredients
Lemonade Complex (400mg)

The Lemonade Diet Weight Loss forms the core of the Lemonade Supplement’s Weight Loss Boosting potential with its natural blend of ingredients chosen for their ability to naturally support health weight loss.

It is fortified with Lemonade Concentrate, Maple Sugar Powder and Molasses – the same ingredients used in the famed Master Cleanse Diet trusted by many celebrities. These ingredients help cleanse the system and promote weight loss with a natural formula with no harmful side effects.

Metabolic Complex (134.33mg)

This Complex contains Cissus Quadrangularis-2.5% ketosteroids, Caffeine Anhydrous, and Cayenne Pepper.

This unique blend of ingredients helps boost metabolism which can help supercharge the weight loss potential of this supplement. Cayenne Pepper has long been an included in the Master Cleanse diet to help increase metabolism, but the additional ingredients in this complex help give the Lemonade Diet Supplement an extra boost that can help yield fantastic results.
Detoxification Complex (166.67mg)

The detoxification complex in our supplement includes Senna Leaf Extract, Parsley Fruit 10:1 Extract, and Asparagus root 10:1 Extract.

The natural ingredients in our detoxification complex help to cleanse your system through gentle and safe means. This addition to the famous Master Cleanse diet formula separates the Lemonade Diet from that original recipe, giving it added properties that help to improve you overall health while helping to promote weight loss.

ORDER HERE

Free advice on vitamins and recommendations from MD Andrew Weil
The Weil Foundation was created as a long-term funding mechanism for the advancement of integrative medicine through training, research, the education of the public and policy reform.Believing the day is coming when all doctors will be routinely trained in integrative medicine. Donors who contribute to the Foundation – plus the tens of thousands of health wise consumers who buy Dr Weil endorsed products – are partners with me in bringing that day closer.” – Andrew Weil, M.D.

The fruit of the African Mango Plus has actually been used as a diet aid for centuries in Cameroon, Africa, the only place in the world where African Mango is grown. Found exclusively in Cameroon’s west-coastal rain-forests. African mango, produces a peculiar seed, which the natives of Cameroon refer to as Dikka nuts. For hundreds of years, an extract from the seeds called “irvingia gabonensis” have been used among Cameroon villagers for its wide range of medicinal benefits including weight loss.

Clinically Tested

Recommended by doctors for its natural solutions to weight loss because they are completely safe and don’t have any negative side effects that can harm the body. With African Mango Plus, you get the natural solution doctors prefer with a clinically tested supplement that can help burn body fat. Doctors everywhere want you to lose weight and with African Mango Plus you now have the natural solution to weight loss your doctor recommends.

Weight Bye Bye – How To Lose The Belly Fat Now

Weight Bye Bye is about losing belly fat the right way. Here you will learn some simple tips on losing weight right. I remember the struggles of my sister in trying to reduce her weight and how belly fat was a problem.

The torment and depression she went through was just simply unbearable for her and her family to watch, and not be able to help was not a nice thing.

I have been reviewing weight loss products for some time now and the following are programs that are very feasible. Remember there is no magic cure, but with some knowledge, insight and determination, you can do it!

Doctors, dieticians, and other experts agree that the best way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories and increase your physical activity so you burn more energy. A reasonable goal is to lose about a pound a week. For most people, that means cutting about 500 calories a day from your diet, eating a variety of nutritious foods, and exercising regularly.

Even if you’re successful in taking the weight off, permanent weight loss requires permanent lifestyle changes. Don’t trust any product that promises once-and-for-all results without ongoing maintenance. What you need is a built in support system that you can depend upon.

Other experts agree that there’s simply no magic non-prescription pill that will allow you to block the absorption of fat, especially from the bel bel. The key to curbing your craving for those “downfall foods” is portion control. Limit yourself to a smaller serving or a slimmer slice. Thats the way to go!

Losing weight at the rate of a pound or two a week is the most effective way. At best, products promising lightning-fast weight loss are false. At worst, they can ruin your health.

Highly Recommended Books on Weight Loss

You’ve seen all the ads for diet patches or creams that claim to melt away the pounds. Don’t believe them. There’s nothing you can wear or apply to your skin that will cause you to lose weight, that’s why the products on this web site are some of the best on market today with proven, and realistic results.