When trying to lose weight, people often focus on calories. However, a two-year study shows that not all calories are created equal in terms of nutritional value.
The study had participants follow different dietary approaches to reduce body weight. One approach emphasized improving diet quality, based on the Mediterranean diet, while the other focused on reducing overall calorie intake.
The result was interesting: weight loss was similar, but diet quality improved more in the group that followed the Mediterranean-style diet.
A quality diet means having more vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, as well as sources of healthy fats like olive oil, in one’s diet.
This approach also limits highly processed foods, products with high added sugar content, refined grains, and foods rich in saturated fats and salt.
Such a diet can provide the body with more plant fibers, vitamins, minerals, and other essential substances for good functioning and also helps with satiety.
Emphasizing diet quality does not mean calories do not play a role; for weight loss, the body needs to receive less energy over time than it consumes.
However, the effort to lose weight does not have to be solely about daily tracking of calories. Choosing foods with higher nutritional value can make managing the amount eaten easier.
The benefit of a better diet is not limited to weight loss. A diet rich in plant foods and lower in highly processed products has been associated with a lower risk of several chronic diseases.
The Mediterranean diet, in particular, has been extensively studied and linked to benefits for cardiovascular health and metabolism.
