11 Diet Facts You Need to Know Now

By Venus Gentile

• 7% of the carbohydrates and 12% of the proteins that we consume are used up in the digestion/assimilation process. Most people don’t realize that it takes a certain amount of energy to digest and assimilate the foods we eat and the harder our body must work to digest these foods, the less nutritional availability there is for supplying energy and rebuilding cells.

• 3,500 calories when consumed and unused (not burned for fuel) will put on 1 pound of body fat. Just 100 extra, unburned calories per day equals a 10 pound weight gain over the course of one year. This additional body fat is often much harder to lose than it was to gain.

• Salt sensitive individuals can retain 1 liter of water for every additional teaspoon of salt consumed. One liter of water equals 2 pounds of body weight. This fluid retention is commonly called edema and results in abnormal swelling of the soft tissues, often affecting the extremities (ankles, feet, hands etc.).

• Women can gain as much as 2 to 3 pounds (even more in some cases) during menses. A high protein diet has a diuretic effect and helps to get rid of unwanted water weight. The body responds to the extra protein intake by pulling water from its tissues