5 Reasons Why You Should Limit Your Calorie Intake

5 Reasons Why You Should Limit Your Calorie Intake : Cutting down on calories has been proven to have many health benefits, from weight loss to cardiovascular health. However, cutting calories doesn’t have to mean you eat less; you just have to be smarter about what you eat.

Although planning out your meals and counting calories can seem stressful, there are programs specifically dedicated to smart meal planning, and the simple steps you can take to reduce your calorie intake. Sites such as www.resultplan.com have many different meal plans and programs to suit all body types and diet preferences.

So, what are the benefits of cutting calories? Here are five reasons why you should limit your calorie intake.

Improves Your Lifespan

In 1935, Dr. Clive McCay of Cornell University accidentally discovered that rats on a restricted diet lived almost 30% longer than similar rats on normal diets. Many studies since have researched the impact of calorie restriction on everything from rats to worms, flies, spiders, dogs, and even primates! According to Dr. McCay’s original study, there are thought to be two mechanisms that help expand your life span when on a calorie-restricted diet.
- These mechanisms are:
  - Reducing free radical production: Free radicals are created when the oxygen compound in your body breaks down into two oxygen molecules. Each molecule is then left searching for its electron pair, damaging your body in the process. Free radicals can cause damage to cells, DNA, and other proteins. Free radicals are associated with many human diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and many others. Free radicals have also been linked to aging. On a calorie-restricted diet, the production of free radicals is thought to reduce.
  - Increasing cells’ resistance to stress: Stress is defined as a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It’s essentially your body’s reaction to a challenge, and can come from any event that makes you feel angry, frustrated, nervous, or upset. Long-lasting stress can be extremely hurtful to your health. Cutting calories is believed to enhance the ability of cells to resist stress.
Reduces your cholesterol

Cholesterol is a compound that’s found in the cells in your body. It’s important in enabling your body to produce things like hormones, vitamins and minerals, and other necessary nutrients that help you process foods. Just like anything else, too much cholesterol is bad for your health and exponentially increases your chance of having heart problems. Cutting calories should help reduce your cholesterol levels to a healthy range.
Decreases Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure occurs when your blood flowing through your blood vessels constantly creates too much pressure, causing damage to the vessels themselves and your organs. Limiting calories should help decrease your blood pressure, provided the food you consume is healthy.
Reduces Your Blood sugar

High blood pressure can increase the risk of heart and nerve problems, kidney failure, and blindness. By reducing your caloric intake, your blood sugar levels may also drop.
Lowers Your Risk Of Chronic Disease

There are countless chronic diseases that can take hold on the body. It’s believed that cutting calories and eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you to avoid the onset of illnesses such as Type 1 Diabetes and heart disease.

Now that you know the benefits of limiting your calorie intake, here are some easy ways to reduce your calorie intake:

Rethink your food choices

Limiting your calorie intake doesn’t necessarily mean you have to eat less. You just have to be smarter about your food choices. One thing you can do is replace foods that are high in calories with healthier, low-calorie options. Low-calorie foods are usually high in fiber and contain a lot of water. Some examples of these foods are pears, nuts, seeds, and green vegetables.
Make smarter drink choices

Drinks today can be high in sugars and in calories. The average soda has 180 calories per serving. If you were to replace this drink with a healthier option like water, you could eat a light snack and still be consuming fewer calories than if you’d drunk the soda.
Learn to implement fruits and vegetables into your diet

Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and can be great healthier alternatives for many foods. Substituting foods that are high in calories with fruits and vegetables will allow you to eat more and still consume fewer calories. Most fruits and vegetables are under 100 calories and packed with other nutrients, making them the perfect snack.
Cut back on snacks and unnecessary eating

You don’t have to completely skip the snacks; you can just cut back on them. For example, if you usually snack on something multiple times a day, try keeping it to two or three times a day. Something else that’ll help is avoiding any unnecessary eating or snacking too late at night.

Conclusion

Limiting calorie intake has been known to improve your health and help you live longer. Although reducing calories can seem complicated and overwhelming, there are a lot of easy ways to do it. Limit your calorie intake today and see the amazing health benefits for yourself.