Calorie Counting And Health Benefits (Other Than Weight Loss)
Hi All,
I know that many here have experienced or are experiencing success with weight loss since they started calorie counting. But I wanted to hear some stories about improved health also. Since CC is about watching calories rather than (for the most part) cutting out certain foods (carbs, fats, whatever), I've heard the stories from books about the benefits of cutting out this or that food, but I'm really interested to hear from those who eat a wide variety of foods, both processed and non/minimally processed and your health results.
I am lucky enough not to have major health issues yet but I'm 43, so I'm getting to the age where that's going to start to kick in. My main issues are skin rashes and migraine headaches (which I've reduced by avoiding most migraine-triggering foods). But my family has a history of certain health issues and I don't want to follow suit. My dad has a host of health issues (unstable blood pressure, which was inherited from my grandfather; high cholesterol; high sugar; and he developed an autoimmune disease in 2009 called mysthenia gravis, which sent him to the hospital with collapsed lungs for more than a month (though he has not had symptoms in a while), plus, of course, he is obese and doesn't exercise. My brother is also obese and has started to have high cholesterol in the last several years (he's 50). Even my mom, whose health, other than being overweight, has always been excellent, showed signs of high cholesterol on her last blood tests. I also have a family history of cysts in the breasts (none of them cancerous, though), cataracts, heart problems, and, the scariest for me, Alzheimer's.
Even though I am very overweight, my last blood tests showed all my numbers were in the normal range (which surprised my doctor). I believe this to be mainly because I eat mostly a vegan diet so I focus on foods with a low calorie density and more whole foods than processed (though I do have some processed foods).
Sorry for the long explanation! I'd really like to hear from those who have seen health benefits other than weight loss from calorie counting.
Tam
|