Is popcorn OK?
Think a diet filled with popcorn is your ticket to weight loss success? This fad diet is filled with lots of things, but mostly bad things, and certainly isn't a ticket to weight loss success.
Popcorn's good points:
* Popcorn is high in dietary fiber (0.9 grams per cup).
* Hot-air popcorn is ultra low in calories and fat.
* Popcorn is available in several varieties, including gourmet, at most markets.
Here are just a few negatives of a diet filled with more Corn than Pop:
* Popcorn can contain more calories and fat than potato chips. Though hot-air popped corn contains about 23 calories per cup, when you add butter to your pop, those fat grams and calories take on new heights.
* Salted popcorn is extremely high in sodium.
* Popcorn by itself is pretty boring. What is the first thing that we do when it gets boring? We search for tasty additives, like butter.
* Too much corn blocks the absorption of Vitamin B. Individuals deficient in this Vitamin may experience skin rashes, depression, anemia, memory loss, and low energy levels.
* Corn is a very common allergen.
* Some individuals are 'corn sensitive' and lack the ability to digest corn. The affected individual may experience skin rashes, hives, gastro upsets, breathing problems, and in rare cases, life threatening anaphylaxis.
Popcorn CAN be a great contribution to your diet and get you to that magic number on your scales. However, mankind does not live by popcorn alone.
Fun Fact: Popcorn kernels burst up to 30 times their original size when popped.
Important Note: Popcorn is one of the top 5 foods that kids choke on under the age of five. If you have a little one, doctors recommend that the hulls be completely removed and that the white soft kernel be broken into micro pieces.
Diet Bites' Fad Analysis: Incorporate popcorn into your healthy diet. A diet containing one food focus isn't going to meet your nutritional needs and should always be a 'stop, look, listen' before proceeding type event.
Popcorn is filling, low-cal (stick with light or plain), whole-grain and packed with fiber (3 grams per 3-cup serving). In fact, people who regularly munch on popcorn get two and a half times more whole grains and 22% more fiber than those who don’t, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Research also shows that eating a high-fiber diet (ideally 25 grams a day) may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and even help you loose weight.