dates in dieting

Question
i used to be a chocoholic and now im switching to a healthy eating plan and exercising.however, i am eating at least 250g of dates every day. can i still lose weight with this ?!!

Answer
Hello Frances!

  Thank you for your nutrition question. Yes, dates do fit in a healthy eating plan. Dates contain all healthy substances our bodies need and extremely low, almost zero amounts of fat and no cholesterol. They are especially high in fiber which is very beneficial to weight loss.

Let me list all healthy contents of this wonderful fruit:
All values are based per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of dates.

Dates are with a high carbohydrates content:

Carbohydrates - 73.5 g* (g* - grams)
Total dietary fiber - 7.5 g
Sugars - 66 g
Proteins - 2 g
Total fat - 0.45 g
Minerals:

Calcium - 32 mg* (mg* - milligrams = 0.001 grams)
Magnesium - 35 mg
Phosphorus - 40 mg
Potassium - 652 mg
There are even more minerals like Iron, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Selenium but they are in a smaller quantity.

Vitamins:

Vitamin A
Beta-carotene - 5 mcg
Lutein + zeaxanthin - 75 mcg
Vitamin B6 - 0.192 mg in a single date
Vitamin B-complex
Total folate - 13 mcg
Dates contain also Vitamin A1, B1, B2, B3, B5, C and more than 20 different amino acids; they help us digest and assimilate carbohydrates easier and control blood sugar levels and fatty acids content in our bodies.

The selenium lowers the risk of cancer and heart diseases, as well as helps us keep our immune systems healthy.

Calorie count per date
A single date contains an average amount of 23 calories, which is considered a very low caloric amount.

The very low calorie count and the huge amount of healthy substances in dates make them the best nutrition for a diet plan menu.

For more answers to your nutrition questions check out www.planetyorgos.com

-George Rapitis, MS
www.juicblend.com

1. Prev:weight loss/exercise
2. Next:PCOS and Bio Slim