Nutrient-richness also means that we provide our body with ample
nutrients at a minimal calorie cost. (Many researchers use the term
“nutrient density” to describe this special dietary combination of
high-nutrients plus low-calories.) It’s helpful to think about nutrient-
richness by comparing it to its dietary opposite. Imagine a person
whose diet is largely composed of nutrient-poor highly processed
fatty foods and fast food, i.e, extremely low-quality food containing
very few nutrients. If that person consumes enough food, he or she
will eventually obtain a supply of some nutrients; however, many
vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy metabolism—as well
as most recently discovered antioxidants and phytonutrients abundant
in plant foods that research is now showing to play important roles
in maintaining a healthy weight—will be virtually absent.
In addition, how many calories of low nutrient-density food will it
take to get even some nutrient basics? With very low-quality foods,
if a person eats somewhere around 6,000 or 7,000 calories’ worth of
food, he or she will probably get an adequate supply of basic nutrients.
But the caloric cost will be far too high. Body fat and weight gain
will increase from excessive calorie consumption.
In contrast, the use of low-calorie foods to increase food volume
and the use of nutrient-rich World’s Healthiest Foods to support
metabolism are core research principles in the science of weight
loss. When your weight loss strategy centers around low-calorie and
nutrient-rich World’s Healthiest Foods, the research odds are
strongly in your favor for weight loss success. And this is not difficult
to do; in fact, I will show you how to get most of the nutrients you
need in the Healthy Weight Loss Eating Plan(page 91) and spend
less than 1600 calories.
Why the World’s Healthiest Foods are Health-
Promoting Foods
The health-promoting nutrients contained in the World’s Healthiest
Foods are necessary for body systems, tissues, and cells to function
at their peak, which is essential not only for enhancing healthy
Healthy Weight Loss Stories