Most people simply don’t pay attention to what they eat. They choose food solely on the basis of taste (or worse, packaging). While everyone agrees that food should certainly taste good, there is also a need for our food to be nutritionally sound. If you are not accustomed to evaluating your food choices, grab a package of you favorite food with a nutrition label on it and let’s get started!
When evaluating a nutrition label, pay attention first to the serving size. A particular food, for instance ice cream, may only have 150 calories per serving, but if the serving size is
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The latest trend in the area of weight loss is low-carb diets such as the Atkins Diet. With so much conflicting information out there on nutrition and weight loss, it’s difficult for the average person to not only find out what works, but also understand how to apply it.
In order to help clear the air, I’m going to dispel some of the myths that are floating around and give you some facts backed up with real science on how the human body actually metabolizes food.
First, let’s talk about why the low-carb approach is so popular. There are a few reasons, but the most common is that people are finally realizing that the low-fat/high carb approach that has been promoted for decades now just doesn’t work! Not only is it making us fatter, it’s also responsible for dozens of diseases and illnesses.
It’s true..most Americans eat too many carbs and are deficient in the healthy dietary fats. However, it seems that it has to be one extreme or the other with people in this country. So now many people are cutting carbs and avoiding them like the plague, which is just as bad.
But wait..you say that it works? Maybe you or someone you know has tried the low-carb approach and noticed significant weight loss. Yes, cutting carbs will cause you to lose weight, but not much actual body fat, if any at all. So, why do most people lose weight so quickly? It’s because the human body holds 2.4g of water for every 1 gram of carbohydrate consumed. Cut the carbs and all you do is hold less water! This artificial weight loss is the main reason so many people are going low-carb.
So, not only does following a low-carb diet cause you to lose water, it also depletes muscle glycogen which leaves you feeling sluggish when trying to be active or workout. Remember, carbs are stored as glycogen in the muscles and glycogen is what’s used to fuel your muscles.
Another problem with severely limiting carbs is that the brain uses carbs for energy and without enough carbs, you won’t be 100% mentally. While I agree that people are different and that some people do better on lower amounts of carbs, most people will feel like crap after a week or two with no or low carbs.
But all the fitness and nutrition ‘gurus’ say that carbs are stored as fat, right? WRONG! Any excess energy (food or beverage) can be stored as fat - it doesn’t matter if it’s french fries or salad! Extra is extra is extra!
To my knowledge, there has not been but one study that actually measured body fat of individuals following a low-carb both before and after to see exactly how much body fat was lost. Plus, this study was funded by a grant from Dr. Atkins!
Also, there is quite a bit more research that shows that carbs are not only ok to eat, but that they also contain vital nutrients that can’t be found in other foods.
A recent study done by French and Canadian researchers found that consuming carbohydrates in small amounts did NOT inhibit fat burning and only approximately 4% of it was stored as fat. This was in individuals who were not exercising.
They also assessed the effect of carbohydrates in individuals who performed light to moderate intensity exercise and found that the small carbohydrate meal resulted in no fat being stored and did NOT inhibit fat burning. Plus, even the large carbohydrate meal had NO effect on fat burning and all of it went directly to the muscles to replenish glycogen and repair tissue.
Just imagine what happens when you do a hard workout!
So what does this mean in plain English? Basically, carbs are fine in small to moderate amounts (even if you don’t exercise) and on days you do exercise, the carbs are going to be stored in the muscles and not as fat.
So to all those people out there who think that eating carbs will result in them being stored as fat and it ’shutting off; the fat burning, I’ve got good news for you..
You can finally have that big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs you’ve been craving!
So how can you apply this to your eating and fitness program? Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:
1. You need carbs - just the right amount and the right type
So what are the right types? Focus on eating carbs that are high in fiber such as vegetables, beans, fruits, and whole grains.
2. Vary the amount of carbs you have based on how active you are
For example - on days you don’t exercise, eat less carbs and maybe vary the types.
3. The one time you can go carb crazy is right after you exercise
For example - if you want to cheat and have ice cream the best time would be right after a hard workout.
Focus on eating balanced - carbs, proteins and fats; and again, adjust the amount of each based on how active you are and plan to be.
I also recommend you do so research yourself and learn as much as you can about human metabolism and sound nutrition. Here are some great resources:
- http://www.westonaprice.org/nutrition_guidelines/whats_wrong.html
- http://philkaplan.com/thefitnesstruth/atkins1.htm
- http://www.chekinstitute.com/articles.cfm?select=42
You can also find some great resources and articles at my website here: http://www.achieve-fitness.com/free_resources.htm
I hope you found this article informative and I wish you the best. Remember, the more you know the better off you’ll be.
About The Author
Jesse Cannone is a certified personal fitness trainer, post-rehab specialist, nutritionist, and a national fitness presenter. He is also the author of Burn Fat FAST and A Bride’s Guide To Fast Fitness + Weight Loss in addition to many other popular fitness articles. He is known for his hard-hitting and to the point style and offers a great free email newsletter called Fitness Success News, which you can subscribe to at his website http://www.achieve-fitness.com
jesse@achieve-fitness.com
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Experts tell us we are what we eat. A disturbing thought when we consider how much sugar, fat and white flour is consumed daily, hidden in ready meals and fast foods. It’s time to change the bad habits we have developed over the last three decades and start eating to improve health, not destroy it!
A vital area of life that requires our attention is this.learning to answer hunger pains appropriately. If we neglect this, weight can increase and well-being may suffer.
Whether you need to lose weight, maintain weight or tone up your body; inappropriate eating habits can jeopardize your best efforts. This articles will help you start to understand how to manage hunger in a busy lifestyle.
If it’s sticky and sweet, made with sugar and saturated fat, then you must only eat it as a rare treat. Can the same be said for a delicious bowl of strawberries, or a juicy sweet orange? That is the problem here? Why do we choose cakes and chocolate over nature’s best offering?
If you do not have a genuine glucose imbalance, one cause perhaps is that sweet treats are deeply connected to our childhood, where frequently, ’sweeteners’ were given as a reward for good behaviour, or to placate or console the unhappy child. Our memory will automatically associate sweet foods as a reward or a comfort. That bar of chocolate or sticky bun you devour mid-way through a stressful afternoon could be you rewarding yourself for hard work!
If you think you may be using sweet treats as a ‘reward’ or comfort and want to kick the habit, simply remember that putting on weight is NOT a reward. Then think of a reward that doesn’t involve food!
Guard yourself from the sweet snack attacks by being prepared and planning your day’s food patterns.
1. Incorporate protein in to your breakfast AND lunch. Protein is key to controlling carbohydrate cravings. The RDA of protein for women is 60 grams a day. For women wanting to lose weight, health professionals recommend approximately 100 grams of protein daily. Why? One of the principle advantages of protein is that it creates a feeling of fullness and satisfaction in the body that makes overeating much less likely. Source your protein from ultra lean sources so you don’t pick up unwanted calories and saturated fats.
Even better, than providing a sense of sustained fullness, protein can block the triggering effect that carbohydrates can have on the brain. If you eat protein with a carbohydrate it will reduce the cravings caused by eating the carbohydrate.
2. Never skip meals. Research has shown that people who skip meals are more prone to obesity than those who regularly eat 3 meals a day. In fact, people who space their daily food requirements by making appropriate use of healthy snacks do even better. Why is this? When you skip meals you are more likely to get hungry and fill up on easily obtained fast foods which are often trigger foods.
3. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water throughout the day. For some people sugar laden soft drinks are a trigger food. Make sure you don’t get thirsty in the first place. Water creates a sense of fullness and has a host of other health benefits.
4. Plan the timing of your meals so that you don’t get hungry. Despite having three healthy meals a day, sometimes your work schedule can mean the spacing of those meals still does not guard against the carbohydrate cravings. If you have a long gap between meals, make sure you carry healthy snacks to cover the distance, otherwise hunger will set in
5. Plan your snacks. Plan out your weekly snack schedule with some delicious, healthy snacks. Purchase these with your weekly shopping so that you are fully prepared. If you need to, get up a few minutes earlier in the morning so you have time to prepare and take your snacks to work. Remember, healthy snacks don’t live in a vending machine! You are less likely to get hungry when you have a ready supply of healthy snacks.
6. Carry emergency supplies of nutritional protein bars in your handbag or brief case. When you feel a carbohydrate craving, eat the protein bar instead and wait 30 minutes before acting on the craving. More often than not the craving will pass and you will be in control again. This truly works.
Kim Beardsmore M.B.A. (H.R.M.), B.Sc. (Biochemistry) is an independent Herbalife distributor, weight loss coach and creator of the online fitness magazine Weight Loss Health. For a free weight loss consultation, newsletter and resources to help you lose weight and keep it off forever, visit http://www.weight-loss-health.com.au Your online Herbalife store at http://www.weightlosshealth.herbalcoach.com and for an introduction to the Herbalife home business opportunity visit: http://www.free2liv.com
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