Key Ingredients to Weight Management
Foods high in carbs are a disaster for many dieters, but we must keep in mind that without a supply of sugars from carbohydrates, our body will burn it’s own sources of protein and fat to meet its energy requirements. And yes, we want our body to burn fat, that’s the point, but we do not want our body to burn the protein from our muscles.
Not all carbohydrates are alike. The adversary of our waist line is not carbohydrates themselves, but certain types of carbohydrates and their manner of metabolization in our system. We can best distinguish carbohydrates in terms of simple and complex carbs. Simple carbohydrates are what we find in sugary and processed foods, complex carbohydrates are found in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.
Weight Loss Secret #1: Go for the complex carbs.
While we’re still on the subject of carbs and sugars, another highly important factor to understand is the glycemic index of foods. The glycemic index is a numeric designation that tells us how quickly the sugars in a food break down into glucose in our body. Glucose enters our bloodstream, increases our blood sugar level and then triggers insulin in order to keep blood sugar from getting too high. Insulin, aside from lowering blood sugar, tells our body to store fat. So if there is an adversary here, it is not carbohydrates, but high insulin levels. Go for healthy sweeteners if you have a sweet tooth.
Weight Loss Secret #2: Eat low glycemic foods
We don’t want to dismiss the other two basic food groups, proteins and fat. Contrary to common belief, fat restriction does not necessarily promote weight loss. We need nutritious fats in our diet or we will be tempted to crave fatty foods. Good fats help our bodies break down our food more efficiently and therefore actually enhances fat burn, ironic as it may sound. What are the good fats? They are a group of fats called essential fatty acids, the omega-3 and omega-6 oils. They are found in nuts (walnuts are a good source), seeds (the best of which is flax), salmon, avocado, and olive oil.
Weight Loss Secret #3: Eat good fats every day
Finally, we come to protein. We also need protein every day, but not too much. Protein is helpful in weight loss because it keeps our blood glucose levels balanced, thus keeping insulin levels down. Ideal sources of protein are legumes, chicken (not fried!), fish (not fried!), and lean beef.
Weight Loss Secret #4: Eat your protein: not too much, not too little
The bottom line: a healthy diet of low carbs, low glycemic foods, healthy fats and lean protein will help you lose weight and keep you well nourished in the process.
