Throw your hands in the air and celebrate because if you’re trying to lose weight carbohydrates can help you do that!
Even though you may not think so, and with anti-carb evangelists out there telling you otherwise, there is such a thing as healthy carbohydrates. If you’ve been told you’ll lose weight by following a low-carb diet I’m sorry to tell you this, but you’ve been duped sistah!
But before I tell why they are essential to weight loss I’ll share with you why some people tell you to cut out carbohydrates when dieting. Carbohydrates tend to be the one food group that people overeat the most.
There’s about a three to one ratio of grams of water to grams of carbohydrates, so cutting back on carbohydrates can mean that you lose a lot of water weight.
But and this is a big but, as soon as you start to add carbohydrates back into your diet the water weight will come right back.
Instead of completely banishing carbohydrates to lose weight, why not use them as the potential fat busters that they are? Adding them into your diet can help keep you full and will also help you to avoid snacking on less healthy foods.
The reason why you want to eat them is this – carbohydrates contain an abundance of fiber and fiber is essential to weight loss. Eating fiber rich foods are what helped me to lose 30 lbs. These foods will boost your satiety (sense of feeling full) so that you actually feel the need to eat less.
So, let’s not get stuck on all of the wrong carbohydrates. If you need a refresher carbohydrate that you want to avoid when trying to lose weight are refined carbohydrates like white pasta, white rice, pizza, bagels and white bread.
You want to avoid these because during processing manufacturers strip everything that was once good about these foods. These grains are missing the bran and germ, which contain antioxidants, trace minerals as well as, B vitamins, vitamin E.
These compounds are also a source of fiber, so you’re missing the key component to help you to lose weight! Refined carbohydrates also spike your blood sugar which inhibits your body’s insulin response, which leads to storing the foods that you eat as fat.
Stick with whole grains instead like brown rice, wild rice, quinoa or whole wheat bread instead.
A 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study showing that increasing whole grain consumption correlates with lower levels of belly fat while increasing refined grains increases belly, or visceral, fat.
Research also shows that individuals who take in at least half their calories from carbohydrates are the least likely to be obese.
Eat the rainbow at each meal by including vegetables of all different colours, yes greens are important but also add in some orange and yellow foods that are high in beta carotene and some red foods like red peppers which are high in immunity boosting Vitamin C.
In terms of fruits try to stick to ones that are high in fiber like apples, pears and berries. As a bonus, berries contain an abundance of antioxidants that will help to reduce your risk of cancer and keep your skin looking youthful.
Starchy vegetables are a hot topic. The poor potato has been villainized like a character in Game of Thrones. I say go ahead and include them, just add them to your diet in limited portions. A small baked potato has roughly 128 calories and 2 grams of sugar and 3 grams of fiber. I wouldn’t say eat it every day but every once in a while, is fine.
Starchy vegetables contain the key weight loss component, fiber, in addition to nutrients that are essential to your diet. So please don’t eliminate them completely when you’re trying to lose weight, just avoid excessive serving sizes. Some examples of starchy vegetables include sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, corn, pumpkin, squash and yams.
Even if you’re not trying to lose weight carbohydrates are necessary for overall good health. They’re your body’s preferred source of energy. They are also full of endless amount of vitamins and minerals.
Your body needs carbohydrates to get up and at ‘em every single day which is why they should be a part of your diet.
Moral of this story? Stop fearing carbohydrates! Not eating enough carbohydrates can actually slow down your metabolism. You just want to make sure you stick with the right ones most of the time and you’ll be just fine!