Weekends are always tough if you’re on a strict diet. Food is always at the center of it all, no matter where it is... parties, events, even casual get togethers with your close friends. It’s a big reason that makes being on a diet challenging. And it’s especially challenging when you’re trying to adhere to a low carb diet. Let’s face it... most foods are high in carbs (especially when youre out) and it’s difficult to have protein ALL the time. But it really doesn’t need to be that way. Contrary to what many people believe... low carb diet does NOT have to mean depriving yourself of starchy carb dense foods. Not all carb dense foods get processed the same way and there are ways to include them (...even the not-so-good ones) without worrying about gaining weight. Today I’m going to show you how to eat starchy carbs and avoid gaining fat. Do you need to avoid starchy carbs at all costs to lose weight? That’s a question I get asked daily, and the answer is NO. You don’t need to be on a carbohydrate depriving diet to lose weight. BUT let’s keep in mind that not all carbs are created equal. Like all foods, there are good carbs and bad carbs. Good carbs, when consumed in proper amounts, can help you gain lean muscle and burn more fat. Bad carbs (if consumed too much) will undoubtedly mess your insulin sensitivity and cause you to gain more weight, especially around your belly. When it comes to good carbs, pretty much any vegetables and fruits are good. Dark green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables are very nutrient rich with very low sugar content and high in fibre - making it the carb of the choice. Legumes (although not my personal favorite) are fine as long as you prepare it properly and minimize any anti-nutrients (ie. soaked). The great thing about legumes is that it’s low in glycemic index and it’s quite filling, so it’s keep you full longer. The flip side is that it’s quite high in calories, but as a small side dish it can complement well with protein. And if you’re craving for some starchy carbs, sweet potatoes are a great choice. It’s sweet enough to satisfy your sweet cravings and it has a fairly low glycemic index, so your insulin won’t sky rocket like other starchy foods. Ok…enough with the good carbs…right? What about the bad starchy carbs? Can you eat breads, pasta, rice and all the starchy goodness and avoid gaining weight? The answer is Yes and No. Here are the stipulations. You have to be active, exercise at least 3 times a week. You can’t eat bad carbs everyday. You have to be eating a well balanced diet. If none of these apply to you…and you’re goal is to lose weight and get fit…I’d recommend staying away from eating “bad starchy carbs”. However, if you meet all of the criteria I stated above…than you can indulge in starchy goodness without feeling guilty, by following these 3 simple rules. 1. Eat carbs after you workout. The higher the intensity of the workout the better… which is why MAX Workouts works so well… this way glucose gets taken up and stored as glycogen in you muscles, instead of being stored as body fat. 2. Best to avoid mixing bad starchy carbs with lots of fat (...a little fat is fine). The combination of sugar and fat creates the perfect environment for fat storage…something you want to avoid. 3. Keep the starchy goodness to just starch and not starch and sugar. For example if you’re weakness is bread, than stick to real good bread…not bread and jam. Bread and little butter is fine…just don’t use a stick of butter. Please keep in mind that these are general rules to help you minimize fat storage when you eat bad starchy carbs. However, some people can handle eating bad starchy carbs more than others, so how often and how much you can eat, really depends on your body’s ability to handle bad starchy carbs. And (unfortunately) that’s something you’ll need to find out (for yourself) through trial and error. Lastly, I’m in no way advocating eating bad starchy carbs. If you can avoid them…the better off you’ll be. BUT, I know life is all about balance and we all need some indulgence, and luckily there is a way to have your cake and eat it too…literally. It’s a unique combination of 5 unique, hard-to-come-by ingredients that have been shown to increase insulin sensitivity and blood sugar management. I wouldn’t have believe it myself, but it’s backed by solid research. I’m not saying that now you can eat all the carbs you want… but it’s great adjunct to your low carb diet. P.S. If youre frustrated because youre unable to lose weight and get rid of your stubborn belly fat even though youre eating healthy... it may be that youre choosing the wrong foods. Even foods that you think are healthy can actually cause you to retain fat.
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 08:51:10 +0000
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