By Diane Dutchin The Afro News Vancouver
We’ve all heard of the “no carbs diet” or have gotten on the train at some point for a quick ride to shed those unwanted pounds of fat. For some strange reason this rave, craze or however you’ll want to label it has stuck around with its fair share of good and bad news attached to it. It is easy to get caught up in the whirl wind and become confused about what should be welcomed into our bodies that would serve a good purpose. The information being given if not stated or shared correctly has the ability to have a negative affect on us. Therefore, it is up to us as individuals to take the initiative to do a little digging to unearth the types of carbs that can be put into the “friend” category and eliminate the ones that falls under the “foe” category.
The phrase ‘all carbs are bad” is incorrect because as human beings our bodies absolutely need carbohydrates to properly function. We cannot, and let me repeat that again; we cannot properly function without carbohydrates. We should know that all carbs are not created equal so finding out the type of carbs that are essential to not only fat loss but what aids in proper nutrition consumption and weight management is ultimately our choice. Being proactive on this level will assist you to make healthier choices for you and your family.
So now that we’ve established that there are two main groups of carbohydrates – ones that can be your friend and ones your foe. Before expanding further on this lets’ back up a bit and in layman terms allow me to share why carbohydrate is important for the human body. I am not going to discuss the down side of not having carbohydrates because once you understand the upside; you’ll get the drift on the down side.
The most important role of carbohydrates consumption is to give the body energy
and provide fuel for the brain. Our bodies needs energy to function effectively, therefore when our energy level is low our minds slows down in processing information, our bodies are slow to react to regular day to day function. We walk around dragging our butts as it were and essentially running on empty, like using a battery operated flash light that is on it’s last bar and it’s flickering. It’s like trying to start and run a car on an empty tank of gas…there’s a bit in the tank, but not enough to move it from point A to B properly.
When we find our energy low it is the norm for us to reach for either a sugary food item or a food item made from white processed flour like muffins, doughnuts, granola bars, yogurts, pop, juice or protein bars; thinking it will sky rocket our energy and gave us the kick start and staying power we need. True, it will give us a quick kick start for a brief period, but close on our heels is the quick crash, and a slow but sure addition of unwanted fat gain. Now, let’s get to the carbohydrates that are our friends; the ones who we want to hang around with, have handy and enjoy because they’re good for our bodies.
Our selection should be aimed at choosing foods high in fibre and low in sugar. Why? Because we want to avoid the spike in our insulin level, feel full longer, obtain healthy nutrients, and maintain or lose body fat by what we’ll eat. So, some of the best carbohydrate of choice we should reach for on the go – the snack kinds should be the natural wholesome food groups – fruit, veggies, raw and unsalted nuts, and any unsweetened dried fruit. If we make the conscious decision to have those foods readily available – in the office, at home, in the car and in our man or lady purse (yes men do have purses now). We’ll notice our energy levels will be up and stable, we’ll be more alert and if our goal is to shed fat, it will be noticeable. Unto the healthy carbohydrates that we should consume for breakfasts lunches and dinners – may I make a suggestion here that if fat loss is your goal, you should try to consume rice, pasta and potato by lunch time for at least four days out of the week. Brown rice, whole wheat anything with low percentage of sugar is an excellent food choice, sweet potato, all kinds of squashes, and beans are also great choices of carbohydrates.
Oatmeal (not the pre-packaged kind) the organic raw oatmeal is the breakfast of champions in my book – you don’t need to add any sugar, but a few dried cranberries, raisins or dates will add enough taste to make it palatable for your enjoyment. For an added boost of protein sprinkle a few pieces of crushed walnuts – rabbit trail!
So though my list are not the end all, they are merely suggestions that are healthy choices of food selection that when incorporated into your eating lifestyle can aid in stabilized insulin levels, increased energy, fat loss and a healthier you.
