The Truth About Carbs And Weight Loss....

....Use Whole Grain Carbs!

Carbohydrates are a food group that so many people love, yet most diets today discourage us from eating them. But, if we just switch our thinking a bit, and start using whole grains in our meals the benefits are huge.

Carbohydrates & Insulin
Now we all know that one of the main keys to losing weight is to expend more calories than we consume, however an important secret for long term fat and weight loss is to control the hormone Insulin. Insulin release is consistent with the amount and/or type of carbohydrates we consume. If you want to lose weight and quickly you need to stay away from the bad carbs.

“BAD” Carbs including those such as white bread, chips, snacks and other baked or fried foods that have been mechanically processed. These carbs are bad for you because during processing, much or all of the dietary fiber is removed from them, and your body cannot process them with efficiency.

“GOOD” Carbs are the carbs we should focus on eating. They come in more natural forms such as whole grain wheat bread, fruit like strawberries and peaches, and vegetables such as carrots, green beans or squash.

Insulin will cause our body to store fat and can keep stored bodyfat from being utilized as energy. Additionally, insulin will cause unwanted weight gain and water retention. However, if we control insulin with a low carbohydrate (and GOOD Carb) healthy eating plan, we can also control our weight and levels of body fat. 
 
A quick solution to this issue is to avoid carbohydrates (especially bad ones) before your workout, so that you’ve flipped on the fat-burning switch. After your workout, eat a balanced meal with good carbs or plenty of protein to stop your body from burning muscle along with fat.

Carbohydrates & Fiber
Carbohydrates in food provide your body with energy, and whole grain sources of carbohydrates contain more fiber. Fiber in foods take your body longer to digest, allowing for a slower release of energy. The slow digestion also helps with appetite control for weight management. Also, eating Whole Grains before Physical Activity will double the fat burning effects.

Adding Good Carbohydrates
For optimal health, get your grains intact from foods such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, and other possibly unfamiliar grains like quinoa, whole oats, and bulgur. Not only will these foods help protect you against a range of chronic diseases, they can also please your palate and your eyes.

Here are some suggestions for adding more good carbohydrates to your diet:

Start Your Day With Whole Grains. If you’re partial to hot cereals, eat oatmeal. If you’re a cold cereal person, look for ones that list whole wheat, whole oats, or other whole grains first on the ingredient list, but be sure to use soy milk with your cereal or eat it dry. You can also start the day off with a whole wheat toast.

Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks. Check the label to make sure that whole wheat or another whole grain is the first ingredient listed.
 
Use Potatoes Less Often. Instead, try brown rice with your dinner.
 
Definitely Start Using Whole Wheat Pasta. Whole Grains are much better for us than White versions. If the whole grain products are too chewy for you, look for those that are made with half whole-wheat flour and half white flour.

Bring on the Beans. Beans are an excellent source of slowly digested carbohydrates as well as a great source of protein.

Now one major rule in Trophology is never mix a Protein and a Carbohydrate. But you can “Bend” that rule a bit when using Whole Grains with White Meats. This is still NOT an ideal combination for fast digestion, but if you follow a few easy steps in preparing a meal, you can definitely get away with it!

Because Whole Grains are full of fiber, and White Meats are made up of different enzymes then Red Meats, you can use chicken, turkey, & fish with your Whole Grain pastas and breads. Just remember to use smaller amounts of the meat, and incorporate some Superfoods such as Spinach, Cabbage or Broccoli (High Fiber Veggies) to help flush them out of your system. And if you end your day with a nice portion of Yogurt that will help aid the rapid digestion as well.

Learning The Differences In Grains:
Grains, especially the Whole Grains, are an essential part of a healthy diet. They are a good sources of complex carbohydrates as well as some key vitamins and minerals. Grains are also naturally low in fat, and they’ve been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers and other health problems. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that at least half of all the grains you eat are whole grains.

Types of Grains:
Also called cereals, grains and whole grains are the seeds of grasses grown for food, and they come in many shapes and sizes, from large kernels of popcorn to small quinoa seeds.

Whole Grains are unrefined grains that haven’t had their bran and germ removed by milling. Whole grains are better sources of fiber and other important nutrients, like selenium, potassium and magnesium. You can also get Whole Grains in other foods such as, brown rice and popcorn, or ingredients in products, such as buckwheat in pancakes or whole wheat in bread.

Refined Grains are milled, which strips out both the bran and germ, giving them a finer texture and extends their shelf life. The refining process also removes many nutrients, including fiber. Refined grains include white flour, white rice, white bread and degermed cornflower. Many breads, cereals, crackers, desserts and pastries are made with refined grains, too.

 
Enriched Grains means that some of the nutrients lost during processing are put back in. Some enriched grains are grains that have lost B vitamins added back in — but not the lost fiber. Fortifying means adding in nutrients that do not occur naturally in the food. Most refined grains are enriched, and are fortified with other vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid and iron.

Refined Grains vs. Whole Grains Graphic

Debunking The Paleo Diet

Christina Warinner at TEDxOU

If you want to lose weight, don't sabotage your diet with these common misconceptions.

This article was written with runners in mind but does actually apply to anybody who would like to remain fit and healthy.

After weeks of holiday indulgences, many runners are ready to start the New Year on a healthier foot, and often that means shedding pounds. But even the most health-savvy runners can get caught up in diet myths that sabotage their goals. "Weight loss is so complex and confusing because there is so much conflicting information out there," says Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. With our experts' help and the latest research, we've dispelled five myths so you can start slimming down for good.

Myth 1:  
NO SWEETS BEFORE NOON
Most runners who want to lose weight assume they have to forgo dessert. But not only can you have it, you can have it for breakfast, according to a study published in March 2012 in the journal Steroids: Researchers found that participants who ate a 600-calorie, carb- and protein-rich breakfast that included dessert, such as chocolate or ice cream, lost more weight over four months (and kept more off the following four months) than a group that ate a low-carb morning meal. "Dessert for breakfast sounds so sinful," says Bonci, "but if you allow yourself a tad more indulgent breakfast, you might eat less during the day instead of trying to be really 'good' and overcompensating later."

Make it work: Eat a 600-calorie or so breakfast rich in vegetables, fruit, protein, and carbs, and add a sweet if you crave it. Avoid calorie bombs, like mega chocolate chip muffins, says Bonci; instead, have a shake made with vanilla yogurt, banana, peanut butter, and a little chocolate, or a banana muffin with almond butter.

Myth 2:
ADDED FIBER KEEPS YOU FULL
High-fiber foods, like fruits and vegetables, take longer to digest and hold more water, which is why they fill you up and aid weight loss. Companies have capitalized on this by adding fiber to everything from yogurt to snack bars. But do these fibers work? University of Minnesota researchers had participants replace two meals a day with a low-fiber snack bar or one that contained 10 grams of added fiber. The results (published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) show the added fiber had no effect on fullness and caused more bloating than the low-fiber bars. "Everyone in the food industry is jumping on the fiber bandwagon," says Bonci, "but as this study shows, not all fibers are created equal."

Make it work: To quell hunger, Bonci recommends sticking with foods naturally high in fiber--whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. They tend to be lower-calorie and take up more room in the stomach than processed foods with fiber.

Myth 3:
CARBS LEAD TO WEIGHT GAIN
Runners know carbs are essential for training, but many still cut back if they're trying to lose weight. After all, eating lots of carbs, as you would prerace, causes the scale to go up. "Carbs act like a sponge," says Bonci, "helping you absorb water." That weight is temporary and means you're well fueled. But there's more reason to keep carbs--whole-grain carbs--in your diet. According to a study published in April 2012, participants who ate a low-calorie diet high in whole wheat for 12 weeks lost more fat than a group that ate a low-cal diet high in refined wheat, most likely because the extra fiber in whole grains was more filling.

Make it work: Whenever you eat grains, make them whole, says Katherine Beals, Ph.D., R.D., an associate professor at the University of Utah. To make this a reality, cook a large batch of grains to eat all week. Add different nuts, dried fruits, vegetables, and meats to vary the flavors.

Myth 4:  
CUT ALL FAT
Fat is the most calorie-dense nutrient, so it would make sense that eating less of it would help you lose weight. But slashing your fat intake may have the opposite effect. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers compared participants on three diets--low-fat, low-glycemic, and low-carb. Eating a low-fat diet decreased resting energy expenditure (or the number of calories you burn at rest) the most. Cutting back on fat also affected hormones essential to keeping cholesterol and insulin in check. "We need fat for many reasons," says Bonci. "It's an important fuel source for exercise. If you don't consume enough, your body will burn muscle."

Make it work: "When people eat a low-fat diet, they add flavor other ways, like by eating sugar," says Bonci. She recommends 30 percent of your calories come from fat--and two-thirds of that should be the healthy unsaturated kinds from nuts, oils, fish, eggs, and avocados.

Myth 5:
YOU SHOULD ONLY USE ZERO-CALORIE SWEETENERS
For runners looking to shed pounds, using zero-calorie sweeteners, such as sucralose, aspartame, and stevia, may be an appealing choice, since swapping out a sugar-packed soda for a diet version is an easy way to cut calories. But according to a joint study statement by the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, the scientific evidence connecting zero-calorie sweeteners with long-term weight loss is inconclusive. Why? One of the main problems is overcompensation. If you save 150 calories by drinking a diet soda, but then reward yourself with an extra helping at dinner, you've negated any calorie-saving benefit.

Make it work: "If you drink lots of soda or add tons of sugar to your coffee," says Bonci, "you may want to try diet versions." However, "if using a zero-calorie sweetener gives you license in your mind to eat whatever you want, then it's not the right choice for you. You have to make sure cutting back in one arena doesn't prompt you to overdo it in another."

Myth 6:  
ADD MORE LONG RUNS
Many runners assume that going longer is always better--especially when it comes to weight loss. But a recent Danish study published in September 2012 found that this isn't always the case. During the study, researchers had overweight participants do 30 or 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day. Surprisingly, those who exercised less lost more weight during the 13-week study. What's the catch? The group that exercised longer ended up eating more throughout the day than the moderate-exercise group. In other words, the longer they exercised, the more they overcompensated for it.

Make it work: Running long is good, but not if you overeat because of it, says Beals. Make sure you pay attention to your diet on days you do run long. On the flip side, beginners should be encouraged to know you don't need to run for hours to see real weight loss results.


Runners World - Six Weight Loss Myths Busted