Who doesn’t love carbs right? And I am with you it’s not easy to resist them but making right choices and keeping some guidelines in mind can help you in a long run. We all know that carbohydrates are body’s main source of energy and they do have important function because our brain needs carbs specifically glucose. The cells in your body convert carbohydrates into the fuel molecule ATP through a process called cellular respiration.
It is not possible to eliminate carbs from your diet. Fiber is one of the carbohydrates that helps in digestion, helps you feel full and keeps blood cholesterol levels in check. Try to include soluble fiber in your diet. It is found in oats, legumes and the inner part of fruits and some vegetables. It helps lower the risk of digestive tract diseases.
We discussed the importance of carbs and that we need for our health but we need to pick the right kind of carbohydrates, let talk about that.
- Avoid processed carbs.
- Try to include good carbs in your diet- whole grain breads and cereals, products made from whole wheat flour, vegetables and fruits. They take longer to be broken down by the body and used for energy.
- Avoid eating carbs that contain refined carbohydrates because they have a low fiber amount, mainly white flour and sugar. These are found in foods like white bread, cakes, cookies and other bakery items made with white flour; white (processed) rice and some cereals.
- Always read Nutrition labels as they are a good source of information about the kinds of carbs and how much fiber a food contains.
Just think about good nutrition by eliminating or avoiding unhealthy carbs and adding healthy carbs. Healthy carbs have high fiber content and our slowly digested.
Try to include lot of Whole grains in your diet because they are the best source of carbohydrates and they provide energy plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. It helps to keep the digestive system healthy. Foods made from whole grains have high fiber content. Fiber helps to prevent obesity and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
People think eating carbs will make them gain weight or make it hard to lose weight, let’s find out:
It all depends on what kinds of foods you eat. If you eat too many calories from any type of food it will cause weight gain. If you think you picked foods that have fiber in them that is good but make sure that those foods are not low in fiber content because they are high in calories and low in nutrients. They get metabolized very quickly into glucose. The sudden spike in the blood glucose level triggers the pancreas to produce more insulin, a hormone which promotes fat storage. This means it is easy to gain weight by eating too many of these types of foods.
Try to eat foods with high fiber content as they are metabolized more slowly without causing a big insulin rush. The body can use them as energy over several hours. And foods with high fiber content are higher in vitamins and minerals so they are healthier foods to eat.
It’s good if you can try to beat the Carb cravings, let’s find out how you can do that:
Cravings are very common but they play a major role in weight gain and food addiction. There are some ways out there that can really help you to prevent or even stop unhealthy food and sweet cravings.
- Try to eat more protein. Protein helps you from overeating. Studies have shown that protein can help curb your appetite. Adding protein to your diet is an easy way to lose weight. Eat a high protein breakfast as it will help you feel full and satisfied for a long time.
- Planning your meals is a very smart way to eliminate uncertainty. If you don’t have to think what to eat for next meal you will be less likely to experience cravings.
- Lack of nutrition can cause cravings. Make sure your body gets the nutrients it needs and you won’t get extremely hungry right after eating. If you feel like eating a snack between your meals make sure you pick a healthy snack such as nuts, fruits and vegetables.
- Drink lot of water. Drinking water when you have a sudden craving helps your craving to fade away. Water is good for you and comes with lot of health benefits.
- High fiber foods are known to help satisfy the cravings because the natural sugars in these foods help to do so. Try to eat a fiber rich fruit or a fiber rich fruit bar.
Don’t let your cravings take over; try to take charge by followings these tips.
