Weight Loss and Carbs: Fact or Fiction?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions these days. "But can I eat carbs?" As if carbohydrates, just by virtue of being carbohydrates, are going to make you fat! In this article we explore what exactly are carbs; are all carbs the same; what are they good for; are they unhealthy and will they make you fat or stop you from losing weight.

So what are carbohydrates (carbs)? Carbs are one of the macro-nutrients or building blocks of food, along with proteins and fats. Micro-nutrients being your vitamins and minerals.

People usually think of carbs as bread, potatoes and pasta. Actually there are carbs in many different types of foods. They are found in all plant based foods such as fruits, vegetables, peas, beans, grains and nuts, plus from the animal based foods - milk and milk products.

Carbs are split into 2 groups simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are basically sugar. Fruit sugar or fructose; table sugar or sucrose and milk sugar or lactose. Complex carbohydrates are sugars but the molecules form more complex chains. The complex also contains fibre and starches. Examples of complex carbohydrates are vegetables, whole grains, beans and peas.

Carbs can again be divided into 2 - unrefined and refined. Unrefined are fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains and refined are foods such as sugar, sweets, candy, white flour, rice and soft drinks.

What are carbohydrates good for? Carbs are a vital energy source. They break down in the body to glucose which is the fuel for both the brain and the body and necessary to use as energy in every activity that we do.

Are carbs unhealthy? Are they stopping you from losing weight? As previously discussed, all carbs are not the same. Some are actually good for you and some are just like eating sugar. If you choose carbohydrates that are refined and simple like candy/lollies, soft drinks and white bread these will break down in the body to form glucose. The problem is, if you eat too much of these types of foods the extra glucose gets stored in the body as fat. This is where the high protein/fats diets seem to work for some people.

It is important, therefore, to eat a small amount of complex, unprocessed or unrefined carbohydrates. Foods like brown rice and whole grains, vegetables and fruits. These foods contain fibre, which is crucial for healthy digestion and elimination, and that means a healthy bowel. Fibre retains water which means the stools will be bulkier and softer and therefore will move through the intestines quickly. This expedient bowel transit time actually helps to clean the bowels and ensure that stool doesn't fester in your bowels causing waste products to actually back up into your body. This will enhance your weight loss diet and efforts further. These factors abate constipation and haemorrhoids, and are vital factors in colon cancer prevention. Fibre also helps to bring down cholesterol by interfering with the reabsorption of bile, and then producing more bile salts which in turn causes more LDL receptors to be formed and draw LDL's from the blood stream. LDL's are considered the bad form of cholesterol.

Complex and unprocessed carbs also contain vital nutrients that are necessary for energy and fuel the brain and body. For example, whole grains and legumes or dried beans contain zinc. Zinc is important for a healthy immune and reproductive system, also vital for memory, good skin, energy and low cholesterol levels. White, processed, bleached flour and bread actually binds to important vitamins and minerals in the body and draws them out of the body. As well as not containing any nutrients and fibre, unless added artificially during processing.

As to whether carbs will make you fat? No food group can "make you fat". Carbs can only make you fat if you eat too much of them. No matter which type of carbs you choose, the good or the bad. One of the reasons why limiting a food group enables you to lose weight is the fact that you have less food choices available to you. The less you have to choose from the less you will eat. Think about it. If all you could eat was cheesecake, even if this was your favourite food, there is only so much you could eat in one day. Or day after day. The other reason the high protein, high fat diet works is because your body goes into ketosis. A state in which energy or fuel is derived from fat rather than glycogen (stored glucose).

The problem is when you eliminate or reduce to a great extent carbs from your diet, you then expose yourself to becoming deficient in fibre and vital nutrients as discussed earlier in this article. Intake of fresh fruits and vegetables in particular have been linked to greatly reduced rates of many cancers and cardiovascular disease.

So, in conclusion, it is not the 'carbs' that are making you fat. It is how much food you are consuming. If you are overweight then you need to look at many factors in your diet and lifestyle and find ways limit your intake of all foods and drinks to match your body's needs. A good way to do this is to seek diet advice from your online Naturopath. They can advise you on how to diet, the best natural health products and herbal medicine to increase your chance for success!

This is Sienna Wolke and thank you for reading my article about weight loss and carbohydrates.

Please visit my website at http://www.healthforme.com.au/ for further information and have a talk with me. You can also use our natural health products online store for a large variety of natural health products. I'm looking forward to be with you in your quest for a healthier body and mind.

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Best Diets To Weight Loss

How many diets have you been on? If you are like most people who have been trying to lose weight, then it's a safe bet that you have tried more than your fair share of diet plans. But, the fact that you are reading this points out one major fact: those other diets didn't work as well as you had hoped. If they had, you wouldn't be looking for information on the best diets to lose weight.

When considering various plans, remember that everybody is different. What works for others may not work for you, and vice-versa. See, if you have tried diet after diet, only to put all of the weight back on (if you even lost any), it's not your fault. You were probably following a diet that worked, it just didn't work for you. That doesn't mean it was bad, it just means it wasn't a match for you. It happens.

Don't give up though. With the sheer number of weight loss plans out there, you can bet there is at least one that will work for you. If it helps, think of it as a game; a form of hide and seek. The right diet is hiding, and you are going to find it! Besides, having a good attitude about everything will make it that much easier for you.

Aha! That gets to the heart of the matter... how will you know when you have found one of the best diets to lose weight? That's a great question. Again, everybody is different, but there are a few signs you should be looking for.

Is the diet balanced? Any diet that tells you to eat all the cabbage, cottage cheese or bacon that you want is a sure sign of trouble. No matter how much you love the particular food now; eating it all the time will make that enjoyment wear off. The same concept applies to diets that tell you to avoid whole groups of foods. Low-carb diets are a good example of these. Even if you see good results at first, such a diet is very hard to stick to. Sure, you can eat all the hamburgers you want (as long as you skip the bun), but the craving for carbs will end up being more than you can handle. So, be sure any diet you want to try allows you to eat a variety of foods.

The other reason a variety of foods is so important is nutrition. A lot of people think they can eat anything they like and then take a multivitamin to make everything okay. While you may want to take a vitamin supplement every day, it's impossible for any pill to contain the full range of nutrients found in food.

Common sense is really the key to finding the best diets to lose weight. It may take a bit of time to find the right one for you, but it will be more than worth it once the weight comes off, and stays off... for good.

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Tips For Lasting Weight Loss

Losing weight seems to be on almost everyone's to-do-list these days. Who doesn't have a few extra pounds to lose? Diet alone without proper physical exercise will not give you the desired results.

Changing unhealthy habits and at the same time incorporating physical workouts into your already hectic and most probably stressful lifestyle can be daunting. Dieting without exercising will make weight loss harder to achieve. However, it might actually be not as difficult as you think.

First of all, set realistic goals. Do not expect to see fantastic results in a very short period of time. Aim for smaller goals, say, per week, than to aim for a higher weight loss per month.

Do not be tempted to skip meals or try to starve yourself. This will only result in a drop in your metabolic rate. This can cause weight gain instead and may even adversely affect your health. It is better to break your meals into smaller portions and taken with more frequency instead of 3 big main meals. The last meal is best taken before 8pm. This helps to minimize food cravings too. No more unhealthy junk food!

Remember, eating less is not the answer. Focus on healthy food instead. Even when you snack, choose healthy snacks such as carrot or celery sticks instead of the fat-laden fries. Salad greens can be tasty and healthy at the same time.

Stay hydrated by drinking more water. This has the added advantage of making you feel fuller and thus cut down on snacks in between meals.

Having a session of brisk walking about half an hour before mealtime, prepares your body for digestion. Walking helps in setting a higher metabolic rate and this result in more calories burned from your meal later. On top of that, your appetite also diminishes. In fact, walking is known to decrease food cravings.

Get every opportunity to walk. Walk the stairs instead of taking the lift, walk to the bus-stop or station, walk to the nearby shops, walk back from work if possible, walk the dog, every little bit helps in the long term.

It is best to include both cardiovascular activity and strength training as part of your workout plans. Joining a gym means you get professional advice on the best training method suited for you. It is important that you work on all your muscle groups. If you find a gym membership too expensive, then how about joining your local community service workout groups?

For the busy mom with no spare time to exercise outdoors, there is always the home treadmill or elliptical trainer to take care of your exercise needs. With their professionally designed workout programs to guide you along, you can still get fantastic results.

You might be surprised to learn that your weight gain may be due to your constant lack of beauty sleep. Scientific studies have proven that people who are sleep deprived tends to have a tendency to over-eat. This is due to a decrease in the hormone regulating intake of food, metabolism and fat burning. You have an urge to eat even though you might not actually be hungry. Higher food intake with reduced metabolic rate and fat burning equals weight gain. So make sure you sleep at least 7 hours each night.

Exercising regularly not only results in a healthy weight but also benefits your health. It helps to maintain your blood pressure, cholesterol and ward off diseases.

So, stop procrastinating and get on with your fitness goals. NOW is the best time to start.

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