Some Incredible Secrets to Weight Loss
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010High carbohydrate foods are a disaster for many dieters, but it’s essential to remember that without a supply of nutrients from carbohydrates, our body turns to it’s own sources of protein and fat to meet its energy necessities. And yes, we want our body to burn fat, that’s the key to losing weight, but we do not want it to burn the protein from our to keep us functional.
Not all carbohydrates are alike. The enemy of our waist line is not carbohydrates themselves, but certain types of carbohydrates and their manner of metabolization in our system. We can best understand this difference in terms of simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbs we find in sugary and processed foods, complex carbohydrates are found in whole, natural foods like fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.
Weight Loss Secret #1: Go for the complex carbohydrates.
When it comes to carbohydrates, another extremely important factor to consider is the glycemic index of foods. The glycemic index is a numeric rating system that tells us how quickly the sugars in a food break down into glucose in the body. Glucose enters our bloodstream, stimulates our blood sugar level and then triggers insulin in order to keep our blood sugar from getting too high. Insulin, aside from lowering blood sugar, tells the body to store fat. So if there is any villain here, it is not carbohydrates, but high insulin levels.
Weight Loss Secret #2: Eat low glycemic foods
Carbs are not the only factor to consider. We don’t want to ignore the other basic food groups, proteins and fat. Contrary to popular opinion, fat restriction does not necessarily cause weight loss. We need healthy fats in our diet or we will start to crave fatty foods. Good fats also help our bodies metabolize our food more efficiently and thereby actually enhances fat burn, ironic as it may seem. What are the good fats? These are a group of fats known as essential fatty acids, the omega-3 and omega-6 oils. They are found in nuts (especially walnuts), seeds (especially flax), salmon, avocado, and olive oil.
Weight Loss Secret #3: Eat nutritious fats every day
Finally, we come to protein. We also need protein every day, but not too much. Protein is beneficial in weight loss because it keeps our blood glucose levels proportionate, thus keeping insulin levels where we want them. The best sources of protein are legumes, chicken (not fried!), fish (not fried!), and lean beef.
Weight Loss Secret #4: Eat your protein: not too much, not too little
To summarize, a healthy diet of low carbs, low glycemic foods, healthy fats and lean protein will help you lose weight and keep you well nourished in the process.
Here are some interesting sites about weight loss and nutrition: