How Carbs Play Into Your Health & Weight - Both Here & Abroad

The modern American diet (sometimes called the Standard American Diet - or SAD) tends to include a lot of refined flours, sugars, and bad carbs.  Unlike other parts of the world where life is a bit slower paced, we in the United States want everything fast, and we want it now, and we're used to getting it now.  We want the convenience of fast food, instant food, frozen food, prepackaged food, and microwaved food.  And we get it.

What we get along with it is a growing epidemic of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems....

(Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

Unfortunately, we are all so busy with our fast-paced lives that the majority of us don’t put healthy eating first.  This is also a big reason that our country is growing quickly into an obese nation.   An uncomfortably large percentage of our population eat the wrong types of food and lead sedentary lifestyles.  Then, there are others who are really trying to eat healthy, but are confused about how to eat right.  These folks may not have all the information, but are trying to make wise choices. With all the conflicting information and different choices out there, it can definitely be confusing!

This is probably why so many of us have been hopping from one fad diet to another. At one point, it seemed those little frozen 'diet meals' were the best way to lose weight and get healthy.  Then I learned to read nutrition labels and I realized there was no fiber, high amounts of sodium, and unhealthy additives.  Those easy weight loss plans quickly lost their appeal.  What are we to believe and what do we really need in our diets to eat healthy and lose weight?  Let's compare what works and what hasn't worked:

Food and Fitness in Europe

If you visit northern Europe, you'll see people are walking the trails alongside all of the roads.  Many people do not own cars; they walk, ride bikes, or take public transportation.  There are ferry boats, buses, and company vans that pick up crowds of people to bring to work.  Getting from Point A to Point B is somewhat of a task, which takes some energy, aka burning calories.

Shopping at the corner store, you'll find freshly baked whole grain breads wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine.  There are fresh whole chickens and meats available only at the butcher counter.  There are fresh fruits and vegetables almost on every corner.  Barely any processed and refined foods are to be found (although this is changing in recent years.)  Oh, and don’t even think about soda pop!  The only 'pop' or 'cola' available is in the  occasional convenience store that caters to the American tourist, where you may find a bottle at three or four times the cost as in the United States.

You will not only notice people eat cleaner and healthier, with more raw organic foods that are farm-grown or raised, but our European neighbors also stay more active in general day-to-day activities.  In fact, in much of the world, people do not lead sedentary lifestyles like many of us in the United States.  Of course this is a generalization, but statistics still prove this to be the sad truth.

Food and Fitness in America

The way we want things here, convenient and fast, has caused food manufacturers to add plenty of refining, processing, preservatives, and food additives into our food to get the job done.  We speed up the production of food so we have a lot more food to fill the grocery store shelves.  In order to do this, we fatten up animals with hormones to grow faster, faster, faster.  We treat produce with chemicals so they get bigger, bigger, bigger (at the cost of nutrition, which comes from good, healthy organic soils).

(Image courtesy of Witthaya Phonsawat at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

Couple this super-charged food production with the fact that most Americans hop in their car to drive even a few blocks to the grocery store, and you can see why we have a serious health and obesity problem.  Fast food filled with bad carbs purchased while sitting in a car driving through a pick-up window is a formula for disaster when it comes to your diet and health.  Again, it boils down to wanting it fast, wanting it all, and wanting it now.  But, there's more.

Another factor along with 'fast, all, and now' is CHEAP!  We can't ignore the fact that you can buy a frozen pizza at your local grocery store for $2.50 when to make that same pizza with fresh, nutritious, high fiber foods could cost around $4 to $5.  We also can't ignore the fact that stretching a meal to feed a family is easier and cheaper to do with macaroni and white bread than with protein and produce.

The thing is, what do you want - to eat a lot of empty calories and get fat and unhealthy, or to eat healthy?  We can read labels, prepare ahead of time, and budget properly to get more of the high nutrition, high fiber foods into our diets and avoid or limit the bad carbs from our diets.  Becoming aware is the first step.  Bad carbs aren't only about putting on pounds.  A diet of bad carbs is creating a nation of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and a host of other health problems.

I think that's reason enough to take a lesson from those who live a slower lifestyle, choose more natural foods, and spend more time on their feet than their bottom.  When you stock your pantry with nutritious, high fiber, low carb foods, you are taking a step in the right direction. 

I know you want it all, you want it fast, and you want it cheap... but when it comes to your health, that mantra just doesn't work.  You've taken the first step by just becoming informed.  Now take the second step, and do something about it.  Congratulations on choosing a healthier lifestyle!

Stay tuned in the coming weeks, as we discuss how to eat fewer unhealthy carbs, and more healthy, delicious, and nutritious whole foods. We'll also be sharing some simple, tasty recipes for enjoyment and good health.
 

Getting Rid of Bad Carbs

If you are reading this, chances are you are curious about what all the hubbub is about 'good carbs'  versus 'bad carbs.'  You may be thinking of starting a low carb diet and want to know where the dividing line is.  You may even be wondering what specific foods contain bad carbs and why do you have to get them out of your pantry, refrigerator, and life? 

First a short lesson in Bad Carb 101 and then we'll get to the specifics.

The Basic Bad Carb Breakdown

Chocolate chip cookies. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Let me give you a quick review of what bad carb foods look like: bagels, muffins, bread, crackers, and pasta all made with white flour.  Of course, anything containing white sugar is on the list: cookies, cake, candy, pies, and some cereals.  Then we have the starches:  rice and potatoes.  Think 'white flour' and 'white sugar' and add 'starchy foods' and you have a general knowledge of bad carbs.  That's the simple explanation.  But there's more.

When we eat a lot of refined foods that have high carbs and low fiber, we are eating sugar.  Yes, carbs are sugar.  Sugar metabolizes quickly causing a spike in the bloodstream and allows us to quickly get a boost, and just as quickly get hungry again.  Why?  After the sugars enter the bloodstream, the pancreas releases insulin.  The insulin helps us to convert that sugar spike into instant energy and we feel a jolt or 'sugar high.'  Then, after our body has released enough insulin to counteract the 'sugar high,' we feel the CRASH. 

What happens next?  More sugar is craved to offset the CRASH, which could result in the shakes, fatigue, headaches, hunger, and cravings.  What cures these problems?  More sugar.  The cycle has begun.  This sugar roller coaster not only causes these physical reactions, but wreaks havoc on our internal organs and circulatory system.  You can only stop the cycle by eliminating the sugar in the first place.  But how did all this sugar (aka bad carbs) craving get started?

Many of us were raised with these foods because our families were stretching the dollar. The foods we refer to as 'bad carbs' tend to be cheaper.  We learned to love these foods and now we crave them - macaroni and cheese anybody?  Stacks of white bread and dinner rolls were common on most family tables.  It's a great food to stretch the meal a little further.  But, thankfully, times are changing.  We are returning to a time when we grew vegetables, ate mixed grain breads, and had fresh eggs for breakfast.  Eating these types of foods is exactly what a low carb, high fiber diet is all about.

Yes, you will need to give up the bad carbs, which are all the refined, processed foods that you currently find so convenient.  But, you will then fill the pantry and refrigerator with the good carbs that are higher in fiber and nutrients.  Once you make the decision and learn how to plan your meals and snacks, you'll find you don't even miss those bad carbs.  Here's where I can almost hear you say...

But How Will I Live Without My Carbs!

I know.  It's not easy to cut ties with those bad carbs.  Nor is it easy (at first) to see an alternative.  When you go to the drive-thru to get a burger, there often isn't a healthy alternative.  Just see how many organic grass-fed lean beef burgers with a multi-grain bun you can find at a fast food place. What do we get instead?  A suspicious processed product called a hamburger on white flour, sugar added, processed and refined bun.  These are the carbs we can't live without?  No wonder the obesity rates and correlating health problems in America have reached dangerous levels!

How will you live without your carbs?  The answer is; “You don't have to.”  The fact is, you will be eating carbs, but not the carbs that are responsible for the weight gain and health problems you've been concerned about.  Let's get down to the nitty gritty and check out your new direction.

Turning In a Healthier Direction

Making the decision to eat a low carb diet means you have to remove some (or most?) of the food you've been used to eating, and replace it with healthier alternatives;  namely good carbs.  Start by getting rid of the white processed breads and pasta made with white flour.  Replace these with multi-grain and whole wheat breads as well as whole wheat pastas.  Replace any white rice with long grain brown rice and wild rice.  Look for breads, pastas, rice, and bagels that are darker and denser because they are better for you than their 'enriched white flour' or other refined counterparts. 

There are some new specially made low carb breads on the market that are high in fiber which results in a lower 'net carb' per serving.  You'll even find low carb pita breads, multi-grain hamburger and hot dog buns, hoagie rolls, tortillas, crackers, and pasta.  Your new best friend in your low carb diet will be the nutrition label.  Get to know it very, very well.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Strive to get at least 5 to 6 servings a day of vegetables and 3 to 4 servings of fruit or berries in your low carb diet.  This recommendation will vary with whatever diet you are following, so use it as a guideline.  Of course, these servings should all fall within the 'good carb' category.  Adding at least 10 servings of dietary fiber each day will help you keep your carb count where you want it, and will keep you feeling full and satisfied.

Generally speaking, the darker, richer colored veggies, fruits, and berries are higher in fiber content which lowers the net carb count.  Steer your choices toward vegetables like spinach, kale, collards, mustard, broccoli, beet greens, tomatoes, cucumber, arugula, snap beans, celery, radishes, and asparagus.  For fruits and berries choose citrus and dark berries, but stay away from eating a lot of tropical fruits like banana and mango as they are quite starchy with very little fiber content. 

Do the research on fruits and vegetables and you'll learn you do have choices.  For instance, apples are high in carbs, relatively low in fiber, and very high in sugar.  Compared to jicama, also sweet and crunchy, which has a relatively low amount of carbs, is loaded with fiber, and very low in sugar.  Also (and here's why I read my nutrition data), jicama has 4 times the amount of vitamin C and iron as an apple.  Not a bad alternative!

Let’s not forget about nuts.  Almost all nuts, with the exception of cashews, will fit into your low carb diet.  Be sure to read the label if you are buying a mix, as many mixes include cashews.  Try to buy raw nuts.  You can always roast them yourself to bring out more of that nutty flavor.  Then, there are dried beans, lentils, and peas.  These foods do have a fair amount of good carbs which, at first glance, may not seem to fit in your daily carb limit.  But, don't forget the magic fiber!  Subtract the fiber from the carbs and you have a net carb count that is very respectable.  Eating some form of these food items (think hummus) may add about 10 grams of fiber per day and keep you safely in the low carb zone.

Living without those bad carbs in your life starts with a decision.  Have you decided to rid yourself of the unhealthy eating practices you have become accustomed to?  If so, I can tell you that you will feel better, and look better, than you ever have before!

Lazy Vegetarianism Is Bad For Your Health

We’ve all been there. You’ve just come home from a long day at work and the last thing you feel like doing is taking the time to prepare a healthy, nutritionally sound meal. Unfortunately, those who eat a vegetarian or vegan diet may think they're healthy simply because they don't eat meat, and so they get lazy about making good food choices. But choosing a refined or enriched carbohydrate over the beneficial carbohydrates that a solid, well-balanced diet offers defeats the purpose of your decision to live a vegetarian lifestyle for optimal health. 

Just because it's vegetarian doesn't mean it's good for you... (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Consuming refined carbohydrates presents many different hazards to your health. The over-consumption of refined carbohydrates and sugars can result in excess insulin in the bloodstream. In the presence of excess insulin, glucose, the blood sugar, is converted to triglycerides and stored in the fat cells of the body.

According to one study, consuming a lot of refined grains may also increase your risk of getting stomach cancer.

In addition, refined sugars and carbohydrates have been implicated as contributing factors in increased gallbladder disease, according to a recent study, which showed a direct link between the amount of sugars eaten and the incidence of gallbladder disease. Another study looked at the role carbohydrates play in the incidence of heart disease. The researchers noted that as carbohydrate consumption increased, so did the level of triglycerides in the blood of the participants. Diets low in fat and high in carbohydrates not only dramatically raised triglyceride levels but significantly reduced levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol.

And lastly, refined white sugars increase the rate at which your body excretes calcium, which is directly connected to your skeletal health. Simply put, as your sugary and refined carbohydrate intake increases, your bone density decreases.

So don’t be lazy! Do your body right and if you're going to eat vegetarian, be sure to take the time to prepare a nutrient-dense and delicious meal. It may take a few minutes longer, but your body, and your conscience, will thank you for it in the long run. 

 

Learn These Low Carb Diet Guidelines

One of the best ways to get on track to healthy eating is to eliminate some of the unhealthy foods from your diet, such as processed foods and simple carbohydrates. This month, we'll be sharing some facts about eating fewer carbs, as well as lots of delicious and healthy low-carb recipes. Today we're going to clear up some of the confusion about eating a low-carb diet.

The guidelines of any diet can be a confusing mess if you don’t have a clear understanding what the diet is all about.  Why are certain foods permitted and others are eliminated?  What are these 'good' foods actually doing for your body and your health?

Low carb diets focus on omitting the bad carbs (simple carbohydrates) from your diet, and replacing them with good carbs (complex carbohydrates.)  Since carbohydrates provide a source of energy for your body, it’s important to remember not to eliminate all carbs from your diet.  This is often a mistake among excited dieters when they don’t have all the facts. 

Another mistake sometimes made by overly enthusiastic low carb dieters is thinking you can meet all your body's needs by eating just protein.  Again, good carbs provide the fuel to burn for energy.  You need protein, but you also need to feed your body good carbs to stay nutritionally in balance.  Let's sort through some of the basic guidelines for eating a low carb diet.

Bad Carbs

Carbs, carbs, carbs. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It's easy to understand why foods that have added sugars such as soda, candy, cookies, and syrups are on the bad carbs list.  Sugar is sugar, right?  But then you'll find white bread, pasta, cereals, rice, and potatoes on the same bad carb list.  Why?  Because refined flour and starchy foods actually are sugar – or at least your body thinks they are and treats them like sugar.  Bad carbs (also known as simple carbs) give the body a quick energy boost, but drops off just as quickly.

Now, if you’re thinking “That’s everything I like to eat!” you are definitely not alone.  When you factor in your fast paced life, along with convenience foods, it’s no surprise we get into the habit of eating foods that aren't always healthy.  However, if you discipline yourself and start thinking about eating healthier as a life-altering process, or even a life-saving process, eliminating those bad carbs from your diet doesn't seem so hard to do.

Good Carbs

These foods are generally higher in fiber and sometimes in fat, too, but good fat.  Like bad carbs, good carbs give you an energy boost, but it's slower to come.  Unlike bad carbs, the energy boost lasts longer, preventing those dangerous spikes in blood sugar.  So, what's on the good carb list?

Depending on the particular low carb diet plan you are following, you'll be able to eat many foods you already enjoy.  You'll be eating a variety of vegetables, fruit and berries, along with nuts and some whole grains in order to get your good carbs.  These will include non-starchy vegetables such as celery, cucumbers, mushrooms, bell peppers, onion, broccoli, eggplant, tomatoes, jicama, all sorts of greens and some root crops, just to name a few.  Whereas bad/simple carbs have little or no nutritional value, these foods provide the nutrients your body needs to maintain good health and prevent illness and disease.

Roast chicken & vegetables = protein & good carbs. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Healthy Proteins

Of course, a low carb diet also means a diet rich in protein and healthy fats.  This will include fish, poultry, meat, cheese, nuts, and eggs, along with vegetarian choices such as beans, legumes, and even broccoli and Brussels sprouts.  Not only are proteins important for your health, but the fat provided in some proteins is also necessary to help you feel full after eating.  This prevents over-eating and unhealthy snacking.

The portion of protein versus good carbs varies from diet to diet.  Again, you want to consult your health care professional to see how your particular health needs will be met.  Also, not every protein is desirable in your healthier diet.  You may want to avoid red meats, or cook leaner cuts, for instance.  Cooking your proteins properly is another consideration.  That lean cut of protein or seafood won't be healthy if you cook it in processed oils or cover it in sugary sauces or glazes.  Eggs are considered a perfect protein but if they're fried in butter, your low carb diet will be sacrificed.  Choose your protein, then choose your cooking method using good fats and you'll be on the right track.

Quick Tips

Starting a new diet may be difficult, but the hard part really comes when you are trying to stick to it.  In the beginning, you're all excited about the possibilities.  As time goes on, you may lose momentum, or interest, or both.  There are a few ways to help you stay on track through the ups and downs that come with any diet.  Let's tick off a few here:

Schedule your meal times and plan your menus in advance. This makes it easier to stick with a routine and not stray from your diet.  With this, you'll also be making out grocery lists for your menus.  Shopping with this list will help you avoid impulse buying. 

Ease yourself into healthier eating habits so you don't feel deprived.  Cutting out your favorite 'bad carbs' all at once can be stressful and leave you feeling hungry and sad.  Keeping some potatoes and pasta in the house isn't the worse thing you can do.  Just make them sweet potatoes and whole grain pasta to be on the healthier side.  Even having a few crackers or a cookie or two isn't the end of the world.  If this dieting 'safety net' is helpful, go ahead.  After a while, you won't want them around anymore.

If you're craving carbs, try eating good carbs before you eat the bad carbs.  Wait twenty minutes, eat more good carbs, wait, and continue.  If your craving continues, go ahead and indulge in your craving.  Don't beat yourself up just because you ate a snack that's not on your diet.  Enjoy it, then let it go.

Make a list of  'good carbs' and keep it with you at all times.  This is especially helpful when you don't get your menu plan written and find yourself in the grocery store, spinning around, uncertain of which direction to go – and hungry!  Without direction, your hungry tummy will lead you into the sweets, starch, or bakery aisle.  So, be prepared.

Keep in mind that if you’ve been eating a steady diet of bad carbs, so breaking this old habit won't be easy and there will be setbacks.  You don't have to make the change all at once.  Take baby steps if you need to at first.  Make small changes in your eating habits and lifestyle.  This can help you feel less deprived, which could save your diet in the long run.  A healthier, more energetic lifestyle will be well worth your effort.

Should You Eat Carbs, Or Avoid Them?

Carbohydrates have been put into the spotlight ever since diets like the Atkin’s Diet and the South Beach Diet have recommended cutting carbohydrates out of your meals as much as possible. However, before you make any drastic decisions about what foods to include and not include, it is crucial to learn about carbohydrates and what they do for your body.

Simple or "bad" carbs (Photo credit: Newbirth35)

In short, carbohydrates can be good or bad for your body. It is necessary to eat enough good carbohydrates, because that is how our body has enough energy for low-intensity activities during the day. Carbohydrates are famously found in breads and grains, but actually they are also found in a number of other foods as well, such as fruits and vegetables. When keeping an eye on your intake of carbohydrates it is important to distinguish the good from the bad.

What Are Carbs?

All carbohydrates are basically sugars. Complex carbohydrates are the good carbohydrates for your body. These strings of sugar are very difficult to break down and trap other nutrients like vitamins and minerals in the sugar strings. As they slowly break down, the other nutrients are also released into your body, and provide you with fuel for a number of hours.

Bad carbohydrates, on the other hand, are simple sugars. Because their structure is not complex, it is easy to break down and holds little nutrients for your body other than the sugars. Your body breaks down these carbohydrates rather quickly and what it cannot use is converted to fat and stored in the body. Staying away from simple carbohydrates is what most diets recommend, since they have little nutritional value when compared to complex carbohydrates.

Eating The Right Carbs

Good carbs - Fresh fruit and vegetables (Photo credit: Mundoo)

More importantly than how carbohydrates work in the body and the difference between good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates is how you actually eat these carbohydrates! First, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. These foods include complex carbohydrates, but also a variety of other nutrients needed by your body. Another great tip is to cut the white bread and bread products out of your diet and replace them with whole grain or multi-grain breads instead. Look at the packaging. Foods rich in fiber are probably a source of good carbohydrates.

Learning the difference between good and bad carbohydrates is very important if you wish to have a healthy diet. It is not good for your body to cut out carbohydrates completely—in fact, that is very difficult to do unless you only eat meat! Eating a healthy and balanced diet means including good carbohydrates in your meals along with protein and healthy fats.

To learn more about health, carbs, and the dangerous lies we've been told about them, we highly recommend Gary Taube's book, Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health.

And stay tuned to this blog for some good, low-carb recipes featuring healthy, whole ingredients.

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