Tip 28: Carbs are NOT evil!

"Low carb diet. Carb free diet. Carbs are bad. Carbs are evil. Carbs make you gain weight."

WRONG!

Carbs give your body the energy it needs to function!

Without carbs, you get hungry. cranky. moody. frustrated. angry. tired. lightheaded. and your body begins to eat itself.

I know what you might be thinking. "Eat itself? Isn't that a good thing? My body will eat its fat and that's what I want!"

Wrong again. Low carb or carb-free diets cause the body to eat its lean muscle tissue. and lean muscle tissue is crucial for your body to burn calories! Even while you’re at rest or sleeping, lean muscle is burning calories. Without it, your metabolism is slower, and overall you’ll lose less calories per day.

Low carb or carb free diets trick you into thinking they work by making you lose water and lean muscle weight. They’re one of those “crash diets” that cause you to lose a little, and then gain back whatever you lost and then more!

Tip 28: Carbs are healthy for you, don't avoid them!

There are “good” carbs and “bad” carbs, click “read more” to read the difference between them, and what to pair with the “bad” carbs you may enjoy to make their intake as good for you as possible!


Bad carbs (also known as “fast” carbs):
- white breads
- bagels
- pasta
- white sugar
- stuff that isn’t whole grain or whole wheat*
- alcohol
- cake, candy, cookies
- sugar
- soft drinks
- white rice
- chips
- most processed/prepackaged foods

*A word of caution, food in packages labeled “multi-grain” are not the same as those labeled “whole grain” or “whole wheat.” "Multi-grain" just means they used more than one kind of grain in the product, which can be misleading because alot of "multi-grain" products are just as processed and as "bad" as white products. "Whole grain/whole wheat" means they used the whole grain during processing, which is healthier and makes those products act  like good carbs.

“Fast” carbs are carbs that cause your body’s insulin and energy levels to spike. Ever had a sugar crash? Well that’s exactly it! Bad carbs can make you moody, irritable, cranky, and tired. They also are usually higher in calories, but leave you still feeling hungry and unsatisfied.

But don't give up all hope! Just because something is considered a "fast" carb doesn't mean you have to eliminate it from your diet. Pairing moderate/small portions of “fast” carbs with protein or fiber makes them act like “slow” (good) carbs. You don't have to miss out on your favorite foods to lose weight!

Good carbs (also known as “slow” carbs or "complex" carbs):
- stuff that is whole wheat or whole grain
- vegetables (onions, lettuce, tomato, carrots, etc.)
- fruits (apples, bananas, etc.)
- beans
- nuts

"Slow" carbs have the added benefit of usually being high in nutritional value and fiber, which can make your blood sugar levels more consistent, and make you less irritable and moody! They can make you feel happier! :) They are also lower in calories than "fast" carbs, and leave you feeling fuller longer. Studies have also shown that "slow" carbs have a thermic effect (which I'm not very knowledgeable about as of yet) which means they naturally stimulate your metabolism.

As First for Women magazine suggests (read an overview of the January 2011 article about carb balancing HERE), try pairing 2 sausage or bacon links with 2 waffles for breakfast, 4 oz. of turkey with onions, lettuce, and tomato on 2 slices of bread for lunch, and 3 oz. of steak with 3 cups of stir fried mixed veggies for dinner.

So remember, carbs are your friends!

Just Another Whale,
MyzzLyzz