Lose Weight with Good Carbs!

Shunning carbohydrates from your diet and replacing them with high-protein diets to lose weight? Well, you are not alone! Most dieters think that all carbohydrates are bad and should be avoided when on a low-carb diet plan for weight loss. But the truth is that like fats, not all carbohydrates are the same.

Yes, there are certain bad carbohydrates that cause weight gain, but low-carb diet helps you to lose weight steadily. A low-carbohydrate diet plan is safe and effective for everyone who gets onto it. The primary goal of low-carbohydrate diet plan is to help you lose weight by portion control. Once you are able to control your portion sizes, you will automatically be able to lose weight.

Low-carb diet plan

Almonds top the list of low-carb foods

Keep healthy snacks such as fruits, roasted chana, khakhras, idlis, dhoklas, sprouts, peanuts, wheat and soy biscuits, whole wheat sandwiches and clear soups handy

For lunch / dinner, eat jowar chapattis with soy nuggets or paneer with vegetables and salads, or brown rice or wheat bread with sprouts, greens and soup

Avoid fat-laden and low-fibre foods such as pizzas, burgers, pav bhaji, pulav khadi, white bread sandwiches, idlis, dosas, pastries, cakes, chocolates, parathas, theplas and khichdi

Zinc is an important mineral as it sensitises the tissues to insulin and helps to minimise sugar cravings. Natural sources of zinc include black and white sesame seeds. Chromium picolinate is another mineral that balances blood sugar and helps you lose weight on a low-carb diet plan.

Some herbs and spices such as saunf, methi powder and cloves help balance blood sugar and control hunger. Take 1 teaspoon of methi powder in the morning and green saunf in between meals. These spices are also a good source of flavonoids, which are antioxidants, and they protect the liver from free radical damage.

Separate good carbs from bad carbs

Bad carbohydrates are naturally occurring sugars and are usually found in refined and processed foods, including white bread, sugary beverages, candies, maida biscuits, pizzas, burgers, pastries, naans, rumali rotis, noodles and other highly processed starches and restaurant foods.

It is this form of carbohydrates that creates mineral imbalances within the body, borrows more B-vitamins from the body to get metabolised and gives nothing in return. When you eat these low fibre and refined carbohydrates, they immediately shoot up your blood sugar levels. This leads to mood swings, food cravings and bouts of low energy levels. Avoiding bad carbohydrates is a must if you want to achieve your weight loss goals.

A low-carb diet plan has less calories and even distribution of carbohydrates. Replacing bad carbs with low-carbohydrate diet foods such as whole grains, jowar, whole wheat, bajra; fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and beans is the key to effective weight loss.

Are good carb foods good for the belly?

It is important to note that low-carb diet is usually high in protein and fat. All the excess fat and calories you consume settle not only in the fat cells of your face, buttock, abdomen, thighs and arms, but also in your arteries as cholesterol deposits. When you begin to eat good carbohydrates, you will lose weight safely and steadily.

According to one Harvard study, women who ate at least 2 servings of good carbohydrates and avoided the bad carbohydrates completely were found to be less lightly to gain weight as compared to those who ate refined carbohydrates. Know more about diet for weight loss for female.

Good carbohydrates are rich in fibre and low in calories, so they keep the calorie intake under control.

The soluble fibre found in Guargum, psyllium husk, the skin of apples, oat bran and most fruits and vegetables are effective in removal of toxins from the body, controlling appetite, delaying the absorption of sugar and improving satiety. So, you feel fuller for a long time.

Foods containing good carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables also provide the body with essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.

Tips to lose weight

The best strategy to keep a check on your weight is to eat healthy and fibre-dense snacks after every 3-4 hours. Keep healthy snacks such as fruits, nuts (almonds), roasted chana, khakhras, idlis, dhoklas, sprouts, peanuts, wheat and soy biscuits, whole wheat sandwiches and clear soups handy.

Your meals must consist of jowar chapattis with soy nuggets or paneer with vegetables and salads, or brown rice or wheat bread with sprouts, greens and soup.

Stay away from the fat-laden and low fibre foods such as pizzas, burgers, pav bhaji, pulav khadi, white bread sandwiches, idlis, dosas, pastries, cakes, chocolates, parathas, theplas and khichdi. Instead include vegetables, juices, whole grains and fruits generously in your diet. Avoiding fat-laden foods will make you less hungry and help to keep your stomach full, and your tummy flat.

Zinc is an important mineral as it sensitises the tissues to insulin and helps to minimise sugar cravings. Natural sources of zinc include black and white sesame seeds. Chromium picolinate is another mineral which is must to balance blood sugar and to lose weight.

Some herbs and spices such as saunf, methi powder and cloves help balance blood sugar and control hunger. Take a teaspoon of methi powder in the morning and green saunf in between meals. These spices are also a good source of flavonoids, which are antioxidants, and they protect the liver from free radical damage.

Conclusion

Following a low-carb diet plan is the easiest way to lose weight. Low-carb foods are usually from plant origin and contain phytonutrients that are beneficial for your body. Striking off the white sugar and refined flour from your diet and substituting whole grains, vegetables and seasonal fruits is surely the way towards good health.

ANJALI MUKERJEE, Nutritionist, Founder Director-Health Total, having health centers
in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune -manages obesity & other health related disorders.
Contact numbers: 96506 84061/+91 86575 61727
For further information, Visit www.health-total.com