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| (Small Plate Pictures Chicken Salad, Kale Salad, and Beet Chips) |
There is a big debate about carbs, as I am sure you are
aware of. Carbs, short of carbohydrates, are typically found in starchy foods,
such as bread, potatoes, pasta, and rice. However, carbohydrates are the sugars
in foods, so are also found in a lot of extremely healthy foods such as fruits
and vegetables.
So how do you handle the decisions on what to eat when going
on a low carb diet for weight-loss? Well this is a struggle many of us face, so
don’t be discouraged by it all because you are not alone. It is a struggle I
have been having myself for several weeks.
When deciding on what carbs you should keep, you should
first detox yourself of bad carbs. What are bad carbs you ask? They are refined
flours and sugars. Pretty much, if it is white, it is probably in the bad carb
family. Let’s be honest, a fancy coffee and a cinnamon roll on your way into
work is not the best carb choice to make, and we see that in the increase in
obesity in America.
I have found the best way to get my head straight about
carbs is to throw all the bad stuff out. Sure, that doesn’t stop you from going
to the store and getting something high in the evil sugar, but it is a deterrent.
Most people don’t want to get dressed and leave the house just for a candy bar.
After a couple of weeks of staying away from the bad carbs,
you will start to notice you crave them less and less. Like many foods we eat,
sugar can be highly addictive. Breaking that addiction is extremely difficult,
especially if you have had a relationship with it for a very long time.
When I first had my surgery, and lost the weight, my doctors
all told me to stay away from carbs all together. The support groups said the
same thing, however, I had this empty feeling inside of me. Carbohydrates are a
very important nutrient for the body. It is what gives us the energy we need in
the day. Not to mention a lot of healthy carbs also have fiber which helps with
going to the bathroom.
For a while I tried “greens” supplements, and while they made
me feel a lot better, I still didn’t feel one hundred percent. This led to a
huge backslide on my part.
What is the fix for this? Well, I said that before. Healthy
carbs is the fix for this. However, even the healthy carbs need to monitored.
Too much of a good thing can end very badly. First, start with vegetables. They
are high in fiber and vitamins, give you some carbs, but are not very high in
carbs. Salad is a good thing to add to your meals. Just make sure it isn’t a
lot of iceberg lettuce which is mostly water. You want things like spinach,
kale, radicchio, and other greens. Add in some color with tomatoes, carrots,
purple cabbage, and peppers. This not only gives a lot of flavor but also a lot
of vitamins and minerals needed.
However, be cautious of using too much dressing. Just a dab can add the
flavor without adding in a lot of calories.
Fruits are also healthy carbs but tend to be much higher in
sugar. Their natural sugar content make them the desserts of the healthy food
world, and as you get better with eating habits, it will be easier to see it
this way. Berries tend to have the lowest carb count whereas bananas have a
much higher. (Remember the white carbs.) It is always best to pay attention to
this. Enjoy your fruits as the treat they are, but don’t overdo it. A big
caution with fruit, however, is dried fruit and fruit juice. In both cases, you
are getting all the sugar and none of the nutrients.
I realize that salad and fruit will get old after a while.
That is just a fact in life. The same way I got tired of eating a lot of
protein foods and drinking protein shakes, so too will these healthy carbs
become stale. In this case, there are some other, higher carb but still very
healthy foods to consider. Sweet potatoes, squash, and beans can all be added
into your diet scattered here and there to give you some extra variety.
Living a healthy lifestyle is not for the faint of heart. It
takes a lot of willpower to stay on track. Having the tools you need to do this
can be the difference between success and failure.
