Managing weight should not be difficult when we understand how foods are processed in the body once we have eaten them. Carbohydrate foods break down into sugar, which increases the production of insulin, whose job it is to take sugar out of the blood, and into the cells for storage. If however, we have more sugar in our blood than we need to make energy, it is stored as fat to use later, which is usually around the tummy.
Did you know that 200g of pasta turns into 150g (1 Glass) of sugar in the body?
It is very important to choose carbohydrates that are lower in sugars, such as fresh fruits, salads foods, and vegetables. When managing your weight it is important to know that not all foods are equal when it comes to carbohydrate (sugar) content, with some of our favourite staples being higher in sugar, and need to be eaten in smaller quantities. These include foods, like potatoes, bananas, bread, rice, pasta, cakes, biscuits, crumpets, muffins, and anything made with flour. Reducing the amount of potato, rice, and pasta on your plate, and filling in the spaces with colourful vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, onions, red cabbage, carrots, beans, and salads are all lower in carbohydrates. There is no need to be hungry when modifying your diet to lose weight or maintain, because you can fill up on the lower carbohydrate foods, that are full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Did you know that 4 punnets of strawberries is equivalent to 2 slices of bread
in terms of their carbohydrate content? All berries are low in carbohydrates, and an ideal snack instead of a biscuit or other nutrient poor choice. Why not look out for a carbohydrate counter to find foods lower in carbohydrate content to replace your favourite high carbohydrate food, or have a smaller portion of these and add in low carbohydrate options. Start by making over one meal at a time. This way you will not feel you have to change the world overnight, and will be more willing to continue making beneficial changes.
Protein is a very important part of our diet along with low carbohydrate vegetables, salads, and fruits, as it helps to build muscle, and prevents you from feeling hungry. A handful of nuts as a snack are a good choice. Include protein at all meals. At breakfast an easy choice is a whey protein shake with berries and LSA (linseed, soy and almond meal), an omelet with cheese and vegetables, or scrambled eggs. Chicken, tuna, turkey, or beef strips with salad at lunch, and lean meat with veggies at dinner. Beans, tofu, and nuts are also a good sources of protein.
Morning Whey Protein Shake
250 ml soy milk
100g berries
80g LSA (linseed, sesame seeds, almond meal)
40g whey protein powder (Aussie bodies available in Coles).
Is the consistency of cereal with the LSA, so if you would like just a smoothie leave LSA out and have it with something else e.g. over salads or vegetables. You could add pumpkin seeds, or psyllium husks are a good source of fiber.
Fats are needed to make hormones in the body. Eating Fat does not make you fat! There are good and not so good fats. Good fats include fish oil, avocado, coconut, cold pressed oils and olive oil in cooking. If we don’t eat fat at all, the body makes its own fat being the worst kind of fat called palmatic acid.
Abdominal fat is a problem as it is highly metabolically active, meaning the fat from the abdominal areas is easily broken down and enters the blood stream directly, whereas fat on the bottom and thighs is protective to heart disease, as it does not breakdown easily and enter the blood with risk of heart attack etc.
In my practice I use Bio-Impedance Analysis along with measurements of the chest, waist, and hips to determine your risk factors to heart disease, stroke, and development of Type 2 diabetes, as it tells me your percentage of fat, muscle, visceral fat (fat around your organs), hydration, bone mass, BMI and metabolic age, which are all markers of true health and function of the body.
In the early stages of blood sugar irregularity, the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is reversible. When you lose the fat around your belly, insulin is not produced in excessive amounts, and therefore reduces the potential development of Type 2 Diabetes where insulin is eventually prescribed by a Doctor. Of course not all people with blood sugar problems are overweight. They do have the same problem as the overweight person because, although they are thin they still have a higher proportion of fat to muscle ratio in their body. This is where the value of a Bio Impedance test is invaluable in disease prevention and wellness promotion. These people need to increase their muscle mass, and resistance exercise is the key, along with adequate protein intake.
At Kate Porter Naturopathy we have a Fat Loss Program designed to monitor your fat burning and fat loss, while maintaining valuable muscle mass. You will be able to see via the Bio-Impedance printouts your fat loss in kilograms, and monitor your muscle mass while watching your metabolic age drop, and the hydration of your cells increase, along with your well being and longevity. No calorie counting or hunger!
In Health,
Kate Porter ND.
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