Archives for Carbohydrates category
Posted on Mar 09, 2010 under Carbohydrates |
Low Carb Diets
by: Eddie Tobey
The main purpose behind a low-carb diet is to moderate the food intake in order to help you reduce your weight and not to completely make you stop eating. In fact, low-carb diets should be comprised of healthy food items such as green vegetables, fresh fruits and protein-rich items.
Though low-carb diets are very popular, they have their own limitations. A low-carb diet can make you feel as if you have lost all your energy and you would not be able to work out as vigorously as before. This can affect you detrimentally. Avoid artificial low-carb food items such as low-carb cakes, biscuits or other so-called low-carb items. In fact, these foods only contain more artificial sweeteners and sugar so that it adds to your weight! These are purely marketing gimmicks to make you buy such products.
The other limitations of a low-carb diet are that you do not always get the right amount of nutrients for your body. A low-carb diet can also make you lose a lot of water from your body. So it is important that you drink lots of water to make up the loss. Since you are not eating much at this time, the body might even gather lots of fat and you might gain more weight. You should therefore eat in a regulated manner. Eating smaller quantities of food with several pauses during the day helps.
Low-carb diets are also a great way to keep the blood sugar level of diabetics low and can also help prevent health problems that might affect you in the future. Consult your physician or dietitian, as they would know what the side-effects of such diets are, what needs to be done, what foods to avoid, and what diet plan is best.
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Posted on Mar 09, 2010 under Carbohydrates |
Low Carb Diets Revealed
by: Paul Wolbers
With all of the conflicting studies and open interpretation of advice, it’s no stunner that disorder reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. Whether it’s Atkins, the South Beach or another low-carb set up, as many as 30 million Americans are doing a low-carb diet.
Advocates swear that the elevated quantity of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health conditions. Critics, on the contrary, attribute obesity and associate health conditions to over-consumption of calories from any source, and shortage of physical movement. Critics also contend that the shortage of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate plans may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, like fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.
Any plan, either low or high in carbohydrate, can generate substantial weight loss during the primary stages of the diet. But bear in mind, the key to prosperous dieting is in being capable to part with the weight for good. Put another way, what does the scale reveal a year after going off the diet? Let’s see if we can debunk some of the mystery around low-carb diets. Further down, is a listing of some relevant points taken from latest studies.
- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets.
There are several popular diets designed to reduce carbohydrate intake. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately larger quantity of the whole caloric intake. Atkins and Protein Power diets limit carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters assert to remove only sugars and foods that raise blood sugar levels excessively.
- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets.
Just about all of the studies to date have been small with a broad range of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric consumption, diet length and participant characteristics have varied greatly. Most of the studies to date maintain two things in common: Not one of the studies had participants with a mean age above 53 and Not one of the controlled studies lasted longer than three months. Findings on older adults and long-term results are scant. Several diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and consequently caloric expenditure. This helps to explain discrepancies among studies.
The weight loss on low-carb diets is a business of caloric restriction and diet length, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This discovery suggests that if you desire to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a prolonged duration. Little data exists on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. In spite of the medical community concerns, no short-term adverse effects have been established on cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels amongst participants on the diets. Adverse effects may not be exposed because of the short period of the studies. Researchers have found that losing weight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet.
The extended range weight difference for low-carb and other types of diets is comparable. Most low-carb diets invoke ketosis. Some of the potential consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and confusion. During the first stages of low-carb dieting some fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Ususally, these symptoms go away quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a fruity odor, somewhat similar to nail-polish remover (acetone).
Low-carb diets do not permit the consumption of more calories than other types of diets, as has been frequently reported. A calorie is a calorie and it doesn’t matter weather they originate from carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the effect of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat on calorie intake, calories burned during exercise, or any number of other factors. The drop-out rate for rigorous low-carb diets is somewhat high.
What Should You Do?
There are 3 significant points I would like to re-emphasize:
- The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of diets is comparable.
- Despite their acceptance, little data exists on the long-term efficacy and safeness of low-carbohydrate diets.
- Rigorous low-carb diets are generally not sustainable as a routine way of eating. Boredom most often overcomes willpower.
It is clear after reviewing the subject, that more, well-designed and controlled studies are required. There just isn’t a lot of satisfactory information available, especially regarding long-range effects. Strict low-carb diets generate ketosis which is an unusual and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under some circumstances this may cause health related complications. The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of better eating, not just a hasty weight loss plan to reach your goal. If you can’t see yourself eating the prescribed foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it’s not the proper diet for you. To this end, following a somewhat low fat diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients is beneficial.
If you do resolve to follow a low-carb arrangement, bear in mind that certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease. Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty acids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferred to fats from animal origins. Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say men and women on their system should curb the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat. Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that just 20 percent of a dieter’s calories should come from saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This switch comes as Atkins faces contention from other popular low-carb diets that call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan.
Another alternative to “strict” low-carb dieting would be to give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not “throw out the baby with the bath water”. In other words, foods high in processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but foods high in complex carbs such as fruits, potatoes and whole grains, retained.
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About the Author: Paul Wolbers is a Fitness Enthusiast dedicated to helping others achieve physical fitness and better overall health. You can visit his website and learn more at:
http://www.MagnumNutrition.com
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Posted on Mar 08, 2010 under Carbohydrates |
7 Day Low Carb Rescue Plan
by: Murray Middlemost
This report is for the person who has let the holidays, a vacation or a bad meal choice spiral into a crisis or who are discouraged because they have reached an unwanted weight loss plateau.
This 7-day diet plan helps to rebalance insulin levels, curb cravings and move the body back into fat –burning mode. Once this is done you can go back to your low-carb plan of choice with new insight into how to avoid common pitfalls
There are 7-steps, to be added one each day. They are:
1. Add a low-carb – protein to each meal and snack
2. Add on low-carb veggies and/or salad to lunch, dinner and snacks
3. Include a good portion of low-carb – protein, vegetables, and/or salad in relation to high-carb foods you may be consuming.
4. Eat all of your low-carb – protein, veggies and salad before you eat your high-carb food.
5. Eat low-carb snacks only. Save high-carb foods for meals.(early meals)
6. Eat only low-carb foods at all snacks and at one meal. (Preferably later meals)
7. Eat only low-carb foods at all snacks and at two meals. (Preferably later meals)
Thank you for reading. For more helpful information please refer to my website www.phoenixfitness.ca or check out my Online Magazine. It may be that you simply need a new exercise program to get you going see how I can help here.
Murray is a 17 year Health and Fitness Professional. As owner of Phoenix Fitness and YOU it’s about time! 30 minute fitness solution, he has helped thousands of people achieve their health and fitness goals. If you too would like to benefit from Murray’s knowledge and experience you can visit http://www.phoenixfitness.ca or http://www.phoenixonlinept.com
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Posted on Mar 08, 2010 under Carbohydrates |
Low Carb Diet Products
by: Steve Valentino
Low carb diet products are a big business in the United States. Many people believe that low carbohydrate products will help them lose unwanted weight. Low carb diet products are mainly prepared for diet programs focusing on dietary health and weight reduction, they advocate limited consumption of carbohydrates. These products mostly include items that are sugar free and rich in protein.
Today, consumption of low carb diet products has become a popular way to lose weight quickly and is the preferred lifestyle for thousands of health and weight conscious people. Generally, low carb diet products are more expensive than traditional food products. On the downside, many of these products, especially protein bars, have a pronounced aftertaste, as well as side effects like indigestion, nausea and bloating.
Low carb diet products are available in most stores in the form of snacks and crackers, protein bars, tortillas, sugar free candies, shakes, flax and nut crunchies, baked goods, sauces and pasta.
With the advent of the Internet, most of the companies dealing with low carb diet products offer them online. This helps users to purchase any product in the convenience of their home or office.
For whatever reason one might be using low carb diet products, it is best to keep in mind that the best approach to lose unwanted weight is to eat a balanced diet. Carbohydrates and fat are required in sufficient amounts to remain healthy. Regular exercise also aids in reducing weight, while at the same time maintaining a healthy body through exercise is essential.
Diet Products provides detailed information on Diet Products, Low Carb Diet Products, Herbal Diet Products, Raw Diet Products and more. Diet Products is affliated with Diet Pills.
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Posted on Mar 08, 2010 under Carbohydrates |
The basis for low carb diets
Philip Nicosia
Low carb diets are probably the most popular diet types today. Its philosophy of cutting down on bad carbohydrates, bad fats and bad sugars has turned the world on its ear because it challenges the age-old belief that low fat diets help you lose weight. But according to supporters of low carb diets, if low fat diets are really beneficial in losing weight then why is it that 30 years after it was first presented to the public there are more obese people now than ever before.
According to low carb diet supporters the reason lies in carbohydrates. They contend that carbohydrates are what contributes to obesity. They also said that carbohydrates are a power stimulant that triggers hunger pangs. This misconception about how certain ingredients in our food work is proving to be a huge mistake because low fat diet followers are actually more compelled to eat more carbohydrates.
How does this exactly work? When we eat carbohydrate rich food especially those that are made of simple carbohydrates like sugar, pasta, potatoes, rice or anything made with refined flour it stimulates the production and secretion of insulin. The effect of insulin in the body is that it coaxes glucose – which is produced by the digestion of carbohydrates – to be absorbed more rapidly by our tissues for energy consumption. The extra glucose that is not consumed are then converted into and stored as fat.
But it does not stop there. Once the glucose levels in our body drop, the insulin levels in our body would also fall. This cycle of a carbohydrate meal – rapid insulin increase and then subsequent rapid drop in insulin only promotes more hunger pangs. This means that just after two to four hours after a carbohydrate-rich meal we would already crave for more carbohydrates. This is like a vicious circle where you eat carbohydrates, store fat, get hungry and then eat more carbohydrates. With a low fat diet, a person still gets fat and raises his cholesterol levels – and that is bad news.
This explanation to support low carbohydrate diets is as sound as the explanations being forwarded for low fat diets. By limiting or even avoiding carbohydrates in our diet we can control our insulin levels to a manageable degree and thus prevents the hormone from transforming glucose into fat. This would in turn transform our metabolism enabling us to use our fat reserves as the source of our energy and not glucose that is made from carbohydrate digestion. This transformation enables our body to burn fat more.
Unfortunately, at this point in time, there are not enough studies to support the low carbohydrate diet when compared to the older low fat diet regimen. But as more and more studies are made, it is becoming apparent that low carbohydrate diets actually have tremendous health benefits to our body. There are some indications that this type of diet can actually lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body. The tremendous health benefits that are being attributed to low carbohydrate diets really deserves a second look.
Lowcarbdiets.eu.com is a website providing information on low carb diets, low carb food and low carb books to help you on your way to losing weight.
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Posted on Mar 08, 2010 under Carbohydrates |
The Carbohydrate Debate
by: Renee Kennedy
To eat or not to eat carbohydrates… that is the question. There are good carbs and there
are bad carbs. How can we tell the difference and how do we know what to eat?
The old way of classifying carbohydrates:
- Complex Carbohydrates provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and energy.
Some foods that contain complex carbohydrates are whole grain bread, legumes
like peas and beans, pasta, rice, and starchy vegetables.
- Simple Carbohydrates are broken down quickly to provide energy.
Simple carbohydrates are found naturally in milk, fruits and vegetables.
Simple carbs are also found in processed foods like syrup, soda, and refined
sugar found in many processed baked goods.
In this way of classifying carbs, it is recommended that we limit our
intake of simple carbs and get most of our carbohydrates from complex carbs.
The new way of classifying carbohydrates:
The Glycemic Index (GI) measures how quickly blood sugar rises after
ingesting a food with carbohydrates. Eating a diet full of foods that have
been rated with a high GI may contribute to an increased risk of diabetes
and heart disease.
Highly processed or highly refined carbohydrates have been found to have
a high GI – foods like white bread, white rice, white pasta, french fries
and refined breakfast cereals.
Whole foods will have a lower GI – legumes, whole fruit, and whole grains
like wheat, oats, barley, and brown rice.
However, there are exceptions to this rule. Many other factors influence
the GI of a food. Fiber content, fat content, ripeness, and type of starch
also affect the GI. Thus some foods like potatoes and bananas have a high GI.
Diets that advise you to eat a low amount of carbohydrates have gone part
of the way to increase awareness of the differences of carbs. The Glycemic
Index has also helped us to determine that all carbs are not created equal.
Some kinds of carbohydrates help promote health, but others actually increase
the risk for diseases like diabetes and coronary heart disease.
What should we eat?
The general rule is that highly processed carbs are not as good for us as natural carbs. How can we get away from highly refined foods – it’s everywhere you look! Here are some techniques for buying food:
- Educate yourself… learn to read the backs of packages of food and know the difference between a processed food and a natural food. (However, if it’s packaged in a box, bag, or can – chances are it’s processed.)
- Go to the store with a list.
- Do not go to the store hungry.
- Do not go to fast food restaurants… instead try out diners or restaurants that boast home cooked meals.
- Get your fruits and vegetables from farmers markets or farm stands whenever possible. Not only will you save money, you will also be getting better quality produce.
Read more about The Glycemic Index
Need help counting your carbs? The NutriCounter
is an excellent device that will help you monitor your carbohydrate intake. It’s available in
Palm OS and Pocket PC software or as a hand held unit.
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Posted on Mar 08, 2010 under Carbohydrates |
The Science of Lowcarb Diets: Why They Work
Philip Nicosia
You long for firmer muscles and smaller waist. Everybody does. Do you think you can’t lose weight? Yes, you can. But the truth
is you can’t lose weight without a diet – a plan.
Low Carb Diet
Weight-loss experts and diet plan authors all agree that much of our excess weight comes from the carbohydrates we eat,
especially the highly refined or processed ones such as potatoes, baked goods, bread, pasta and other convenient foods. To
aggravate the problem, few of us get enough exercise to ward off excess pounds.
The basic science behind the low carb diet is to limit the consumption of foods
with a lot of carbohydrates. The low carb diet includes many popular weight-loss
programs such as the Atkins, South Beach, Zone and Carbohydrate Addict Diet.
Does It Really Work?
One of the food groups which the body needs to survive are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates also referred to as carbs come in two
types – sugars and starches. Sugars are simple carbs usually sweet tasting like biscuits and sweets and easily digested. Whereas,
starches are complex carbs found in bread, pasta, noodles and rice and take longer to digest.
The body transforms all these digestible carbs into glucose, the sugar that our cells use as fuel or energy. When glucose
molecules pass from the intestine into the bloodstream, the pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that mobilises cells to absorb it.
Muscle, fat and other cells then absorb the excess glucose from the blood and insulin levels return to normal.
After a meal high in glycemic index (ranking of foods according to how fast their sugars are released into the bloodstream),
blood-sugar levels rise higher and rapidly. The insulin needed to fill all that sugar into muscles and fat cells also weaken the activity of
glucagon, a hormone that signals the body to burn stored fuel when blood-sugar levels fall below a certain point. Glucose level drops
so low leaving the body starved for energy. The brain and intestine then send out hunger signals. New cravings are created requiring
more carb intake. We, then overeat that leads to more fat, rise in blood insulin level, more hunger, and more weight gain and the cycle
goes on.
On the contrary, adhering to a low carb diet puts an end to this cycle. Reduced carbohydrates would mean decreased insulin
level, increased glucagon level, weight loss, improved triglycerides (fats carried in the blood which are necessary but when excessive
cause coronary damage), decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol), increase in HDL (good cholesterol).
The bottom line – Give refined or processed carbohydrates which cause rapid changes in blood sugar, trigger hunger, thereby
encouraging overeating that ultimately leads to obesity smaller spots on your plate. Anyway, nobody ever died from skipping
potatoes, pasta, rice and white bread.
That said; go get yourself a few good low carb cookbooks. Better still, leaf through this site’s 1,000+
href="http://www.lowcarbdiets.eu.com/recipes.htm">low carb recipes – a seemingly endless variety of recipes. Try every recipe
imaginable and make this diet as enjoyable and diverse as possible.
Yes, you can diet. Lose weight! Live longer!
Lowcarbdiets.eu.com is a website providing information on low carb diets, low carb food and low carb books to help you on your way to
losing weight.
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Posted on Mar 05, 2010 under Carbohydrates |
Nutrients for Health
by: devika
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are our energy food or what we call macronutrients. There are three other macronutrients in our diet in addition to carbohydrates, which are proteins, fat and alcohol. It is important to understand that a carbohydrate is not a food, but rather a very important component of food.
Foods such as cereals, breads, pasta, rice, fruits and some vegetables (e.g. potato) are called “carbohydrates” but strictly speaking these are carbohydrate-rich foods.
Carbohydrates are the single most important source of energy in our diet. For a healthy heart, carbohydrates should make up about 55% of daily energy needs from food intake. Most carbohydrate-rich foods are also rich sources of vitamins (particularly B-vitamins and folate), minerals (including Iron and Zinc), as well as fibre and phytochemicals (other natural components of food found to be beneficial for health.)
Carbohydrates are a combination of the following:
1.Starch – found in bread, cereal, pasta, grains, rice and starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn, and
2.Sugars – including natural sugar (found in foods like fruit, milk, yoghurt, honey) and added sugars (found in foods like soft drinks, cake, confectionary, biscuits)
During digestion, sugars and starches are broken down into single carbohydrate units (including glucose, fructose, lactose, sucrose and maltose) to enable the body to absorb them. They are then all converted into glucose, which is used as energy by the body. Some types of carbohydrates are less digestible than others and cannot be broken down into glucose – these are classified as dietary fibre.
Sugar, syrup, candy, honey, jams, jelly, molasses, and soft drinks contain simple carbohydrates and little if any nutrients.
Fruits contain primarily simple carbohydrate but also valuable vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water.
Vegetables contain varying amounts of simple and complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water.
Legumes such as beans, peas, lentils and soybeans contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein.
Milk products contain simple carbohydrates along with protein, calcium and other nutrients.
Grain products contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein. The amounts vary depending on the type of grain used and the amount of processing. Selecting whole grain options whenever possible is recommended.
Fibre:
Fibre is the structural part of a plant which cannot be broken down by enzymes of digestion. Fibre is found in plant foods including fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains, nuts and legumes (dried peas, beans and lentils). Animal foods and dairy products do not contain fibre.
There are two main types of dietary fibre – soluble and insoluble fibre:
Soluble Fibre may help to lower blood cholesterol levels when eaten as part of a well balanced low fat diet. Soluble fibre may also assist in controlling blood sugar levels and in the treatment of obesity. Foods rich in soluble fibre include oats, fruit and legumes.
Insoluble Fibre assists in preventing constipation. Foods rich in this type of fibre include wheat based bread and cereals, legumes, lentils and pasta.
How to get more fibre:
The following are a few ways to incorporate fibre into your everyday diet:
1.Opt for wholegrain, wholemeal, dark rye or high fibre white breads. Wholegrains are the preferred choice to white,eg.wholemeal flour, brown rice or wholemeal pasta.
2.Choose wholemeal or rye dry biscuits and wholegrain muffins.
3.Choose wholemeal breakfast cereals including bran cereals, un-toasted muesli or rolled oats, such as porridge.
4.Combine meat dishes with rice, beans, oatmeal and lentils.
5.Eat all types of fruit and vegetables (fresh, dried, tinned) and where possible, also eat the skins, such as jacket potatoes.
Water:
Next to oxygen, water is the human body’s most important nutrient.Yet 75% of Australians are chronically dehydrated and fail to consume enough water for adequate hydration.
Water is part of the body’s cells, tissues, organs and also every process in the body. In fact, up to 60% of the human body is water. Water is important for the following body functions;
-Regulating body temperature.
-Removing waste from the body.
-Carrying nutrients, oxygen and glucose to the cells to give the body energy.
-Providing natural moisture to skin and other tissues.
-Cushioning joints and helping to strengthen muscles.
-Keeping stools softer.
If you wait until you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated and may have lost -1 litre of water, so it is important to drink before you are thirsty.
So how much fluid is needed daily?
1.1500-2000 mils per day for adults (6-8 glasses of water)
2.1000-1500 mils per day for children (4-6 glasses of water)
Fats:
There are three main types of fat found in food: saturated fat, monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. Our bodies need some fat from our diet and many fats also carry vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are beneficial for our health. Therefore, consuming small amounts of healthier fats can actually improve your overall health.
However, excess intake of all types of fat leads to weight gain. If you are overweight, excess fat around your middle (termed central obesity’) can result in increased risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Types of Fat in the Diet:
Saturated Fat:
Saturated fat is solid at room temperature and found mostly in animal products (the exception being palm & coconut oils) such as fatty cuts of meat, chicken skin, and full-fat dairy products like butter, whole milk, cream, and cheese, and in tropical vegetable oils such as palm, palm kernel, and coconut oil. Saturated fat in the diet raises the level of LDL “bad” cholesterol in your blood. The higher the LDL cholesterol, the greater the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), by eventually causing a blockage in the arteries of your heart causing a heart attack or hardening of the blood vessels (atherosclerosis).
Monounsaturated Fat:
This type of fat is liquid at room temperature and found in plant products such as olive, peanut, and canola oils as well as avocados and most nuts. Research has shown that these types of fats, when consumed in small amounts (and with a diet low in saturated fat), can actually lower your risk of heart disease. This is because it causes a reduction in bad cholesterol (LDL-Cholesterol) and an increase in good cholesterol (HDL-Cholesterol).
Polyunsaturated Fat:
This kind of fat is made of important fats such as Omega-3 fats & Omega-6 fats. Foods high in polyunsaturated fats include vegetable oil, such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cotton seed oils and fish & seafood products. Research has also shown that these fats can lower our risk of heart disease. This is due to a reduced tendency of blood clotting, which is the cause of heart attacks (found in Omega-3 fats).
Trans Fats:
This is a type of unsaturated fat that is created in the many processed foods such as biscuits, cakes, pies, margarine and take-away or fast food. This is one of the more dangerous fats because it increases your risk of heart disease by increasing the amount of bad cholesterol and decreasing the amount of good cholesterol in the blood.
Why is excess fat bad for your health:
Fats have the highest kilojoule (or calorie) content of all foods (38Kj per gram, compared to carbohydrates that have 17Kj per gram and protein that has 19Kj per gram). It is also the least satiating of nutrients, meaning that it doesn’t fill you up or leave you satisfied which can lead to over-consumption and weight gain.
A diet high in Total Fats can lead to:
1.An increase in weight gain.
2.Increased risk of Type II Diabetes or impaired glucose control.
3.Increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
4.Increased blood triglycerides (triglyceride is another “fat” in your blood, and high levels encourage
LDL or “bad” cholesterol to build up in the blood)
5.Increased bloodnpressure.
6.Increased blood cholesterol.
However fats shouldn’t be completely avoided. Consuming small amounts of healthier fats can actually improve your health and reduce your risk of heart disease. Remember that the type of fat consumed and the amount of fat consumed are important factors.
Protein:
Thousands of various substances in the body are made up of proteins. Aside from water, proteins form the major part of our muscles, organs and immune system, about 16% of body weight!
Many foods contain protein, but the best sources are:
1.Beef
2.Poultry
3.Fish
4.Eggs
5.Dairy products
6.Nuts
7.Seeds
8.Legumes like black beans
The body uses the protein eaten to make lots of specialised protein molecules that have specific jobs. For instance, the body uses proteins to make haemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen to every part of the body. Other proteins are used to build cardiac muscles, for example the heart. In fact, whether you’re running or just watching TV, protein is doing important work like moving your legs, moving your lungs, and protecting you from disease.
When you eat foods containing protein, the digestive juices in your stomach and intestine go to work breaking down the protein in food into basic units, called amino acids. The amino acids can then be stored and reused to make the proteins the body needs to maintain bones, blood and body organs.
Protein Content:
You need approximately 1 gram of protein each day for every kilogram you weigh.
Looking at a food label to find out how many protein grams are in a serving is helpful, but if you’re
eating a balanced diet, you don’t need to keep track of it. It’s pretty easy to get enough protein in
your diet.
Reference: HealthOnclick
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Posted on Mar 02, 2010 under Carbohydrates |
Good for your hips, and also for your heart: Why cardiologists want you to go low-carb
by: Philip Nicosia
There’s been a lot of news that low carb diets are bad for your heart, because of the protein and fat content. But that’s largely due to the way people misinterpret the mandate to reduce carbs and shift to proteins.
Protein does not mean steaks every night. There are many healthy sources of protein, and if you look at the low carb menus that the nutritionists prepare, these advocate the same kinds of foods that cardiologists would recommend to their patients.
Take the South Beach diet. In the first two weeks, you can’t eat bread, fruit, rice, potatoes, pasta, sugar, alcohol and baked goods. What doctor wouldn’t stand up and applaud if you said no to chocolate cake and heavy servings of lasagna? Instead, you take lean protein, vegetables, nuts and cheese. These proteins include chicken breasts, tofu, extra lean ground beef, canned tuna and fresh fish. It even encourages the intake of beans, one of the highest sources of proteins with just one cup containing 25% of your daily required intake. As for fats, you’re encouraged to avoid the type that clog your arteries, and substitute the two known healthiest oils: olive oil and canola oil. In fact, studies of South Beach Diet users show a marked improvement in cholesterol levels.
And by lowering your total body weight, the South Beach Diet and other low carb diets removes the extra strain on your heart, which has to work extra hard to support your body systems and carry the extra pounds. There is a strong link between obesity and heart attacks, and for many who have struggled with recurring weight gain, the South Beach diet has been one of the most effective ways of losing the pounds, and keeping them off. That’s because low carb diets remove the body’s quickest source of energy, forcing it to burn the fat rather than live off a steady stream of carbohydrates.
The South Beach Diet also solves one problem that cardiologists often warn us about: high sugar levels. Carbohydrates are processed by the body into sugars, which give the quick burst of energy but can also cause diabetes. There has been an increased incidence of people developing diabetes in their thirties because of an unhealthy diet of junk food and processed carbs. Cardiologists are then forced to ask the patient to go on a low-carb and low-fat diet, but the South Beach program takes those principles to prevent late onset diabetes from even developing.
The most important thing to remember is to follow the South Beach diet as it is designed by professional nutritionists, without taking the principle of embracing protein as an excuse to eat thick slabs of fried meat. It is also important to watch the sources of fat, avoiding those that contain transfatty acids. What cardiologists are bothered by are simply the belief that a low carb means high fat and high protein. That isn’t necessarily true. While some low carb programs do take it to extreme–going so far as to say that it’s okay to load up on the butter and take the second serving of chicken wings—sensible diets promote good, commonsensical moderation. Exactly what the doctor would’ve told you.
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Posted on Mar 01, 2010 under Carbohydrates |
Low carb diets: Are they safe?
Philip Nicosia
Low carb diets are currently the most popularity type of diet regimen being used
by many fitness conscious people. The low carb philosophy is taking the world by storm as millions of people are now trying out this
new diet in the hopes of losing excess weight and fat.
Proponents of the low carb diet philosophy are also saying that aside from losing weight, it also has other inherent benefits. They
said that it lowers cholesterol, helps control diabetes or completely stop it from developing in certain individuals. These are claims that
seem to have been supported by actual facts as followers of a low carb diet plan have reported the same thing.
This is well and good because it is a good development to finally find a diet plan that is not only going to help you lose weight but
will also have very noticeable and significant medical benefits.
But it cannot also be denied that there are many diet plans out there that are either not effective, bogus or even harmful and have
a detrimental effect on one’s health. So the question also remains. Are low carb diets
safe?
Not surprisingly there are certain arguments that are being presented against low carb
diets and ultimately there are also moves to debunk the low carb diet philosophy. In fact, in 2004 a Canadian court made a ruling
that foods that are sold in the country are prohibited from being marketed with reduced or no carbohydrate content. This is because,
as the court ruled, carbohydrates have been seen as having no health risks. The ruling also stated tat all packaging that has and
indication of “low carb� or “no carb� be phased out by 2006.
According to some critics and detractors of the low carb diet philosophy there are side effects to following this diet regimen. Some
of the side effects of consuming low amounts of carbohydrates include ketosis. This is a certain metabolic state that is characterized
by headaches, nausea, tiredness, dehydration, and dizziness. There is also the emanation of an sweet-smelling breath odor. There is
also a chance of constipation because dietary fiber is usually cut down in the prepared dishes. In fact, because of the prevalence of
constipation among Atkins Diet followers, there is now a clear guideline for the addition of fiber supplements during the induction
stage.
The cutting down of calories that are taken from carbohydrates and replacing them with calories taken from meat may also
increase the likelihood of raising the intake of both saturated fat and cholesterol – and this could increase your chances of getting
heart disease. It has also been a contention that with the lessened carbohydrate – increased protein intake the kidneys will have to
work harder to flush out impurities in the body. There is also a marked change in the acidity levels of the blood which can result in
bone loss.
But according to trials made to prove the hypothesis, there was no evidence that following a low carb diet will damage the kidney
or result in bone density loss.
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Lowcarbdiets.eu.com is a website providing information on low carb diets, low carb food and low carb books to help you on your way to losing weight.
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