Numerous scientific studies have shown that the approaches taken
by many so called weight loss diets are incomplete to say the least. Not
only are they incomplete, they are also incredibly counterproductive.
Indeed the body adjusts to a lower calorie intake by lowering our
metabolism, and if we decide to cut out fats, our body reacts to
deficiencies in the essential fats we need by triggering cravings. Both
of which cause us to accumulate more body fat as the years go by!
So what are the 3 secrets to long term, sustainable and healthy weight loss?
1. Blood sugar friendly foods
Studies have shown the successful, consistent and reliable results achieved by following a low Glycaemic Load, nutrient dense way of eating.
How does it work?
Low GL only applies to carbohydrate foods. It stands for low glycaemic Load, which means 'resulting in less sugar in the blood'. To be even more precise, time is an important factor as well, as a low GL diet avoids foods which lead to too much sugar in a short period of time in the blood (sugar spikes). This also implies that we'll avoid sugar 'lows' as well (which tend to result from the spikes).
Highs and lows in blood sugar play havoc with our metabolism and end up causing us to store fat, put on weight and suffer from low energy and cravings (as well as poor concentration, irregular moods, and the list goes on... )
Why is this?
Our cells use glucose as a source of energy, however with diets high in sugar and carbohydrates, our ability to regulate this process can fall out of balance. Many people experience a 'blood sugar rollercoaster' throughout the day, where they get a short burst of energy from carbohydrate foods (which break down into glucose in the blood), then go through a 'crash' an hour later, making them crave more bread or pasta, causing this 'up and down' pattern to continue indefinitely.
Let's take a closer look at what goes on here
When blood sugars are high, after high sugar or carbohydrate foods, the body does everything it can to drive the levels down again, as too much sugar in the blood is bad news (sugar is very corrosive and damages blood vessels).
How does the body reduce blood sugar levels?
· The pancreas releases the hormone insulin, which is necessary to introduce glucose into the cells, where it
can be turned into energy
· However the cells can only process a limited amount of glucose at a time. If there is still too much glucose left in the bloodstream, insulin then carries it to the glycogen stores (an emergency store of glucose) in the muscles and liver.
· Once the glycogen stores become full, any remaining excess glucose gets stored as fat.
Can you see the connection between too much sugar (or carbohydrates) and fat storage?
When we eat these foods in excess, day in - day out, this stimulates repeated sharp spikes in insulin being released. This in turn can eventually result in the insulin 'overshooting' the mark, and driving blood sugar levels down very abruptly. This is what causes frequent energy 'crashes', which we experience as ongoing tiredness (and reliance upon caffeine!), cravings, mood swings, lack of concentration, fuzziness, and weight gain (especially around the middle).
Our metabolism is set to 'fat storing' mode.
What are the risks?
Eventually the insulin receptors on the cell become resistant to insulin because they are overwhelmed. This means insulin is not doing its job any more of introducing glucose into the cell.
The cell begins to lack glucose to produce energy, which is why we often feel so fatigued.
The amount of glucose in the blood becomes more difficult to control, which can lead to corrosion in the body. The risk is that eventually our cells' resistance to insulin become so advanced that we develop diabetes.
More resources are available from this link to find out about how to reduce cravings and burn fat more easily.
2. Smart protein choices
Proteins are made of amino acids, the building blocks of our body, and yet our modern diet, dominated by easy to come by carbohydrates, is often lacking in them. As a rule of thumb we need approximately 1g of pure protein per Kg body weight daily, and more if exercising or pregnant (so a 70Kg person needs approximately 70g of pure protein daily).
There are 3 key reasons why we need protein:
· Protein makes us feel satisfied for longer (so we're less likely to crave other foods shortly after eating)
· Protein slows down the breakdown of carbohydrates in the blood, keeping you on an even keel.
· Protein is essential in maintaining and building muscle tissue, bones and tendons. The higher our body's muscle %, the better our ability to produce energy from glucose (and hence to burn fat). More muscle tissue increases our metabolism.
Vegetarians
If you are a vegetarian, you need to make sure that you are having all of the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein). Vegetarian protein foods are often incomplete because they only contain some of the essential amino acids. This is why it's important to get a wide variety in the course of a day, or to mix different sources in a meal - for example: lentils and pulses, nuts and seeds and tofu.
Getting the right amounts of protein can be challenging for vegetarians. With the right kind of planning though, the challenge can be easily overcome.
Get to know your lentils and pulses
These foods are an undervalued bonanza. They are inexpensive, and yet highly nutritious, tasty and varied. They provide a combination of protein and slow-burning carbs, absolutely ideal for health and weight loss.
Lentils of all types (red are good for dhal, green and brown for everyday use, 'puy' are lovely and nutty, and my favourite: beluga lentils - jet black with an incredibly rich flavour and texture). And there are so many more: Chickpeas, Cannellini beans, Butter beans, Pinto beans, Split peas, Black beans, Kidney beans, etc...
Quinoa: a real superfood
Quinoa is not only a complete protein (containing all of the essential amino acids), it is also an incredibly rich source of vitamins and minerals. It can be eaten hot (as an alternative to rice) or cold (in a salad) and makes a great 'on the run' snack with veggies or chickpeas mixed into it.
3. More plant nutrients
The '5 a day recommended daily allowance' of fruit and vegetables is really a minimum, determined in order to avoid malnutrition ailments... it is a good goal to aim for in the first instance, but more is better if you can.
These nutrients play a huge role in helping our body function optimally, and a healthy body is naturally good at burning fat and keeping lean.
One simple rule to follow with fruit and vegetables is to try and go for a rainbow approach - a good variety of different colours - they all have their strong points: for example, purple tend to be rich in antioxidants, yellow in beta-carotenes, dark green are just fantastic liver supporting agents. In order to preserve their goodness, eat them as fresh as possible and cook as little as you can get away with. Stir-frying and steaming are the best ways to cook them.
The other benefit of fruit and veg, apart from their richness in vitamins and minerals, are their high fibre content, helping keep your bowels healthy and moving toxins out of your body.
There are different families of vegetables and fruit, all with different properties:
So what are the 3 secrets to long term, sustainable and healthy weight loss?
1. Blood sugar friendly foods
Studies have shown the successful, consistent and reliable results achieved by following a low Glycaemic Load, nutrient dense way of eating.
How does it work?
Low GL only applies to carbohydrate foods. It stands for low glycaemic Load, which means 'resulting in less sugar in the blood'. To be even more precise, time is an important factor as well, as a low GL diet avoids foods which lead to too much sugar in a short period of time in the blood (sugar spikes). This also implies that we'll avoid sugar 'lows' as well (which tend to result from the spikes).
Highs and lows in blood sugar play havoc with our metabolism and end up causing us to store fat, put on weight and suffer from low energy and cravings (as well as poor concentration, irregular moods, and the list goes on... )
Why is this?
Our cells use glucose as a source of energy, however with diets high in sugar and carbohydrates, our ability to regulate this process can fall out of balance. Many people experience a 'blood sugar rollercoaster' throughout the day, where they get a short burst of energy from carbohydrate foods (which break down into glucose in the blood), then go through a 'crash' an hour later, making them crave more bread or pasta, causing this 'up and down' pattern to continue indefinitely.
Let's take a closer look at what goes on here
When blood sugars are high, after high sugar or carbohydrate foods, the body does everything it can to drive the levels down again, as too much sugar in the blood is bad news (sugar is very corrosive and damages blood vessels).
How does the body reduce blood sugar levels?
· The pancreas releases the hormone insulin, which is necessary to introduce glucose into the cells, where it
can be turned into energy
· However the cells can only process a limited amount of glucose at a time. If there is still too much glucose left in the bloodstream, insulin then carries it to the glycogen stores (an emergency store of glucose) in the muscles and liver.
· Once the glycogen stores become full, any remaining excess glucose gets stored as fat.
Can you see the connection between too much sugar (or carbohydrates) and fat storage?
When we eat these foods in excess, day in - day out, this stimulates repeated sharp spikes in insulin being released. This in turn can eventually result in the insulin 'overshooting' the mark, and driving blood sugar levels down very abruptly. This is what causes frequent energy 'crashes', which we experience as ongoing tiredness (and reliance upon caffeine!), cravings, mood swings, lack of concentration, fuzziness, and weight gain (especially around the middle).
Our metabolism is set to 'fat storing' mode.
What are the risks?
Eventually the insulin receptors on the cell become resistant to insulin because they are overwhelmed. This means insulin is not doing its job any more of introducing glucose into the cell.
The cell begins to lack glucose to produce energy, which is why we often feel so fatigued.
The amount of glucose in the blood becomes more difficult to control, which can lead to corrosion in the body. The risk is that eventually our cells' resistance to insulin become so advanced that we develop diabetes.
More resources are available from this link to find out about how to reduce cravings and burn fat more easily.
2. Smart protein choices
Proteins are made of amino acids, the building blocks of our body, and yet our modern diet, dominated by easy to come by carbohydrates, is often lacking in them. As a rule of thumb we need approximately 1g of pure protein per Kg body weight daily, and more if exercising or pregnant (so a 70Kg person needs approximately 70g of pure protein daily).
There are 3 key reasons why we need protein:
· Protein makes us feel satisfied for longer (so we're less likely to crave other foods shortly after eating)
· Protein slows down the breakdown of carbohydrates in the blood, keeping you on an even keel.
· Protein is essential in maintaining and building muscle tissue, bones and tendons. The higher our body's muscle %, the better our ability to produce energy from glucose (and hence to burn fat). More muscle tissue increases our metabolism.
Vegetarians
If you are a vegetarian, you need to make sure that you are having all of the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein). Vegetarian protein foods are often incomplete because they only contain some of the essential amino acids. This is why it's important to get a wide variety in the course of a day, or to mix different sources in a meal - for example: lentils and pulses, nuts and seeds and tofu.
Getting the right amounts of protein can be challenging for vegetarians. With the right kind of planning though, the challenge can be easily overcome.
Get to know your lentils and pulses
These foods are an undervalued bonanza. They are inexpensive, and yet highly nutritious, tasty and varied. They provide a combination of protein and slow-burning carbs, absolutely ideal for health and weight loss.
Lentils of all types (red are good for dhal, green and brown for everyday use, 'puy' are lovely and nutty, and my favourite: beluga lentils - jet black with an incredibly rich flavour and texture). And there are so many more: Chickpeas, Cannellini beans, Butter beans, Pinto beans, Split peas, Black beans, Kidney beans, etc...
Quinoa: a real superfood
Quinoa is not only a complete protein (containing all of the essential amino acids), it is also an incredibly rich source of vitamins and minerals. It can be eaten hot (as an alternative to rice) or cold (in a salad) and makes a great 'on the run' snack with veggies or chickpeas mixed into it.
3. More plant nutrients
The '5 a day recommended daily allowance' of fruit and vegetables is really a minimum, determined in order to avoid malnutrition ailments... it is a good goal to aim for in the first instance, but more is better if you can.
These nutrients play a huge role in helping our body function optimally, and a healthy body is naturally good at burning fat and keeping lean.
One simple rule to follow with fruit and vegetables is to try and go for a rainbow approach - a good variety of different colours - they all have their strong points: for example, purple tend to be rich in antioxidants, yellow in beta-carotenes, dark green are just fantastic liver supporting agents. In order to preserve their goodness, eat them as fresh as possible and cook as little as you can get away with. Stir-frying and steaming are the best ways to cook them.
The other benefit of fruit and veg, apart from their richness in vitamins and minerals, are their high fibre content, helping keep your bowels healthy and moving toxins out of your body.
There are different families of vegetables and fruit, all with different properties:
- Include lots of 'brassicas' such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, spinach, cauliflower, etc.. They are particularly known for their cancer fighting properties, and for women, are especially good for helping balancing hormones, and countering PMS and other hormone induced ills.
- Anti-oxidant rich: anti-oxidants help combat free radicals that lead to aging and degeneration: highest on the list of fruit are blueberries, followed by blackberries, strawberries, plums, oranges, red grapes, cherries and kiwis. Vegetables at the top of the list are garlic, kale, spinach, yellow squash, Brussels sprouts, beets, avocado and peppers.
- Carotenoid rich: generally red, orange and yellow such as carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, mangoes and squash.
- Sulphur rich food such as garlic and onion are great for the immune system and for digestion.
- Plus a variety of others: apples are particularly good for the type of fibre they provide, sweet potatoes stand out for vitamin A and C, peas, asparagus, green beans, leaks, okra, etc, etc... all have a place in your healthy shopping basket.
You can find lots of free resources for weight loss and healthy nutrition at our website, http://www.superwellness.co.uk/, including videos and free product trials.
Angela Steel NT Dip CNM mBANT mCNHC
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Steel
Angela Steel NT Dip CNM mBANT mCNHC
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