Every weight watcher, more than concerned with any other aspect of weight loss, is overtly concerned with the amount and type of carbohydrates to be consumed in order to lose those extra pounds. Search the internet and you will find countless tips and suggestions on how low carb diets can result in miraculous weight loss. But if you want to lose weight and stay healthy in the end, you need to be more aware of the nutritional aspects of carbohydrates before switching to a low- or high-carb diet.
First of all, there are good and bad carbohydrates. When you eat a diet with good carbohydrates, you not only lose weight, but you also stay healthy. But going low carb is not a healthy alternative. So is consuming processed foods that are invariably low in carbohydrates. Your weight loss attempts will be futile if you are on low carb nutrition by eating too much pasta, crackers, cereals or grain products. In fact, such foods cause fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels, resulting in a greater amount of stored fat.
Your desire to lose weight can be due to various reasons, including aesthetics. But if you’re trying to lose weight to prevent or cure certain types of weight-related disorders, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or sleep apnea, you need to be especially careful, since cutting back on carbohydrate nutrition may not be healthy. You need to focus more on the good carbs, which can fix your weight problem while not making your existing health problems worse. Here are some ideas:
- Instead of rice, pasta and cereals, a better option is to switch to organic meats and eggs. Include more vegetables in your diet to get the right kind of carbohydrate nutrition.
- Berries, sweet potatoes and fruits are rich in carbohydrates and are good to include in your weight loss diet.
- Other good options are oat bran and not oatmeal. Add rice bran or wheat germ to your salads. This takes care of the right kind of calories from the grain, without losing nutrients.
The truth is, carbohydrate nutrition can actually help you lose weight and gain lean muscle, if you can formulate a healthy diet plan using the right ingredients. Although there are simple and complex carbohydrates, in order to lose weight, they can be divided into three segments: vegetables, preferably raw or lightly cooked; whole-grain breads or pastas: they are not as effective as the first group and should be consumed in moderation; highly processed where carbohydrate nutrition is zero. The last category of food is what we call “junk food” and should be avoided if your goal is to lose weight.
What do we mean by carbohydrate-based nutrition? It means that only carbohydrates that contain enough calories, which can be easily converted into energy along with a sufficient amount of nutrients that help build and repair tissues, are good for you. When it comes to calories, you must remember that each and every organ in the body needs this dietary energy to function, and carbohydrate nutrition is considered the body’s preferred source of energy. Nutrient-wise, good carbs contain a wide range of macro and micronutrients, including several vitamins and minerals that are essential for weight loss.