Tag Archives: carbohydrates

The Crazy Thing About Carbohydrates

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The crazy thing about carbohydrates is that every molecule of carbohydrate likes to grab on to two molecules of water. For instance, think about starchy carbohydrates like oatmeal or rice. They expand in water because they grab on to it and absorb it. Well, once they are cooked, they don’t stop looking for water to grab on to. They’ll do it in your system too. That is how seemingly light foods like starchy carbohydrates become the heaviest of all and that is how we gain weight at light speed after a fast like the Master Cleanse or a low carb … Continue reading →

What is Resistant Starch?

Have you heard about “resistant starch” yet? It’s a relatively new buzz word when it comes to nutrition — but it refers to foods you’ve been eating all your life. What is resistant starch? It’s a type of fiber found in carbohydrate-rich foods like potatoes, grains, and beans. The fiber is particularly prominent in these foods when cooked and then cooled. Resistant starch is so called because it resists digestion. Dieters and health experts alike are celebrating resistant starch because: It increases your body’s ability to burn fat — you aren’t digesting the starch, so you’re burning other things for … Continue reading →

The Food Pyramid WILL Make You Fat!

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Every five years, the federal government issues official dietary guidelines for Americans. Our children are taught these guidelines at school and school cafeterias are expected to follow them. The general population is expected to follow these guidelines as the way to a healthy body. Well, researchers are finally questioning what I’ve known for the past decade: Are the national guidelines advising Americans to eat a low-fat diet actually feeding the current obesity epidemic? Well, DUH! According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York are saying that the current guidelines have … Continue reading →

Protein and Dieting

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I’ve shared a great deal with my pals at the Diary of an Overweight Mom Forum and they’ve shared a great deal with me too. I think the most important thing I’ve shared with them is the need for adequate amounts of protein when we’re trying to lose weight. So often we cut out protein because it provides the biggest chunk of calories through the course of our day but we’re doing ourselves a great disservice when we do this. Sure, it seems logical. Instead of having a 230 calorie roasted chicken breast, you could just have a 65 calorie … Continue reading →

Low-Carb Diets and Conventional Wisdom

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Low-carbohydrate diets do work. People on low-carbohydrate diets are able to eat less and feel full and satisfied from the high-protein and high-fat foods that are allowed on low-carb diets. These diets have also been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. So why isn’t everybody going low-carb? Conventional “Wisdom” Meaning that knowledge base that doctors of today who went to medical school yesterday and yesteryear have in their doctor’s bags. Their knowledge is based on studies done in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. It is old! After all, the Atkins Diet didn’t blast off until the 70’s and … Continue reading →

What’s The Fuss About Carbs?

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Carbohydrates are a macronutrient. The three macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Carbohydrates supply our bodies with their main source of fuel: glucose (also known as blood sugar). Yes, we run on sugar but before you head to the cupboard to down a sack of sugar, read on. Our bodies create glucose by breaking down the carbohydrates we eat throughout the day. Our bodies can also create glucose from proteins and fat but it is much more difficult to do and requires a great deal more energy in the form of calories. (It is easy for the body to make … Continue reading →

Do Diet Supplements Work and Do You Need Them?

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Unless you’re sitting down to three square, home cooked meals a day and eating at least two healthy snacks between them, chances are you could use a supplement or two. Following are just a few you may want to consider. Healthy Fats In our diet conscious world, we tend to avoid any fat as if it were The Plague. That isn’t exactly what we should be doing. Believe it or not, our bodies need some special fats that we just cannot create ourselves. Supplements like Omega-3 Fatty Acids (fats derived from fish) are important for heart health so if you … Continue reading →

Reading Food Labels When You Have Diabetes

If you have diabetes, it isn’t enough to just watch your sugars. Reading the labels on your favorite foods can help you understand your blood sugar fluctuations and manage your diabetes better. Step One: Read the Ingredients Ingredients on the label are listed in descending order. The thing at the top of the list is in your food in the largest amount; each successive item is in a smaller amount than the one before it. Look for healthy ingredients like whole grains and monounsaturated fats. Know your sugars — anything that ends in -ose like lactose and sucrose or -tol … Continue reading →

A Diet To Cure Diabetes?

A doctor in Kansas is taking a not-so-radical approach to diabetes. Most physicians abandoned the idea of a carbohydrate-free diet for diabetic patients back in the 1930s. Now Doctor Mary Vernon and other doctors are prescribing a carb-free diet and seeing their patients go through amazing changes. Vernon says that removing carbohydrates from a diabetic person’s diet can reverse symptoms and free them from a life of injections and medications. Since 1980, diabetes has increased in the United States by 47 percent. Diabetes is a leading cause of heart disease and comes with other possible complications like vision problems, nerve … Continue reading →

Low Carb Swaps for Diabetics

If you have diabetes, your enemy isn’t just sugar. Carbohydrates can turn to sugar in the bloodstream, driving your blood glucose levels through the roof. When your body has too much sugar, it stores the excess as fat. Once the extra sugar goes into storage, your blood sugar level drops again. The American Diabetes Association suggests eating between 45 and 75 grams of carbohydrates at each meal and 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates at snack time. This doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to carbs entirely, but you do have to make smart choices. Swap regular white or … Continue reading →