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Surprising Ways to Lose Weight By Focusing on Food Quality

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calories arent equal

It’s about food quality, as well as quantity. Say goodbye to the old model of weight loss relying solely on calorie calculations and restriction. Be excited by some new news, you can “have your cake and eat it…” and lose weight too! Maintain and open mind and get ready for some surprises as we reveal that you can eat cake and lose weight!

Burning Calories

The current model for measuring energy, the calorie, is very outdated. Developed in the 1800’s a calorimeter is no more than a chamber for burning things in. Foods, and other energy rich substances such as fuel, are incinerated to see how much heat they give off. The amount of heat is measured in calories. The last time I checked, my digestive system is not a furnace, nowhere near! Yet, for over 100 years we have relied on the same old model – and where has it got us?

Using calories is an inaccurate way of calculating the full impact of food on your body – your beautiful biological being is not an oven! 400 calories of refined sugar laden sweets is very different to 400 calories of avocado! Sadly, the calorie model doesn’t take into account usefulness of the foods we eat, toxicity of the food or other negative impacts on the body. Specifically when losing weight it is our hormones which require the closest attention.

Some hormones, such as insulin, drive us to put on weight. Other hormones, such as glucagon, help the body to burn fat and lose weight. Our body can either use carbohydrates as fuel OR fats, but (this is really important….) it cannot use both at the same time!

So if you are eating carbs (especially refined carbs like sweets/cakes/bread/white pasta) your body will likely be producing lots of insulin and you will go into fat STORING mode to deal with excess blood sugar. If you are eating protein and fats (plus some low carb fruits and vegetables) you will be in more of a fat BURNING mode. It is one or the other, burning OR storing, not both. Makes sense really, think of it like a suitcase, are you packing or unpacking?

(Note: I’m talking about a normal metabolism. If you don’t have a normal metabolism due to things like type 1 diabetes, hormone imbalances, insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome… that’s another story. Always talk to your doctor about your unique case)

We need a new model!

So, you can see the old model of calories really doesn’t fully support us (highlighted by the epidemic levels of obesity) and sadly the standard US food pyramid is no better (and mainly due to food industry lobbying it’s woefully inadequate) as a guide for what we should be eating.*

New models for measuring food healthfulness based on the biological responses of our body are needed to help dieters and healthy eaters make the best choices. One such solution is the new SANE approach which looks at the impact of foods from a hormonal and satiety perspective. Advertised as ‘Dieting 2.0’ this model is certainly an improvement on the current calorie counting method but it still relies on us learning a lot about specific foods. What is needed is some simple guidelines we can easily understand and adopt!

Emotionally Satisfying Food

We eat food to nourish ourselves but also for many other reasons, including emotional comfort and social cohesion. If you are feeling bored and uninspired by your food it is more likely that you will rebel against your healthy wishes and end up cheating with something more exciting – a bit like an affair!

The trick is to make your food taste amazing and healthy – let’s call it healthy decadent! Fortunately this is easily done, with a bit of creativity, visual appeal, combing tastes and textures and adding healthy fats. Here are 3 quick tips to REALLY enjoy your food and meet your emotional needs along with your nutritional ones!

1. Find out what you like

This may sound obvious but many people do not take the time to experiment with foods to find out what is personally satisfying. Do you like hot and spicy, crunchy, saucy or something else? Do you like just one type of food at once or lots of things to try? The internet is so full of recipes to consider that you will for sure find the foods that are healthy AND satisfying. Try using the word ‘healthy’ along with your favorite recipes in a google search and see what you can find. Many successful dieters have taken the time to experiment with food substitutions to create healthy alternatives that still hit the spot and they have kindly put them online for you to try too! What would tickle your taste buds?

2. Make it look amazing

Cooking with love and creating visual appeal is important; a plate which looks like it was slopped out by a sub-standard high school canteen will not send the right messages to your mind or belly. You are important – communicate this to yourself through the food you prepare. Arranging things nicely on a plate, adding a single flower for decoration, preparing a variety of dips, taking time to eat sat at the table, lighting a candle – these are all relatively simple things you can do which just take a couple of minutes and will reinforce the idea that you are worth honoring and taking the time over. How will you pimp up your plate?

3. Add healthy fats

Yet another lie spread by the food (and diet) industry is that fat is bad. This is not true: some fats are bad – mainly processed oils, margarines and intensively farmed animal fats. But there is one extra safe, and very delicious, fat. Coconut oil is an amazing addition to your diet – it protects the brain, prevents neurodegenerative disease, encourages weight loss and even helps to improve your mood and mental function.** It is typically solid at room temperature but melts really easily; it is good for cooking and adding to sauces and many other dishes.

When you add fat back you increase the flavor via, recently discovered, special receptors on the tongue. Healthy fats like those in coconut, avocado and unheated virgin olive oil are biologically and evolutionary beneficial, this is why our body and brain responds positively to them. Unfortunately Mother Nature didn’t know the food industry would get their hands on this concept and create processed fanken-fats which cause us physical and emotional damage.

Low Carbohydrate – Less Insulin

Low Carb eating isn’t for everyone, but it works for many people. Foods which are low in carbohydrates do not stimulate insulin the way high carb foods do. When there is no insulin in your blood your body can switch to fat burning mode – this is why the Atkins diet is so successful. If you want to lose weight and burn fat you need to reduce sweet and starchy foods (including artificial sweeteners if you want to cut out chemicals and toxins. Stevia is an option if it’s not over processed) and limit the higher-sugar fruits and vegetables. Instead opt for greener vegetables and less sweet fruits – like cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon and some varieties of apples and melon. Swap your potatoes for sweet potatoes and cut out pasta and bread.

When you do eat carbohydrates combine them with fats and proteins to slow digestion and reduce peaks in insulin production. You do not need carbs with every meal, eat what you find satisfying not what you think you should eat. Make your choices based on what feels right to you. How do you feel after a light lunch of a protein filled salad then a fruity and nutty snack later compared to a single meal of a heavy bowl of pasta?

Cheeky Chocolate Saucy Salad

Try this as an example, cook a handful of dates in a little hot water (a little more than half a cup) and stir until they ‘melt’. Add two to three couple of heaped teaspoons of coconut oil, add roughly half a cup of raw cacao powder…. In just a few minutes you have made a delicious, healthy, guilt free “dark chocolate” sauce! Tastes amazing, especially smothered over a less exciting fruit salad, and you know it is all fresh and good-for-you ingredients. (Here is a similar recipe with more details) The fiber in the dates plus the coconut fat slow down digestion reducing insulin levels too. Put some cut up fruit in a lovely bowl, drizzle on the sauce add a flower or mint leaf for decoration. Then sit somewhere special and enjoy this decadent healthy treat.

Ready for your cake?

Chocolate sauce isn’t the only healthy trick you can play on yourself. Raw cakes are just as delicious as the baked varieties but rely on careful combinations of fresh fruit, nuts and healthy fats to craft delicious and satisfying treats. Also guilt free these cakes really can help weight loss as they provide an alternative to the shop bought sugar-filled processed options and instead fill you with healthful ingredients. They do contain carbohydrate and should be eaten, and enjoyed in moderation but for days when you feel like giving in, try an emergency raw cake instead! Dieting doesn’t have to be painful, with some careful research, experimentation and planning you can adopt healthy eating patterns which are satisfying on all levels.

 

References:

*
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/18/usda-nutritional-guidelines.aspx

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/1/29/934261/-

http://healthwyze.org/reports/164-the-perversion-of-the-food-pyramid

http://www.realfitnessblog.com/2008/11/07/the-food-pyramid-conspiracy/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8375951

**
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4247320/

https://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/

Tyler lost 72 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss story: Sigma Gamma Rho soror and Media Diva Tyler lost 72 pounds.  Her story shows that you can lose weight gradually over time and change your relationship with food. Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

Name: Tyler
Age: 25
City: Charlotte
Occupation: Writer / News Producer
Starting Weight: 250 pounds
Current Weight: 178 pounds
Method: Low cal diet combined with different workout routines.

Motivation: “I’ve always struggled with weight and self-esteem issues. I guess you can say that food and I have a tumultuous relationship. Anytime I was unhappy or in a celebratory mood, eating would be the supplement to the occasion. By college, I used unhealthy methods of losing weight such as starving myself which led to binge eating. Overtime, this caught up with me. I found myself sweating while trying on clothes in the dressing room and getting out of breath when walking short distances. On New Year’s Eve of 2010, I weighed myself and became disgusted at the fact that I tipped the scales at 250 pounds. My goal was to lose 50 in the following year. I cut out carbs, sweets and late night binge eating. Fast food drive-ins were also a thing of the past. Eating healthier along with Zumba, Pole Fitness and Boot Camp classes led to the weight falling off. The key message here, was that I did it gradually over time while gaining a smarter outlook on food. Take your time. By the time I got down to 200 pounds in 2012, I turned the weight loss journey into a lifestyle change. I am now more conscious of what I eat but I can also enjoy food, guilt free. Instead of rewarding myself with junk, I now purchase new, slim fitting clothes. Shopping is a whole different issue. “

Tyler weight loss journey

What is the Keto Diet?

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low carb fishThe ketogenic diet, better known as the “keto” diet, is a diet that was originally developed to help people with difficult to control epilepsy (specifically, children with epilepsy). It is a high-fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate diet. Here’s why it has been recommended for epilepsy: Carbohydrates are important for brain function, usually in the form of glucose. If there are very few carbohydrates in the diet, the liver is forced to do something different to make up for it. The liver converts the fat into fatty acids and a substance known as ketone. Ketone bodies replace the glucose, and are used in the brain instead. Apparently, this state of elevated ketone levels (known as ketosis), actually helps to reduce how often seizures occur in epileptics (not a cure all but it has worked for some people).

Before the keto diet, the original diet for children with epilepsy gave children enough protein for body growth, proper development, and any repairs that may have been necessary. The diet also had just enough calories to help maintain appropriate weight for the child’s age. This adaptation threw in the fats at a 4:1 ratio so that the body can be forced into ketosis. This is achieved by excluding high-carbohydrate foods such as starchy fruits and vegetables, bread, pasta, grains and sugar, while increasing the consumption of foods high in fat such as cream and butter. Full-fat dairy is an incredibly important part of the Keto diet.

If you’ve understood everything that I’ve talked about, you can understand how the Keto diet could be adapted for fat-burning. It’s actually become an popular way for bodybuilders and weight loss enthusiasts alike to lose excess fat and tone up. The low carb fashion of the diet is what draws most people to it, especially because it would seem counter-intuitive to eat a high fat diet in order to lose fat (even though the body needs fat too.)

Basically, the understanding that those who are trying to lose weight have about the diet is that your body isn’t really consuming carbohydrates at all, and so the body will “mistake” fat for carbohydrates. So that means that, instead of burning those carbohydrates for energy, you’re now burning the fat for energy instead. As we talked about above, your body will start burning the fat into Ketone bodies, and in the end the fat is assumed to develop into healthy energy.

This also reduces the insulin production in your body. When your insulin production is at almost zero, the amount of Glucagon is increased greatly. At this point in the keto diet, your body’s fat burning ability is kicked in to high gear and fat storage is slowed or halted.

So what can you eat on the Keto diet? Here’s a basic list of ideas.

Vegetables:

  • Broccoli
  • Celery
  • Asparagus
  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Cucumbers

Meats and Dairy:

  • Pork
  • Beef
  • Chicken
  • Fish (especially fatty fish like salmon and swordfish).
  • Ham
  • Cheese
  • Butter
  • Mayo

Other foods:

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Nuts
  • Peanut Butter
  • Eggs
  • Whey Protein

As with any diet that goes to extremes, there are some things that you will need to watch out for. First off, your body stores a lot of carbohydrates to start with and if you don’t exercise much, you can get through a day without a lot of carbs. The problem comes in when you’re active and you aren’t eating a lot of carbs. You’re going to burn a lot of those carbs, and you’re going to burn all of your glycogen stores. Here’s the problem: glycogen holds up to four times its weight in water. So yes, not only are you starving, you’re also dehydrated, and you won’t be able to have enough energy to do anything because fat burns more slowly than carbs do. As with any weight loss plan, you should talk to a doctor about all the risk before even considering a plan like this.  There are a lot of low carb plans out there for you to choose from, so consider all the options if you want to go low carb.

6 Things That Bodybuilders Can Teach Us About Weight Loss

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bodybuilders bodybuildingLosing weight is a huge undertaking and it can be really intimidating to go through on your own. There are lots of things that you may feel like you need to learn in order to reach your goals in a reasonable amount of time. If you are trying to lose weight, I suggest that you get some advice from a source that you may not expect – bodybuilders. There are a number of things that we can learn about health, fitness, and weight loss from our bodybuilding friends, but we’re going to focus on six of them in this article.

1. We should do more to understand the role of macronutrients. Most people haven’t even heard of macronutrients, let alone understand their role in the weight loss puzzle. In general, macronutrients are the large categories of nutrients that we need in order to survive. The three macronutrients are fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, and each of them plays a different role in the vital functions of the body, such as the regulation of hormones and insulin. Some people make the mistake of eliminating one or more of the macronutrients in their weight loss program, when you actually need a certain amount of each in order to lose weight properly.  Here is more info from bodybuilding.com on using a 30/30/40 ratio of fats, proteins and carbs to lose fat and build muscle.

2. Muscle has the ability to burn fat. How does this work? Well, first, it has been proven that the natural amount of calories that the body burns to maintain muscle is more than the amount of calories needed to maintain fat. So, as the amount of muscle in your body increases, the more calories that your body is burning and the more fat goes away. Metabolism increases, and therefore, you have the ability to burn fat. However, unless you are focusing on eating right and exercising properly, the amount is negligible; it requires that you to put in some effort on your end.  If you are eating way too many calories and not working to maintain the muscle…you won’t see any benefits.

3. A deep, real commitment bears results. This is probably the most important thing that those who are trying to lose weight can learn from those who enjoy bodybuilding. People have very toned bodies and ripped abs only get to that point because they are committed to what they are doing. That’s how weight loss works too; it involves a commitment to drop the weight, and if that commitment is real and consistent, you will see results.

Continued on next page

30 Day Weight Loss: J’me is down from a size 20 to a 14/16

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Sharing about 30 days of weight loss progress, J’me wrote to us to share her photos and let us know she’s down  33 pounds.  She is using her clothes as a measurement for success as well.  She is down from a size 20 to a size 14/16.  That’s right…in a little over 30 days.  Here is what she shared:

J'me weight loss

Sept 4, 2013: I’ve been so inspired by the before and after photos that have been posted in your page that I had to create my own. My beginning weight was 240 as of August 1, 2013, current weight 207 pounds. Thank you for your inspiration.

What was your motivation?

My motivation is to be healthy. Over the past couple of years, I’ve let myself go. I have always watched my weight but now that I’ve gotten married and had a child, it has been really tough staying active and eating right.

I changed my habits because I found that I’d gotten so big that it took a lot of energy to do minimal things.  Plus, I hated what I saw I when I looked in the mirror. I was used to dressing up and having a sense of style but when I realized how big I was, I became depressed and not motivated to dress well. My husband never treated me like he was not attracted to me, but I felt as though he deserved for me to look my best.  I eat mostly low carb foods and wheat bread if I eat any bread at all.

What did your workout routines look like?

Right now, I am walking the neighborhood because it gives me the ability to do the intervals I need, as well as it forces me to keep moving. I know that if I walk by myself three miles away from home, the only way to get back to walk myself back. My issue with gyms is I would start going and then stop, but walking the neighborhood has kept me consistent.

What was your starting weight?  I would have to guess that I had gotten up to 240-245 or so.

What is your current weight? I believe I am around 207. I no longer own a scale so I’m estimating. However,my starting pant size was 20 and now it’s size 14-16 in 30 days.

3 Pros and 3 Cons of Low-Carb Diets

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low carb chicken veggiesLow-carb diets arrived on the scene in the early 1970s with the introduction of the Atkins diet. While time has shown that this restrictive eating style poses numerous health risks and only a few benefits, newer versions of the low-carb diet – less restrictive ones – are still extremely popular among those hoping to shed a few pounds.  Many of the newer, more balanced plans are more healthy than the original Atkins plan.  Diets such as the Zone and the South Beach diet are some of the more popular ones.

3 Pros of a Low-Carb Diet

Most modern low-carb diets do not restrict carbohydrate consumption as severely as the Atkins diet, making them a healthier option. Even if you don’t wish to follow a low-carb diet, many trainers and nutritionists will still encourage you to eat fewer carbs along your path to weight loss. Here’s why:

  1. Feel Full – When you cut carbohydrates, you naturally eat more protein. Your body takes longer to break down proteins than it does carbohydrates. You can liken it to placing gasoline in a fire versus additional firewood. The gas – carbohydrates – burns away quickly, but the firewood – protein – remains in the belly of the fire much longer. All of this causes you to feel full longer after a meal containing lots of protein and a small amount of carbohydrates.
  2. Quick Weight Loss – There’s no denying that low-carb diets result in fast, dramatic weight loss. Low-carb diets also work for the majority of people who wish to lose weight as a diet rich in excess carbs is the number one reason for obesity in America.  You definitely can lose weight with a low-carb plan.
  3. Scientific Evidence – Low-carb diets are grounded in science. You see, when you eat fewer carbs, your body slows insulin production, resulting in your body tapping into stored fat for energy. When there aren’t enough carbohydrates to fuel the body, the body enters a process called ketosis. This means that your body starts burning fat as the main energy source rather than carbs.

3 Cons of a Low-Carb Diet

As with anything, there are risks associated with following a restrictive, low-carb diet. Some of the most common ones are as follows:

  1. Starvation Mode – Eating only protein forces your body into starvation mode. Your body uses sugar – carbohydrates – to function. Starvation mode causes it to rely on fats instead. Fat cells are not an adequate fuel for your body, so there are numerous physical maladies that come along with ketosis including headaches, irritability, kidney overwork, and heart palpitations.

    “If you suddenly and drastically cut carbs, you may experience a variety of temporary health effects, including:

    • Headache
    • Bad breath
    • Weakness
    • Fatigue
    • Constipation or diarrhea

    In addition, some diets restrict carbohydrate intake so much that in the long term they can result in vitamin or mineral deficiencies, bone loss, and gastrointestinal disturbances and may increase risks for various chronic diseases.” – Mayo Clinic

    “Ketosis can become dangerous when ketones build up. High levels lead to dehydration and change the chemical balance of your blood.” – WebMD

  2. Difficult to Maintain – Anytime you severely restrict your diet, you lower your chances of actually sticking to the diet. As human, we do not like to feel deprived. Will power will get you through a few weeks, but most people find that they cannot push on much longer with a low-carb diet.
  3. Weight Gain – Once you start eating again, you will rapidly put on the weight you lost plus some. This is due to the body being in starvation mode. During times of extreme hunger, your body’s metabolism slows. When you start eating, your body burns calories at a slower rate than it did before the diet.

The key to successful weight loss while on a low-carb diet is to find balance. Avoid low-carb plans that severely restrict carbs or eliminate them altogether (unless you are under doctor’s orders). Work to lower your carbohydrate intake while making healthy, balanced choices.  In terms of a lifestyle change, eventually you may increase your carb intake but focus on whole grains, fruits, veggies and other complex carbohydrates.

Note: We inlcuded this information with the article when it posted in 2013. The article has changed on WebMD and the quote is no longer there, so we’ve removed it from this article.
“Unhealthy metabolic state (ketosis). Low-carb diets can cause your body to go into a dangerous metabolic state called ketosis since your body burns fat instead of glucose for energy. During ketosis, the body forms substances known as ketones, which can cause organs to fail and result in gout, kidney stones, or kidney failure. Ketones can also dull a person’s appetite, cause nausea and bad breath. Ketosis can be prevented by eating at least 100 grams of carbohydrates a day.” – WebMD

Candida Symptoms and How to Cleanse It from the Body

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candidaCandida, the medical term for yeast overgrowth, can occur anywhere on the body – both internally and externally. Rather than something you catch, Candida (yeast) is present in the body at all times. In fact, it plays a vital role in bodily functions, aids in digestion and keeps certain types of bacteria from overpopulating. Most of the time, yeast causes very little problems – you don’t even know it’s there. However, when yeast multiplies, you will know it.

Candida can also affect weight loss and weight gain.

“How does yeast overgrowth prevent weight loss? If yeast causes cravings for sugary, starchy foods, these empty calories get stored as fat. Yeast releases toxins, so the more yeast inside, the more toxins released. These toxins can affect many systems in the body, including those that aid in weight loss.

Lowered metabolism can be a result of yeast toxins on the thyroid. You may become bloated and retain fluid. The toxins released from yeast can create hormonal imbalances that affect your ability to lose weight. Yeast toxins may increase cortisol levels and belly fat if the toxins put enough stress on your body.” – Source

Talk to your doctor for a diagnosis.  Find out their recommendations for how you can help your body to eliminate candida and what medicines are available.  Here is some general info:

Candida Symptoms

As mentioned before, yeast infections can occur just about anywhere including the skin, genitals, throat, mouth, gastrointestinal tract and even the blood. Symptoms vary according to where the infection is located, but generally include:

  • Redness or irritation at the location
  • Itching
  • Pain and soreness in the affected area

As long as they remain localized, yeast infections only cause local discomfort. If they enter the bloodstream, however, they can be responsible for a host of symptoms and secondary illnesses including:

  • Digestive issues
  • Skin and nail fungus
  • Fatigue
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Mood swings, depression and anxiety
  • Allergies
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Recurrent vaginal and urinary tract infections

Candida Treatment: Medical Options

Local yeast infections are normally treated with creams, powders or oral medications. For common infections such as vaginal yeast infections, athletes foot and diaper rash, you can purchase antifungal creams and powders at any drug or department store. For infections of the mouth (thrush) or more severe infections, your doctor may prescribe the appropriate medications. Sometimes, it’s necessary to take anti-fungal medications orally over the course of several days.

Candida Treatment: Treating and Preventing Yeast Overgrowth with Nutrition

Recurring infections, especially those of the gut and bloodstream, call for a change in diet. When the infections just keep coming back or when they never go away, it’s usually due to a food allergy or an abundance of certain types of foods in the digestive system, which kills off the healthy bacteria your body needs to reduce and maintain normal levels of yeast in your body. The following nutritional tips will help you stop yeast overgrowth:

  1. Follow a low carbohydrate diet. Yeast feeds off of simple carbohydrates, so try your best to eliminate these from your diet. Simple carbohydrates include breads, alcohol and virtually anything made with flour.
  2. Say no to sugar. This is one of the most important things you can do to deal with candida.  Candy, cake, pie, ice cream, soda – you name it – all contain some kind of sugar. Again, sugar is a simple carbohydrate. Eliminate all sugary foods from your diet.  This includes diet products with fake sugars.
  3. Cut back, but don’t eliminate complex carbohydrates. Eating one cup a day of complex carbohydrates can help eliminate yeast from your system.  You don’t want to cut out all carb because you need the fiber, but you need to cut back and give you body a chance to repopulate good bacteria and starve the yeast. Complex carbohydrates include grains, beans, fruit, pasta, potatoes and whole-grain breads.
  4. Eliminate foods that contain yeast. This includes all fermented foods or those that have natural mold, including cheese, dried fruit and beverages.

It’s a the best idea to treat any yeast infection medically and follow up with a change in diet. A combination of medical treatment and diet change will not only treat any current yeast infections, it may prevent future ones from occurring.

5 Tips for Dealing with Cravings While on Your Period

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As if it isn’t hard enough to combat cravings, eat healthy and find time to exercise regularly, once a month women face the seemingly insurmountable challenge of getting through their period without giving into temptation. Along with the irritability, cramps, bloating and fatigue that come hand-in-hand with Mother Nature’s visit, cravings for sugar, simple carbohydrates, and other oh-so-good, but not-so-healthy treats hit full force.

cravings on your periodIf you have intense cravings during your period, you’re not just giving yourself an excuse to nibble on forbidden foods. There are scientific reasons that explain why your body craves certain foods during your menstrual cycle. During this time, your brain experiences a decrease in serotonin, a brain chemical that’s responsible for a whole host of things including your mood. Your brain, unable to operate as efficiently with a smaller amount of serotonin, sends signals – cravings – for foods that boost serotonin levels. Such foods include sweets, chips, muffins and other comfort foods.

How to Curb Cravings during Your Menstrual Cycle

Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce cravings during this time and stay on track. These tips also work when you’re not on your period. So, next time you get a craving, combat it with one or more of the following:

  1. Consume more complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates and foods rich in fiber – whole grains, legumes, fruits and some starchy vegetables – take longer for your body to break down and use. This means that you stay full longer and experience fewer cravings. While you’re satisfied and full, your stomach sends messages to your brain that no more food is needed.
  2. Eat foods rich in protein. Foods that contain a great deal of protein also work as an appetite suppressant for the same reason as complex carbohydrates. In fact, it takes your body even longer to break down proteins. Protein also helps regulate your sugar levels, which stops cravings. To add protein to your diet, choose from healthy options such as chicken, turkey, fish and peanut butter.
  3. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Bottom line, do not allow yourself to become hungry while you’re on your period. Satisfy cravings by eating six small meals instead of three large ones. Be sure to choose healthy options though.
  4. Spend some time exercising or doing another physical activity that you enjoy. Physical activity boosts levels of dopamine in the brain, a feel-good chemical that works alongside serotonin to regulate your mood. So, whenever you start feeling down, don’t reach for a snack, get physical instead. Exercise also reduces cramps.
  5. Think about something else. Sounds pretty simple, huh? Well, it is. When you have a craving, your brain automatically pictures the item you’re craving. You start to remember the taste, the feel, the texture of the food you want. If you allow yourself to keep thinking about it, you will likely give in to temptation. Instead, think about something else that you love, like the beach. Picture it – the sights, the sounds, the smells, the way the sand feels between your toes – and your brain will no longer be able to concentrate on the craving.

Combating cravings during that time of the month is a constant struggle. However, the more successful you are at fighting off cravings, the easier it will become for you to turn down unhealthy foods. If you slip up now and then, don’t beat yourself up. Simply put the experience behind you and look ahead. More cravings will come, and when they do, you will be ready for them.

What is the difference between good carb and bad carbs?

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It is not surprising to hear someone say that they are on carb-free or low carb diet.   This is because carbs are thought to be a main contributor to weight gain, and some carbs are. There are good carbs and bad carbs, and both have different impacts on a person’s health and waistline. Telling the difference between the two can become quite complex, but it is important to tell the two apart. Carbs are a vital nutrient that provides energy for the body and the brain. There are simple and complex carbs, which both are converted to glucose during the body’s digestion process.

good carbs bad carbsSimple carbohydrates are exactly that, simple. They are all single and double-chained sugars known as monosaccharide and disaccharides. They do not contain many nutrients or vitamins, and the body needs little energy to convert them into glucose. The glucose will reach the bloodstream quickly, causing a rapid spike in sugar. A person will have a sudden burst of energy, but then just as quickly feet fatigue and sluggish, once the sugar drops. These bad carbs pack an abundance of sugar and calories into the diet, without any real nutritional value. After consuming simple carbohydrates, an individual will feel hungry again soon after eating them. These simple carbs are causing an concerning increase of sugar into an individual’s diet, which can contribute to health issues and put them at risk for diabetes.

These simple carbs are found in white breads, starch vegetables and pasta, as well as baked goods. Another culprit for simple carbohydrates is soft drinks since they deliver a ton of calories and carbs without any nutrients. Added sugar is another simple carbohydrate that rushes to the bloodstream, causing an instant rush of energy. Individuals diets have a high increase of simple carbohydrates and not enough of the good carbohydrates known as complex carbs.

Complex carbs contain many chains of simple sugars; therefore it is not as simple for the body to break it down to glucose. When consuming complex carbs, a person does not get a sudden burst of energy as they do from simple carbs. Rather the complex carbs gradually break down into the bloodstream, providing them a steady supply of energy. Complex carbs also curb hunger, since they take the body a while to break down and provide higher fiber. For athletes that are fueling up on carbohydrates, complex carbs are the ones they want to be reaching for if they need to keep their energy up for an entire game or event.

Complex carbs provide the body with more fuel that will give it energy for a longer period of time. Some foods to get complex carbs into a person’s diet are nuts, legumes, whole grains and non-starchy vegetables. Though fruits are high in glucose, the ones with a low glycemic index are another great way to get complex carbs into an individual’s daily diet.  Don’t be afraid of fruit.  Fruit sugars are not seen by the body as the same as processed sugar like, white sugar and corn syrup.

By swapping out simple carbs with complex carbs, one can be on the way being healthier and weight loss.