Guest guest Posted April 15, 2003 Report Share Posted April 15, 2003 Eating the right carbs While most nutritionists still take the view that obesity is caused by excess calorie intake compared to the number of calories burned off during activity, the high protein diet supporters argue that there are metabolic advantages to a high protein/low carb diet which allow you to eat more and still lose weight. The key to this theory is insulin. When your blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas manufactures insulin to keep blood sugar levels in check. Some carbs cause a quicker rise in blood sugar levels and therefore a quicker release of insulin. If you eat alot of these foods you become insulin resistant and your body has to keep pumping out insulin which, instead of converting glucose into energy, turns it into fat. Dietician Jane Clarke suggests that while some low carb diets are overly severe, it could be a good idea to eat a little more protein and a little less carbohydrate. Balance is the key - many of these diets restrict fruit and veg, which isn't healthy. She favours using the glycaemic index method of reexamining your diet. Also called the GI factor, it ranks food between 1 and 100 for their effect on blood sugar levels. The higher the GI, the faster sugar is released into the blood, so those are the ones to avoid (some low GI foods are high in calories and fat, so moderation is important). Tips: 1. Eat a little more lean protein 2. Eat fewer carbs - ideally choose those with a low GI factor 3. Don't give up on your 5 portions of fruit and veg a day 4. Continue to cut back on foods with high levels of saturated fat and choose foods high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat instead 5. Avoid processed foods which contain high levels of sugar Good and Bad Carbs - Choosing foods with a low GI factor will help fill yoou up, burn more body fat and control blood sugar levels. Foods with a low GI Food Portion Score Peanuts, roasted, salted 75g 14 Lentils, red 120g boiled 26 Kidney beans 90g boiled 27 milk, full fat 250ml 27 Spaghetti, wholemeal 180g, cooked 37 Apple Medium 38 Chickpeas 95g, canned 42 All Bran 40g 42 Foods with a medium GI Food Portion Score Spaghetti, white 180g, cooked 41 Baked beans 120g 48 Peas 80g frozen 48 Carrots 70g boiled 49 Banana medium 55 Mango small 55 Muesli 60g 56 Pitta bread 1 average 57 Foods with a high GI Food Portion Score Rice, white 180g cooked 58 Ice cream 50g 61 Raisins 40g 64 Pineapple 2 slices 66 Wholemeal bread 1 slice 69 White bread 1 slice 70 Watermelon 150g 72 Cornflakes 30g 84 Baked Potato medium 85 White baguette 30g 95 - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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