Five Diet Tips to Help You Gain Weight Quickly

 

A lot of people need to lose weight in order to take care of their wellbeing, but what if you need to gain a few pounds? Thinking of yourself as too skinny can be damaging to your wellness, so how do you gain weight in quick and healthy way?

 

1. Eat, Eat, Eat: If you are trying to gain weight, you need to eat and eat often! This means packing in those nutrients where you can over five to six meals a day. However, this doesn’t give you an excuse to gorge yourself on junk food and sugars; you want to build up a healthy weight – not your fat deposits. To put on muscle mass, rather than fat, load up on plenty of protein and carbs. You should choose nutritious snacks that are also dense in calories, so go for nuts, peanut butter, cheese, dried fruits and avocados. And if you get the evening munchies, feel free to crack on with the bedtime snacks.

 

2. Drink Right: Fizzy drinks and coffee to contribute to weight gain, but this is a really unhealthy way to do it. Instead, keep your liquids up with smoothies or shakes made with low-fat milk or juice for an energized calorie boost. Also, you need to drink at the right times, otherwise you can fill up on beverages before you can eat your meals. Therefore, it’s best to drink 30 minutes before or after your meal.

 

3. Eat the Right Type of Fat: Do you want a bigger, healthier looking body, or a thin frame with a bit of a paunch? The former? Thought so. To get that all-over weight gain you’re looking for, you need to load up on healthy fats from sources such as avocados, dairy products, nuts (including peanut butter), and meats. Three of the best sources of healthy fats are peanuts, cashews, and olive oil, so make sure to maximise your consumption of those. However, you need to steer clear of from saturated fats (bad fats) gained from processed foods, so stay away from ice cream, fries and fatty junk foods. If you’re looking for a treat, good alternatives are bran muffins, yogurt, fruit pies and granola bars.

 

4. Pack On the Protein: Protein is an essential part of your diet, whether you’re trying to lose weight or gain it. However, protein is a building block of your entire body, strengthening your muscles, bones, skin, hair, and blood. Go for high-protein foods to fill up, and include plenty of meat, cheese, milk, fish, and eggs in your diet. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, you can still get your fair share of protein by eating soy products such as tofu as well as combinations of foods, such as rice or corn with beans.

 

5. Crack Out the Carbs: Carbs get a bad rap, but they can really help you to build muscle and get all your vital functions in top shape. Your body’s main source of energy is carbs, so you definitely need to get your share of complex carbohydrates from brown rice, pasta, potatoes and whole grains. Complex carbs release sugars into your bloodstream at a really slow rate, so they provide a steady supply of energy over a long period of time. This stops your insulin levels from spiking, which is important if you don’t want your body to store fat. The carbs you want to avoid are the simple ones. These carbs contain empty calories and will most likely be stored as fat because the sugars enter your bloodstream quickly and cause a spike in blood sugar levels.

 

Categories: carbs, Protein, weight gain

Is Pasta The Enemy? How Carbs Could Be Good For You

With all the myths around about diet and nutrition, it can be hard to know what to do for the best, to lose weight or to simply safeguard your wellness and wellbeing. For example, for ages we’ve been told that ‘carbs are bad’ and that a simple bowl of pasta could be terribly bad for us, but is this actually true? Is pasta really the enemy?

 

The simple answer is: no. Pasta is actually a healthy food. As a society, we have got so obsessed by the fear of carbohydrates that we have lost sight of the health benefits that many of them have. There are even people who actively attempt to consume as few carbohydrates as possible, and only ‘carb load’ on a bowl of pasta or similar the night before they run a race.

 

The truth is, there are health risks to any type of food if you eat too much of it. If you eat too many carbs in your diet, there is a potential link to heart problems, or even to mild cognitive impairment. It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that there are also health risks associated with not eating enough carbs, such as ketosis. There are benefits to carbohydrates as well as risks – life is busier than ever and the body needs healthy fuel to keep it going.

 

Pasta is packed with essential nutrients for good health. The carbs found in pasta can make great fuel to keep the body’s energy levels up, while the fibre that it contains keeps us feeling full and keeps the digestive system in good working order. Pasta also contains an antioxidant enzyme activator called selenium, as well as manganese, which also helps with digestion. On top of this, folates that are found in the whole grain varieties of pasta aid cell growth and can help to prevent against lung cancer.

Categories: carbohydrates, carbs, health, Health Risks, nbsp, Pasta

Five Carbs that You Actually Need in Order to Lose Weight

For most women on a diet, carbs are public enemy No. 1. As much as pasta, bread and cake is helpful for your sense of emotional wellbeing, they get in the way of your weight loss. That said, does this mean every carb will make you fat? Of course not. Carbs make up an important part of your nutritional wellness, providing the energy you need to prevent you falling off the weight loss wagon. According to Lyssie Lakatos, RD, one half of the Nutrition Twins with her sister Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, you need the right kind of carbs that are dense in nutrients with at least two to three grams of fibre per 100 calories. This is because your body breaks down fibre more slowly, and so having plenty of it in your system means you’ll feel fuller for longer. Let’s take a look at some healthy carb contenders:

 

1. Barley: In half a cup of cooked pearl barley you’ll find 22g of carbs, 3g of fibre and just 97 calories. Swedish researchers have suggested that barley raises your blood sugar at a much slower rate than say, doughnuts, which helps you to bypass the sugar spike—and crash—that leaves you famished. While pearl barley is the most popular option, if you plump for barley groats or whole hull-less barley, you’ll give your body even more healthy nutrients, including 20 to 25% of your daily fibre in just one serving.

 

2. Green Peas: This contender is even better for your weight loss than barley, providing a whopping 4.5g of fibre, 12.5g of carbs and a mere 67 calories in a half-a-cup serving. This size serving also provides you with 12% of your recommended daily intake of zinc, which can help to protect you against colds. Plus, zinc can help with weight loss, as this mineral boosts your body’s level of a hormone called leptin, which alerts your brain when your stomach has had enough.

 

3. Whole-Wheat Pasta: For every two ounces of dry whole-wheat pasta, you’ll get 198 calories, 43g of carbs and 5g of fibre. Here in Britain, research has shown that eating more wholegrains – or about three servings every day – lowers your BMI and abdominal fat. However, Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet, warns that you need to keep noodle portions between 100 and 200 calories (about half to one cup cooked), as nutrient-rich carbohydrates are part of a balanced meal, not the entire meal.

 

4. Acorn Squash: There are 115 calories, 30g of carbs and 9g of fibre in one cup of cubed and baked acorn squash. This carb contender certainly receives the “most fibre” award when it comes to winter squash (unless you count hubbard squash which has one more gram per cup—but good luck finding that in most supermarkets!)

 

5. Beans: Sorry, we’re not talking baked beans here. However, when you hear that half a cup of canned low-sodium black beans contains 109 calories, 20g of carbs and 8g of fibre, you’ll start to see the benefits. Moreover, according to research in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, eating beans lowers your risk of an expanding waistline by 23%, and reduces your risk being obese by 22%. There are varying amounts of fibre in different types of beans, but all of them pack plenty of protein and iron so they’re still good choices. Lakatos Shames adds that you need to rinse any canned beans to reduce the sodium content, but other than that you’re good to go.

Categories: acorn squash, barley, Beans, calories, carbs, fibre, green peas, lakatos shames, pearl barley, Weight Loss, wheat pasta

Top Tricks For Getting The Body You’ve Always Wanted

We all have big plans to turn our abs into a washboard six-pack, but if your plans to achieve it have waned it may be time to try a new method. Weight loss expert Dr Jonny Bowden states that the dietary recommendations, with regards to lower animal fat, reduced saturated fats and carbs, have changed drastically over the past 30 years. There are many misconceptions about what we need to do in order to be lean and healthy, and also about what we should and shouldn’t be eating, meaning that ‘eating healthy’ could be wildly different for each person. Through no fault of their own much of the time, people are clueless about what they should be filling their plates with. But there are some lesser known techniques that could help you achieve a leaner physique by summer. While some of them may be unconventional, they could be the stepping stone you need to build a leaner body and meet those goals you’ve been struggling to reach.

The first tip is to train on an empty stomach. If you’re used to eating within 30 minutes before a workout, you’re probably familiar with the routine of fuelling up for your workout with 20g of protein and between 20 and 40g of carbs to prevent your muscles from waning, and supplying your body with energy. But if that hasn’t worked for you so far, you may find that skipping the pre-workout meal offers better results. This is an age-old trick that bodybuilders of the past used to do consistently, and it offered results. The best time to work out is after you’ve fasted all night, when your blood sugars are low, if you’re trying to burn fat. Because if you want to burn the fat you already have in your body, why would you want to load up on glucose and carbs and then simply burn those during the workout? If you can’t get through the workout on an empty stomach, opt for something light such as an apple or a scoop of whey protein shake with some berries. Be sure to drink plenty of water though, to keep your body hydrated as you exercise.

 

Don’t shy away from saturated fats – in certain doses, they are actually necessary for good health. It may sound counterintuitive, but fats nourish your skin, hair and nails, as well as providing the foundations for hormones such as testosterone. If we look back to cavemen, they didn’t fuel their bodies with low-fat foods – they ate whatever meats they could hunt or fish. By this reasoning, foods such as eggs, coconut and beef will provide your body with the right levels of fat you need to stay healthy. The best rule to stick by is to opt for foods where these fats are naturally occurring, and avoid foods which are processed and have too much fat. Opt for natural foods which have omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which have been proven to do wonders for your health. You should also reconsider your refined carb intake. Eating loads of carbs to fuel your workout is basically the same as creating an insulin fountain, which drives weight gain. Opting to focus on carbs instead of protein and fat, which have limited effect on insulin levels, raises your fat storage hormone and increases your chance of gaining weight. So aim to reduce your carbs and you’ll instantly lower your risk of gaining weight.

Categories: body, carbs, exercise, fitness, foods, gaining weight, lean muscle, saturated fats, weight, Workout

Lean Living: How To Lead A Leaner Lifestyle

If your main goal is building a leaner body, you’ll no doubt be aware of how difficult it is achieve. This multi-faceted process takes more dedication than people realise, with nutrition, lifestyle and training factors to consider. Breaking this process down into manageable bits makes it more manageable though, and you’ll start to see results far more quickly. The first rule to remember is that drinking water is far more important than simply quenching a thirst. Water can boost your metabolism, cleanse your body of toxins and waste, and also acts as an appetite suppressant. Researchers have found that people who drink two glasses of water before each meal lost 30 per cent more body fat after 12 weeks. The second rule is to be aware of your carbs and fats mixing. Mixing carbohydrates with fats within the same meal can actually spike your insulin levels, which leads to an excess level of fat storage. Try not to consume carbs within three hours of eating fat as it takes longer to be digested and could still be stored as fat by your body. The best way to combine carbs with other food groups is to opt for protein combinations, such as lean chicken breast with whole wheat pasta.

You should be able to keep your diet in check all the time, but that’s sometimes easier said than done. Some changes to your meals could make a huge difference, so start eating clean. Eliminate sweets and sugary snacks, starchy carbs and alcohol. These are the main causes of weight gain and lead to those unsightly rolls around your midriff. Take them out of the equation and you’re already one step closer to a leaner physique, helping you to see better results from those efforts you’re putting in at the gym. With regards to carbs, simply cutting them out won’t work in the long term. You may see results quickly, but your body will begin to store any carbs it gets. If you want to stay lean all year around, you need to keep your ratio of fats, carbs and proteins constant, regardless if you have a cheat day or not. Another great tip is to up your intake of amino acids, particularly before, during and after workouts, as well as adding some thermogenics to your supplement regimen. You want to preserve lean muscle mass while helping the body to strip fat – when your calorie intake is down, anabolic agents such as BCAA and leucine are a must. The thermogenics will help to provide a burst of energy and also burn a little extra fat when you’re working hard in the gym.

 

When cheat day rolls around, don’t take it as an open invitation to eat everything that’s off limits the rest of the week. Volume eating doesn’t make for a smart cheat meal; because you’ve been cutting back on fat and sugar that you’re body is craving, when you eat those foods the body can’t possibly digest and process them. Keep it simple and manageable on your cheat days – stick to a burger and fries, and don’t be tempted to undo all the hard work you’ve put in just for the sake of one day. And don’t forget to get your rest! You should be aiming to be in bed by 10pm every night, as all of your physical transformation takes place at night while you’re resting. Studies have shown that after four nights of sleep deprivation, the body’s ability to respond to insulin drops by an average of 16 per cent – this leads to fat storage and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Categories: body, carbs, cheat, cheat day, fitness, lean, manageable, Tips

Diet-Friendly Carbs That Won’t Spoil Your Weight Loss

We’ve all been on a diet, but the things to usually kick the bucket from our favourite meals are the carbs. These starchy additions may fill us up but they’re usually laden with calories that make them unsuitable for any healthy weight loss plan. Here are some alternatives that you may find helpful in keeping you feeling full and satisfied throughout the day.

Cereal as a filling breakfast every day

If you can, aim for an unsweetened whole grain variety of cereal with at least 3g of fibre per serving. However, researchers have found that just eating any cereal may be enough. A study carried out by University of California found that cereal eaters tend to eat more fibre and less fat than non-cereal eaters.

Two apples a day keep the doctor away

Apples are a great sources of pectin which is a soluble fibre to contribute to the feeling of fullness we all crave. They’re also digested slowly, keeping you feeling fuller for longer. A 1997 study found that just 5g of pectin was enough to leave people feeling full for up to four hours.

Assign one day a week for a yoghurt mix breakfast

Take 175g of yoghurt and mix in 75ml of bran cereal, one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds and five large, diced strawberries for a tasty yet fibre-filled breakfast. Alternatively, you can mix an equal amount of your favourite cereal with All Bran.

Use carrots and broccoli as a snack food

Instead of snacking on crisps and chocolate, three days a week you can switch it up by dipping baby carrots and brocolli florets into salsa or low fat yoghurt. Not only will it count towards your five a day but it will fill up your stomach and provide you with around 5g of fibre in the process.

Check the ingredients listed in products

If you’re buying whole grain products, you want to be sure that what you’re eating is exactly that. The first ingredient listed is ‘whole’ as in whole wheat or whole grain. If it’s multigrain, seven grain, cracked wheat or enriched wheat, among others, then it’s lacking the vital vitamins and minerals you need. Not to mention, of course, the fibre.

Keep a healthy container of snacks

Mix together unsalted peanuts, a high fibre cereal and some chocolate covered raisins. When you get a case of the munchies, you can snack on a handful of the mixture which is the perfect combination of sweet and savoury, as well as keeping you full throughout the day.

Switch to whole grain crackers

You wouldn’t think that a small cracker could make that much difference, but one regular whole grain cracker contains a massive 500mg of fibre. So, ten crackers could provide you with 5g of fibre. Next time you fancy a snack, spread a thin layer of peanut butter on a whole grain cracker instead of some bread for a healthier snack.

Add kidney beans to your lunch-time salad

Kidney beans, and other legumes, are a tasty way to fill up and add a bundle of nutrients to your salad. Not to mention that fact that they are full of fibre and a great alternative to bread or croutons. Alternatively, you could opt for an exotic grain once a week, such as wheatberries or bulgar wheat. Usually, they are as simple to prepare as rice but often loaded with flavour and fibre. Try adding some roasted vegetables and feta cheese to some bulgar wheat for a tasty lunch.

Categories: alternative foods, bulgar wheat, carbs, Cereal, cereal eaters, diet, fibre, grain, grain cracker, kidney beans, Weight Loss, Wheat

Rule Breakers: Dieting Findings That Will Blow Your Mind

By now, you’ve got this weight loss wellness thing down. Even if you don’t put the diet rules into practise, you know you should probably cut carbs, deny your naughty cravings and graze on healthy snacks all day, right? Wrong! Forget every weight loss trick you know, and prepare to have your mind blown by the new rules for dieting.

 

1. Don’t cut carbs: Reducing your carb intake is a staple diet technique, made popular by the Atkins craze. However, this is one classic weight loss rule you need to break, as this way of dieting simply isn’t sustainable, and you’re going to fall off the wagon and onto a massive pile of bread. In fact, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that eating carbs in moderation helped dieters to lose about five pounds more than carb-avoiders. For your new rule, lead author of the study Dr. Marion Vetter, medical director at the Centre for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine, recommends eating five servings of grains daily, especially whole ones like oatmeal and brown rice. ‘Carbs provide great energy and fibre,’ she explains. ‘Avoiding them isn’t realistic.’

 

2. Don’t avoid egg yolks: Egg yolks get a bad rap in the world of health and wellbeing, but this disdain is misguided. At the University of Surrey, researchers found no difference in terms of weight loss and cholesterol reduction between dieters who ate two eggs daily for 12 weeks and those who didn’t. Bruce Griffin, lead author of the study and professor of nutritional metabolism, asserts, ‘The cholesterol in eggs is small compared with grams of saturated fat in processed meats.’ Do you know what else is in egg yolks? Plenty of protein, calcium, and iron. This means you can enjoy them as part of a balanced diet, and avoid the real cholesterol culprits like processed foods.

 

3. Don’t graze throughout the day: In the 90s, studies showed that snacking helps to curb your appetite. However, according to a new Canadian study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, there was no weight loss difference between women who did and didn’t snack. Study author Eric Doucet, associate professor in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa, says you should eat as many meals as you want – as long as you tally your calories. It’s ‘energy in versus energy out,’ Doucet notes, so speak to your GP about the amount of calories you need to consume to lose weight. Generally, this should be about 1,200 a day for women.

 

4. Eat midnight snacks: Eating late at night is often cited as a big dieting “no-no” but a recent study in the International Journal of Obesity has concluded that it’s what you eat, rather than when, that affects your waistline. Your metabolism will happily chug along regardless of what time you eat. Basically, eating a healthy dinner at 10pm means you won’t inhale Doritos in front of Strictly Come Dancing. As long as you don’t exceed your calorie count, eat as late as you like. Susan Roberts, study author and professor of nutrition and of psychiatry at Tufts University, argues that eating at a certain time isn’t important, and there’s no rule about how long to wait between meals, but as getting too hungry leads to overeating you need to ‘pace calories in a way that works for you.’

 

5. Cave in to cravings: Researchers at St. George’s University of London assert that abstaining from treats causes you to overindulge in the long-run, while University of Toronto researchers found that depriving people of specific foods led to binges. Author of the second study Janet Polivy, psychology professor at the University of Toronto, advises, ‘Eat small portions of the things you like. Decide how much you’ll eat — say, two chocolate squares.’ Put the rest back in the cupboard, and dig in.

Categories: carbs, cravings, eating, egg yolks, late night eating, lead author, study, study author, study published, university, weight, Weight Loss

What are the Best Ways to Help Your Body Burn Fat?

If you want to lose weight and increase your fitness, it can be a long and frustrating process. Your wellness and wellbeing can be greatly boosted by you shedding a few pounds, so it is time to make it a priority. The good news is that there are a lot of simple things that you can do to help speed up your metabolism and start the weight falling off you as quickly as possible.

 

Start by adding a bit of fibre to your diet. If you are suffering from irregularity and constipation it can lead to increased weight gain, but the solution to this is very simple. Increase the amount of fibre in your diet and this will improve the health of your digestive tract and stomach. Lots of research also links good dietary fibre with a better metabolism.

 

You can find fibre in foods such as fruits, whole grains, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats.

 

You could also try cutting carbs out of your diet. Replace simple carbs with complex carbs and fibrous types of vegetable. The simple carbs can cause your insulin levels to spike, and this fat-storing hormone increases your appetite as well as causing you to hang on to calories. Complex carbs have the opposite effect as they keep your levels of insulin low and they also help to control your appetite as they take much longer to digest.

 

Taking your vitamins can also help to plan an important role in the mobilisaton of fat and to help you lose weight. Vitamin C is a great example of this, as it is needed to help in the fat-burning process. Some studies have also shown that vitamin D can increase the amount of fat your burn by around 50 percent.

Categories: burn, carbs, Complex Carbs, Fat, fibre, Lose weight, Metabolism, nbsp, simple, simple carbs, weight

Carb Confusion: How Do they Affect Your Waistline?

Carbs make up such a large part of the British diet that it’s no wonder our weight wellness is, well, less than ideal. We crave carbs at mealtimes, in snacks; in fact, 50% of your daily diet is crammed with carbs, so let’s take a look at how they affect your weight, and your well-being.

 

Your body breaks carbohydrates down into glucose, which your cells then convert into energy – this is why you often get athletes carbo-loading before a big event. There are simple carbs/simple sugars, which your body breaks down and absorbs into the bloodstream very quickly. These are found in table sugar, sugary snacks (cakes, biscuits, sweets), sweetened drinks, milk and fruit, and although they produce energy very speedily, this energy is used up swiftly and is gone. Then you have complex carbs, which are found in grains, such as wheat, oats and rice, as well as vegetables and pulses. When these carbs haven’t been refined or processed, they provide slow-burning energy over a sustained period of time.

 

So that’s carbs, but how are they related to wellness matters, such as insulin production? The hormone insulin regulates the amount of sugar/glucose in your blood, which, in turn, helps maintain a healthy metabolism. Even though most foods make your blood sugar levels rise, eating carbohydrates makes them absolutely soar! When you eat simple carbs or white bread or pasta, your body produces lots of insulin and floods your bloodstream with it. This gives you a major, but short-lived, energy boost which is followed by a huge energy slump unless you pump more carbs into your system.

 

Not only does the insulin affect up your sugar cravings – and so your weight gain – but it can also cause you to experience fatigue, low mood and irritability. However, it’s not just the sugar cravings that make you gain weight; insulin is known as the fattening hormone because it turns all those unnecessary carbs you eat into fat and deposits them in your fat stores. So, if you want to still keep carbs, but watch your weight (and your well-being), then stick to complex carbs. Using your plate as a guide, fill half of the plate with vegetable/pulse carbs, a quarter with starchy complex carbs (unrefined wheat/rice etc.), and fill the rest with protein.

Categories: carbs, Complex Carbs, energy, Insulin, simple carbs, Simple Sugars, sugar cravings, waistline

How carbohydrates can cause obesity

For those seeking a diet that can help them lose weight, carbohydrates should be struck from the list immediately. Although carbs are considered the prime source of energy for your body to function effectively, there are actually two types which can either help or hinder your weight loss which consist of good or complex carbs, and bad or simple carbohydrates – some professors actually advocate low carbohydrate diets in order to limit your risk of health problems such as diabetes.

Bad carbohydrates are found in refined food products such as white bread, potatoes, sweets, pasta, fast food and pastries. The carbohydrates in these foods turn to glucose almost immediately in the body, which causes a huge spike in your blood sugar levels. This causes your insulin levels to rise in order to cope with the sugar in your bloodstream. The usual result is that the pancreas tries but struggles to deal with copious amounts of glucose and this ends up being dumped into the fat cells, where it stays and causes weight gain and eventual obesity.

High carbohydrate diets were once promoted as being the ideal choice, but health experts have since changed their minds on this score – this way of eating is now linked with unhappiness and poor health. A low carbohydrate diet can help with feelings of sluggishness and poor health, as well as weight loss and improved vitality.

If you are looking to lose weight, as well as improve your general feeling of wellbeing, it is advised that you avoid simple carbohydrates, such as those found in biscuits or white rice, and replace them with healthier alternatives. Generally speaking, a high carbohydrate diet is packed with foods that don’t provide very much nutritional value and as such should be avoided for a healthier diet and more energy.

Categories: carbohydrates, carbs, obesity

Warning: low carbohydrate diets can be very unhealthy

Many current diets focus on cutting down on carbs in the diet, or even cutting them out of the diet altogether. Many people swear by this as a weight-loss technique, but actually, cutting down on the carbohydrates in your diet may not be good for your wellness.

Foods that contain no carbohydrates include meat, fish, eggs and poultry. These are very popular with groups of people who are trying to lose weight or to build muscle. Whilst these foods in themselves can be good for your wellbeing in moderation, simply existing on these no-carb foods is not a very good idea in the long term.

Vegetarians who are attempting to avoid carbs often go for green, leafy vegetables and non-starchy vegetables as these are the lowest in terms of carbohydrate content. They can also still consume fats and oils, as these have zero percent content of carbohydrate.

Recent research has shown that eliminating carbohydrates from your diet altogether is not a healthy way to go about losing weight. For one thing, weight loss is best achieved with a sustainable form of lifestyle change that you will be able to maintain over a period of years, rather than weeks or months. Cutting out one major food group is not sustainable in the long term. Secondly, it’s not really about how much carbohydrate you eat, for your health and weight loss, but the type of carbohydrate that you eat. Whilst some carbs can be particularly harmful, others are crucial for wellbeing.

Cereals, for example, contain high levels of carbohydrate, but they also contain whole grains which are vital for ongoing health and wellness. It is very important that dieters consider that they need to be healthy as well as slim, and in order to stay healthy, courser cereals, such as the less refined form, should most certainly play a part in that diet.

Warning: low carbohydrate diets can be very unhealthy

Categories: carbohydrates, carbs, diet

Carb Confusion: Is the Atkins Diet Damaging to Wellness?

The Atkins diet means cutting out carbs – but you didn’t need me to tell you that. Dr Robert Atkins’ diet plan is still the source of unending wellness controversy even 10 years after his death, as many still hold true the adage: carbs are the root of all rotundity, fighting the war against wellbeing. So does this mean that the Atkins diet truly works, or have we been holding onto a diet fad that needs to fade?

The NHS advice for healthy eating in the UK is that starchy foods, such as potatoes, cereals, pasta, rice and bread, should make up roughly one third of the food you eat. Paul Goldsmith, a 39-year-old teacher who has tried Atkins, said, ‘I try diets because I like to be told rules. Atkins was good because it allowed me to eat lots of nice foods. But it didn’t work in the long term. I’d end up ‘committing carbicide’ and eat lots of bagels or bread. For a man to say that bread goes straight to my hips, it’s probably an odd thing to say, but it’s true…I know I need to find something that I can do for the rest of my life.’

Nutritionist and dietician Nicole Berberian noted, ‘People tend to have a rapid response when it comes to weight loss, but Atkins is also known to have one of the greatest rebounds, so people pile the pounds on when they come off it.’ Many wellness experts argue that this dramatic change isn’t sustainable in the long-term, and so you carbo-load as soon as you get off Atkins, and all that hard work has been for nothing.

Sian Porter, a consultant dietician for the British Dietetic Association, commented, ‘Like all diets, when it comes to Atkins, there is some truth in the rumour – there is some underlying scientific evidence – but proof cutting out carbs is the best way to lose weight just isn’t there. She added that there’s no diet that is the be all and end all of weight loss, noting, ‘Diets are fads, but it’s about making permanent changes. Plus what you eat is only half the equation, the other half is physical activity.’

According to Paul Gately, professor of exercise and obesity at Leeds Metropolitan University, the Atkins diet and other low-carb diets have also led to misunderstandings among the general public. ‘One has to differentiate between simple and complex carbohydrates,’ he said. ‘Also, people tend to use carbs when they mean white rice, pasta and bread, but fruit and vegetables are healthy, and they are absolutely carbs, so sometimes the terminology isn’t appropriate in context.’

Carb Confusion: Is the Atkins Diet Damaging to Wellness?

Categories: Atkins, carbs, Fad Diets