Choosing Foods with the Right Carbohydrates To Eat

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Choosing Foods with the Right Carbohydrates To Eat

This article by Kim Lyons discusses what types of carbohydrates that you should be eating, from which foods and how they should be consumed. Here is also an in-depth discussion about how the Glycemic Index can be misleading.

As you hopefully know by now, carbhydrates are not your enemy. You just need to choose the right kinds to eat and at the right time of day. People are often surprised at how simple it is: choose natural carbs over processed carbs. That is, anything picked from the ground or the tree is natural, such as fruits and vegetables, yams, beans, brown rice, oats, etc… while anything processed should be limited or avoided such as white bread, pasta, chips, crackers, pretzels, etc.

Our really easy-to-follow Nutrition Planner on the Fast Track to Fat Loss website follows the same simple guidelines But, one of the first questions I always get from our new members goes something like this, "What about the Glycemic Index? How come Fast Track doesn't use it?" And here's an explanation why...

The Glycemic Index (GI) has received a lot of attention lately as the standard for determining good carbohydrates vs. bad carbohydratess. But it's actually quite misleading.

The GI ranks foods based on how much the blood sugar increases after it is consumed - the higher the number on the GI scale the greater the increase in blood sugar. When blood sugar goes up, insulin levels rise and because high levels of insulin are associated with increased fat storage and suppressed fat burning, it is said that eating high GI foods can make you fatter than eating low GI foods.

However, the mistake in adhering to the GI for your carbohydrate choices is that the index is based on those carbs being eaten by themselves and on an empty stomach, something you should never do if you want to lose fat. You always want to a) combine a protein source with your carbs and b) eat frequently throughout the day.

For example, a potato has a very high GI, but if you combine it with a chicken breast, the GI of the combo is much lower than the potato by itself. Rice cakes also have a high GI. But if you spread a little peanut butter on them, the fat slows the absorption of the carbs, thereby lowering the GI of the combination.

So, when you combine a protein source with your carbs at every meal, and you eat frequently throughout the day, like you should for fat loss, the GI becomes insignificant. Instead of using the Glycemic Index as the criteria for choosing your carbs, as so many people do, simply choose natural carbs over those that are processed.

Again, natural carbs are those picked from the ground or a tree: fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, yams, brown rice, potatoes, beans, lentils, yams, etc… Processed carbs are "man-made," and you want to especially limit those that are white and refined such as the pasta, white bread, bagels, crackers, white rice, pretzels, chips and refined sugars. However there are some "acceptable" processed carbs that are the exception to the rule such as 100% whole grain bread.)

To summarize, here are some key points for you to remember.

The GI is based on those carbs being eaten by themselves and on an empty stomach, something you should never do if you want to lose fat.

When you combine a protein source with your carbs at every meal and you eat frequently throughout the day, like you should for fat loss, the GI becomes insignificant.

Pretty simple, right? Just wait until you have access to the Fast Track Nutrition Planner, you will not believe how simple we've made everything for you. And you'll have your very own trainer available to review your meals, to offer suggestions for improvement, as well as to hold you accountable.

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