Are carbohydrates making you fat ?
Date: 20 August 2009
Tags: diet, fat storing, crash diet, calories, malnutrition, lose weight, eating habits, emotional eating, Podcasts, processed food, fast food, energy
Tags: diet, fat storing, crash diet, calories, malnutrition, lose weight, eating habits, emotional eating, Podcasts, processed food, fast food, energy
Hi everyone
Welcome to the second in a series of three pod-casts with Health and Fitness Professional, Ben Pratt. In the first pod-cast we discussed "What is an Exceptional" and I highly recommend that you listen to that one before you listen to this on.
In the pod-cast below we discuss why eating certain types of carbohydrates can seriously effect our ability to lose weight and effect out health and well being.
To find out more about Ben and his products and service then have a look at his web site
Please make a comment if you find this pod-cast useful
This is really useful podcast!
I think I already understand a lot about what you have talked about.
I found it illuminating to understand how the insulin pushes the sugars into the fat cells. I know when my diet is better because I do not experience those low blood sugar cravings, if I let things slip then the craving come back and spikes after sweet snacking occurs.
The information regarding fizzy sweet drinks, well, I got my son who is the worst culprit to listen to some of this podcast with me so he understands what occurs when he eats and drinks processed sweet foods, what is happening in his body - very useful for him to hear professionals talking about instead of mum!!!
Organic food is more money - sometimes so much so you don't make that choice. I do try to buy local organic if I can and if not local at least UK organic. I have begun in the last few months to avoid food that has been travelling around the world to get here too.
I have been loving having uk and local berries this summer, what will I do when the season has totally finished?
A question - what is the nutrtional value of frozen berries of the sort you buy in supermarkets?
We already use manuka honey and pure maple syrup as sweeteners, though not as much as we should. I think after this I will positively encourage us all to use them and no more sugar if possible.
Now fruit juices - I thought we were doing ok using these in sensible quantities; I like V8 myself and my children drink apple and orange juices sometimes organic and sometimes pressed apple. I will have to look at the relative costs and see about getting orangic juices, I am already encouraging them to eat fruit.
A very important point here is a lot of mums are not only thinking about how they can loss weight and eat more healthily themselves, but they are thinking about their kids eating habits too. You do not eat in isolation!
All in all I am glad I have spent this half hour listening.
Thanks Pete and Ben!
Earthmother
You give out such great information to us all. It's amazing.
This really is an essential issue to understand for those who are carrying too much weight, yet it continuely gets overlooked as people are pushed towards fruit, vegetables and especially starchy carbohydrates by the national guidance system. Perhaps we need to step back and realise that since national food guidance was introduced in 1984 obesity levels have more than tripled! Don't for a second think that the public are ingnoring this either, these public policies have had a significant effect on our food habits and products that must meet national guidelines. Those who are slim do not have the same hormonal imbalances as the overweight and can eat more carbohydrates without the same outcome. A high carbohydrate diet is the wrong approach for people already carrying excess bodyfat due to increased insulin resistance.
Glad you found it a useful podcast - but the proof will be in the results achieveed by applying this understanding.
I've resolved to cut down on sugar even further ( no sneaking into the haribo bag) and also to cut down on refined complex carbs.
We'll have to see how it goes!
Love Kat
Thanks for your comments, glad you found the podcast useful. I do appreciate that many people have indeed lost weight on a calorie restricted diet that is high in starchy carbohydrates. When food is restricted then weight will be lost, this has been shown in numerous studies. This is mainly due to longer time periods between eating that allow the body to move back into fat burning once insulin levels have dropped. However, most of these tend to be short term research studies. The greater majority of studies that have looked into calorie restriction over an 18month to 5 year period have found fast intial losses with accelerating regain in weight after this period. It is not a long term answer to success. The human body does not like to be starved, thats why we have so many complex controls (approximately 70 known to date) that regulate hunger, appetitie and cravings. Eat nutrient dense foods, then your body won't send you searching for food all the time.
Oats like many foods can be a healthy source of carbohydrate, but have in recent years been heavily promoted because the market value of oats since the mid 1980's has skyrocketed. Oats as a grain has the highest concentration in a compound called phytic acid which blocks our absorption of calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc. So when eaten as porridge, oatibix, muesli or in a cereal bar we are not only getting a large amount of carbohydrates we are also losing much of the valuable minerals contained in the oats as they pass directly through us.
Oats used for porridge should be soaked overnight in some lukewarm water with a spoonful or two of natural, organic yoghurt. This soaking process pre-digests the grains, minimises the phytic acid and makes them much quicker to cook in the morning as well. In terms of weight loss my advice would be to eat smaller amounts of porridge and add some healthy fats to it, like coconut, butter or high quality cream. You need to get some source of protein too. This may be done with adding some nuts or have a boiled egg just before or after the porridge.
Hope that gives you some ideas. Remember starchy carbs, like oats, when eaten on their own will generate a large insulin response which shifts you into a fat storing state.
I now know why I feel like I do most days...this is just awesome. At least now I know where I'm going wrong I can try to fix it! Now all I need to do is listen to the pod-cast again to help me work out a plan of action!
Thanks for the tip to listen Pete...I'm really glad I did!
Great podcast, understand we have to cut down on simple carbs and swap to brown varieties. Not sure what he meant by lean protein, is it ok to eat this or do we have to add healthy oils? Thanks
Lean protein means eating cuts of meat that don't have to much fat on them.
As far as oils are concerned just be careful not to heat liquid oils, like olive oil, to high temperatures because the more we the heat them the more we destroy the goodness from them.
You might enjoy this pod-cast called What's the Best Type of Fat to eat
http://www.weightlossguru.com/index.cfm/2009/5/24/...
Take care
Pete
Thank you Lori for your kind comments regarding this podcast. You are right many aspects of our modern diet cause our internal environment to shift towards a pro-inflammatory state. Excess refined starchy carbs, sugar, processed polyunsaturated vegetable oils, trans fats, fast foods and a lack of protective vitamins and minerals all take their toll. Excessive inflammation can lead to many health problems such as heart disease, asthma, eczema, hayfever, diabetes and several others, though sounds like you have a great awareness of this already. Real food, untampered, unprocessed the way Mother Nature intended is what will lead to real health as we are meant to have.
Thank you for your efforts in helping the public know vital principles about good nutrition too.
Thanks, Ben