Counting calories is secondary to how you balance your daily diet. For the optimal metabolism the macro nutrients of proteins, fats and carbohydrates need to be balanced with every meal and snack.
The Myth Behind Carbohydrates
Along with exercise, a proper diet is essential for weight control and physical fitness. How you eat has a huge impact on your physique and how your body metabolizes food. The following guidelines will prove helpful to you.
1. Don't focus on calories alone.
Counting calories is secondary to how you balance your daily diet. For the optimal
metabolism the macro nutrients of proteins, fats and carbohydrates need to be
balanced with every meal and snack.
2. Believe it or not, the latest research suggests that excessive carbohydrate intake may be the reason obesity is on the rise despite the low fat/low cholesterol diet craze.
Carbohydrates (like pastas, breads, potatoes, corn, beans, starchy vegetables and fruits) are good sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals. But, for many individuals, too many carbohydrates can result in bloating, fatigue and weight gain due to the over production of the hormone called insulin, which is a fat storage hormone.
Carbohydrates break down into sugar or glucose in the body. This causes your blood sugar to rise above optimal levels. Your body then secretes insulin to reduce blood sugar levels which can result in the opposite effect, low blood sugar. If this process happens too quickly without enough protein or fat to slow down the insulin effect, then you will feel the need for more carbohydrates or sugar to raise the blood sugar back up again. That feeling is familiar to feeling hungry shortly after eating or desire to eat something sweet. This is why individuals who eat a high carbohydrate diet have the urge to eat throughout the day... they are continuously hungry due to the insulin/carbo effect.
Experience dictates that, moderation of carbohydrates is the key to maintaining weight and even blood sugar levels that will prevent food cravings and sugar binges. We suggest that your food intake should consist of no more than 40%-50% total calories in carbohydrates, primarily the complex kind. Avoid items made of white flour like pasta, bread, rice, and potatoes. Instead, substitute the carbohydrates that are more balancing for your blood sugar like oatmeal, beans, squash, peas, sweet potatoes and yams. And drop all starchy items in the evening meal.
3. Contrary to popular belief, fat is an important nutrient and not all fats are created equal.
Besides functioning as an important energy source of fuel for the body, the right fat is necessary for the health of your heart, nervous system, hormones and skin, hair and nails.
Fat is also important for the absorption of vitamins and minerals,
particularly calcium. Healthy fat sources also slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates
in the body and are necessary for satiety so that you will not be hungry every
two hours.
Choose fats from oils like canola, olive, sesame, flax and safflower that are
expeller pressed and refined. These can be used for salad dressing and in cooking
(canola and olive). Small amounts of nuts and seeds and even avocados are permitted.
Limit the saturated fat content from animal foods like red meat, butter, and
cream. Completely avoid the trans fats from margarine, vegetable shortening
and processed vegetable oils. Read labels carefully to avoid those MacDonald's
french fries, which are loaded with trans fats.
The American Heart Association recommends that the diet consist of 25%-30% calories from fat. Just make sure that the fat is from natural, unprocessed sources. THE TYPE OF FAT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ACTUAL AMOUNT. Be wise and keep the approach simple, avoid butter, margarine, and cream, cook with a cooking spray, canola or olive oil, avoid fried foods, and limit your red meat to 1-2x a week.
4. Due to misguided fat and cholesterol concerns, protein has been avoided by many weight and health conscious individuals.
It is absolutely necessary for muscle and tissue repair. People on low protein diets usually have very poor muscle tone and retain fluids very easily. Protein is also important because it tends to stoke the metabolic fires by raising metabolism up to 30%. This is crucial for older men and women who complain of sluggish metabolism and how easily they gain weight, whereas in their younger days they could eat the exact same diet without putting on pounds.
Your body cannot store protein and can only use a small amount at a time. The body also does need protein every five hours or so to repair tissue and build muscle. So, it is suggested that you eat protein at every meal. If you are sedentary, you should be eating at least a 1/2 gram of protein for every pound of body weight. If you are involved in heavy fitness training routine or are trying to increase your lean muscle tissue for more toned physique, gradually increase your protein to 1 gram for every pound of body weight.
Choose protein from high quality, wholesome source. We suggest eggs whites, lean meats, chicken, turkey, fish, tofu and dairy products, such as yogurt and cottage cheese. When possible try to select protein foods from companies that do not use hormones and specify "organic" on the label.
5. To summarize, we suggest that each meal should
consist of approximately 40%-50% carbohydrates, 40% protein and 20%-30% fat.