Eating Stress-Free Burns more Calories

Having trouble losing weight and can’t figure out why? You might be engaging in stressed-out eating.

What is stressed-out eating?

If you eat on-the-go while you’re in a hurry or running between meetings or classes, then you’re setting yourself up for extra poundage. The slower you eat, the faster you metabolize the foods you ingest.

It’s time to slow things down, relax and enjoy your food.

Monitoring your eating speed can also help you identify your relationship to food and emotional eating. This is where diet journaling comes in handy. By keeping a journal of your eating habits, you can help re-establish a healthy relationship with food.

You’ve seen those people who just wolf down their food without even tasting it or perhaps, even chewing it. Well, not only do you put an incredible drain on your digestive system and lose some of the nutrients from your food, but you set yourself up for weight gain.

In the 1800s in England, there was a man who developed a dieting system that required its participants to chew each mouthful of food for 40 times before swallowing. Now, this is the extreme, but by chewing your food slowly and thoroughly, you start the digestive process and relax the stomach to receive the food. This helps in the breakdown of the food and ensures you’re getting all the nutrients you can from your meals.

It’s important to be relaxed when you’re eating, because when you’re stressed out, you stimulate the hormone cortisol which is responsible for unsightly and unhealthy midriff weight gain. To your body, stress is stress and when it senses something is wrong, it will secrete cortisol hormone, which slows down your metabolism and tends to store what you’re eating as fat. It senses danger and that means famine. Digestion can even come to a complete stop, resulting in bloating, discomfort and constipation.

Here are some pointers from the book Slow Down Diet from Marc David:

• Worrying about fat increases fat. Anxiety about weight loss causes your body to put fat on and retain it.
• Slow down, relax your mind! This will burn food more efficiently if you breathe in more oxygen. So relax and take deep breaths while eating.

Here are some additional tips to help you get in the mood for food:

• Take a look at the French, who have turned dining into an art form and whose lunches usually last for hours and hours.
• Try reading a book or sharing your meals with family and friends with some relaxed conversation.
• Create a comfortable atmosphere by lighting candles, laying the table and maybe even placing a vase of flowers on the table to instil calm.
• You don’t have to dine out at a fancy restaurant to create the ideal mood for dining, just a few simple things like lighting and music can make all the difference.
• Avoid eating in front of the TV or computer. If you’re watching an intense show, that stress will transfer to your body and it will sense that stress and your metabolism will slow down.
• Breathe and savor each morsel.
• Supplement your diet with a fat burner like RapidCuts Femme that contains mood levelers to take the stress out of dieting.

By employing a few of these tips, you will re-establish a healthy relationship towards food and develop healthy habits towards eating.

Beach Body Boot Camp

It’s never too late to get into shape. With this weekly workout regimen, you can fast track your fitness goals and get that body beach-ready in no time.

To get the full benefit out of this weekly routine, make sure you’re eating a healthy diet full of fresh, wholesome, low-fat, low-carb foods and that you supplement your diet with a whey protein to help with recovery and muscle repair.

Sunday

AM – Power Yoga (Bikram) 90 min class

PM – Lower Body Training

• Heavy Plié Squats
• Squats with Arnold Press
• Seated Calf Press
• V-Ups
• Hanging Straight Leg Lifts
• Mountain Climbers
• Single Leg Dumbbell Dead lifts

All exercises should be performed for 3 sets, 12-15 reps, with 60% max of load.

Monday – Upper Body (Front)

• Swiss Ball Alternating Chest Press
• Seated Machine Chest Press
• Alternating Reverse Lunges with Military Press
• Lying Reverse Crunches
• Cable Curls with Rope
• Standing Cable Crunches with Rope
• Push-Ups to failure

All exercises are to be performed in order for 3 sets, 12-15 reps at 65% of 1 rep max (1RM), followed by 30 minutes of Elliptical trainer for active recovery.

Tuesday

AM – 1-hour Spin Class

PM – 15 minutes of Yoga poses focused on deep tissue stretching

Wednesday – Upper Body (Back)

• Seated Machine Cable Rows with T-Bar
• Cable Rope Triceps Extensions
• Wide Stance Stiff Leg Dead Lifts with Dumbbells
• Cable Rope Dead Lift (pronated grip) with Row
• Flat Bench Triceps Push-Ups with Feet On Medicine Ball
• Seated Rear Delt Bent Over Fly

All exercises should be performed for 2 sets to failure at 70% of 1RM, followed by 20 minutes of power walking (4.2 and above on speed setting) on treadmill with 6 incline for active recovery.

Thursday

AM – 1-hour Cardio Kickboxing

PM – Lower Body Training

• Medicine Ball Planks with Straight Leg Lifts
• Lying Medicine Ball Sit-Ups to Lateral Raise
• Kneeling Donkey Kicks to Heavy Plié Squats
• Single Leg Calf Press
• Plié Jump Squats
• Single Leg Dumbbell Heel Raises
• Walking Lunges with Dumbbells

All exercise should be performed with light weights for 3 sets and 20 reps, followed by 20 minutes of Stairmaster for active recovery.

Friday

AM – 1-hour Treadmill for Steady State Jog

PM – 15 minutes of Yoga poses focused on deep tissue stretching

Saturday

REST and ONE cheat food.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

Managing Your Diabetes the Healthy Way

Diet is of the utmost importance for diabetics when it comes to managing their insulin levels; however, studies show that regular exercise is just as important in controlling blood glucose levels.

Twenty-three studies in total were put together involving 8,538 type 2 diabetic subjects and the effects of regular exercise over 12 weeks.

“Exercise is a cornerstone of diabetes management, along with dietary and pharmacological interventions. Current guidelines recommend that patients with type 2 diabetes should perform at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and should perform resistance exercise 3 times per week. Regular exercise improves glucose control in diabetes, but the association of different exercise training interventions on glucose control is unclear.” JAMA

The results from these tests showed that subjects were engaged in structured exercise showed a decline in HbA1c levels – a marker of glucose control:

• Structured exercise = a decline of .67% in HbA1c
• Structured aerobic exercise = a decline of .73% HbA1c
• Structured resistance training = a decline of .57% HbA1c
• Structured aerobic exercise and resistance training = a decline of .51% HbA1c

“Structured exercise durations of more than 150 minutes per week were associated with HbA1c reductions of 0.89 percent, while structured exercise durations of 150 minutes or less per week were associated with HbA1c reductions of 0.36 percent. Overall, interventions of physical activity advice (24 studies) were associated with lower HbA1c levels (-0.43 percent) compared with control participants. Combined physical activity advice and dietary advice was associated with decreased HbA1c (-0.58 percent) as compared with control participants. Physical activity advice alone was not associated with HbA1c changes,” the authors write.

“This systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs demonstrates important findings regarding the prescription of structured exercise training. First, aerobic, resistance, and combined training are each associated with HbA1c decreases, and the magnitude of this reduction is similar across the 3 exercise modalities. … Second, our findings demonstrate that structured exercise of more than 150 minutes per week is associated with greater declines in HbA1c than structured exercise of 150 minutes or less per week in patients with type 2 diabetes. This finding is important because the current guideline-recommended exercise duration is at least 150 minutes per week. Although high-intensity exercise has been previously shown to have an association with HbA1c reduction, our findings did not demonstrate that more intensive exercise was associated with greater declines in HbA1c.”

Exercise in combination with diet is key to managing diabetes in an effective manner. Supplementing your diet with a high quality whey protein supplement like ISOFLEX with zero carbs and zero sugar can help provide your body with much-needed nutrients without any insulin rush. Protein helps build lean muscle tissue and the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn and the less fat you have. With lowered  BMIs comes an improvement in health and this is particularly important for diabetics.

Make sure you talk to your healthcare professional before engaging in any exercise to help you find a program that works with your particular physical abilities. For instance, if your eyesight has suffered from being diabetic, then something like running or team sports may not be ideal, but something like Nordic Walking that uses the aid of walking sticks could just be the perfect aerobic exercise for you. You must also get into the habit of checking your blood glucose before, during and after exercise. Make sure to record these readings, so you become familiar with how your body reacts to exercise. Research shows that it is important not to exercise when your insulin is at its highest. Exercising 1-3 hours after a meal is recommended.

Finally, invest in a good pair of supportive shoes and protect those valuable feet.

Source:

JAMA and Archives Journals. “Structured exercise training associated with improved glycemic control for patients with diabetes.” ScienceDaily, 4 May 2011. Web. 29 May 2011.

Chromotherapy Painting the Way to Good Health

Chromotherapy is a discipline that dates back to ancient Ayurvedic medicine and the alignment of the chakras or spiritual centers down the spinal column that are located at energy points in the body.

Each chakra is associated with a color and directly connects the systems of the body. Ayurvedic medicine believes that when there is an imbalance in your chakra, the best therapy is chromotherapy. By using the corresponding color for the imbalanced chakra, you can restore balance to your body:

• Red = gonads, kidneys, spine, sense of smell
• Orange = urinary tract, circulation, reproduction
• Yellow = stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas
• Green = heart, lungs, thymus
• Blue = throat, ears, mouth, hands
• Indigo = eye, pineal glands
• Violet = pituitary gland, the central nervous system and cerebral cortex

Even though skeptics call chromotherapy a pseudoscience, there are many studies that prove how color affects our mood and disposition. It is no coincidence that hospitals are painted blue on the inside. From the color of paint on the walls to the color of your drinking glasses, color has a profound affect on your daily lives:

• Red = stimulating, energizing, healing powers.
• Orange = stimulating, warms the emotions
• Pink = soothing, relaxing, inspiring
• Yellow = wakens the mind, positive, sunny
• Green = harmonizing, rejuvenating, calming
• Blue = peaceful, healing, cooling
• Violet = soothing, tranquilizing, spiritual, meditative

It is no surprise then that the color of the foods you eat also has a profound impact on your life and physiological well-being. If you are feeling a lack of energy, then eating red foods is what you need to pick yourself up. By using the chakras of the body, you can determine which areas are out of whack and eat that color food to help restore balance:

• Red = beets, black cherries, radishes, red pepper, strawberries, red apples, red plums
• Orange = yams, apricots, mangoes, peaches, cataloupes, carrots, squash, oranges
• Pink = pomegranates, raspberries, water melon
• Yellow = corn, bananas, lemons, pineapples
• Green = lettuce, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, kale, green beans, peas
• Blue = blueberries, blackberries, grapes, bilberries, blue plums

So, the next time you eat a meal, take a look at your plate – how colorful is it? Is it mostly grey and brown? Then it’s time to liven things up and start adding the rainbow to your diet.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

What’s all the Fuss about MUFAs?

Fat gets a bad rap most of the time, but the right kind of fat can mean all the difference to your diet and weight loss program, not to mention your health.

Even the name Monounsaturated Fat sounds like it’s just dripping in fat, but the name comes from its physical makeup. Monounsaturated fats are made up of chains of compounds of carbon and hydrogen particles that fuse together in such a way that at one end there are no hydrogen atoms. So there is one (mono) unsaturated end where only carbon atoms reside.

The thing about monounsaturated fat is that it’s good for you and can be found in items like olive oil, avocados, nuts, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. Why is it good for you? Because it is exactly the kind of fat the body needs to produce hormones and perform other vital functions of the brain, heart and body that keep your health at its premium. Monounsaturated fats also help in lowering cholesterol levels in the bloodstream and ensure optimum heart health.

Monounsaturated fats or MUFAs help to digest fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. These vitamins are responsible for a number of biological functions like the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, coagulation of the blood, maintenance of eyesight and the reduction of oxidative stress. Monounsaturated fats can help fight cancer and reduce inflammation that can lead to all kinds of diseases, including obesity.

Two other fat-fighting benefits of MUFAs are the regulation of blood glucose levels and acceleration of fat burning. Two studies conducted in 2007, one right after the other, proved that MUFAs accelerate fat burning. The first study was published in the journal Diabetic Care and found that despite most claims stating the opposite, MUFAs were capable of spot reduction as they target the fat cells found in the mid-section, particularly the abdominal area.

A later study that year, found that participants showed signs of burning fat after consuming a meal rich in MUFAs. Not only that, but this fat burning continued long after the meal was consumed. Participants of the study lost most of the weight from their stomachs on diets that consisted of 40% MUFAs.

Another significant finding from a study in 2004 published in the Journal of Nutrition shows that consuming MUFAs helps to maintain lean muscle mass. Two things happen with the increase of lean muscle tissue – one, your body burns more fat, even at rest; and two, you lose abdominal fat and that reduces your risk of developing many life-threatening diseases.

MUFAs are so good at burning fat that one study out of England that was published in the British Journal of Nutrition shows how doing nothing else but increasing the amount of MUFAs to your current diet will cause you to burn fat and lose weight.

One word of caution though, despite this innate power that MUFAs have, fats need to be consumed in moderation and the recommended daily amount of fat is 30% of total calories for optimum health.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

Fibre for Weight Loss

When we think of fiber, most people will imagine bran – that dry, tasteless, unpleasant substance.

But fiber comes in many forms like whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Each of these food sources have a part of them that humans cannot digest and therefore, this component, whether it be cellulose in that of the skins of vegetables and fruits, or the hard exterior shell of seeds and grains, indigestible fiber moves slowly through the system and is hard to digest. Because of this fact, fiber helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer. It’s also very low in calories.

Fiber also helps to keep the system clean and regular and this too can help with weight loss and ridding toxins from the body.

The recommended daily amount of fiber for Americans is 25-35 grams; however, the average American consumes only eight to 11 grams a day – less than half the daily recommendation.

The reason for this is that the average American diet consists of too many processed foods and refined grains high in sugar and low in fiber. Diets of this nature often lead to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes – two diseases that are increasing at an alarming rate in the States.

One of the first things diabetics learn when assessing how much sugar is in a food is that this number can be significantly lowered by the amount of fiber consumed at the same time. Fiber slows down the digestion and helps keep blood sugars stable, so you don’t spike and crash. This is often the cycle with high sugar, low fiber diets – the spike and crash. It’s a vicious cycle and is the reason why so many people fall off their diets. After eating a regular high carb, low fiber meal your blood sugar spikes and stimulates insulin production. When this spikes, there are certain symptoms that follow like hunger, the jitters, headaches and fatigue. The only cure for this is more carbs and more refined sugars and so the cycle begins and the weight starts creeping back on again.

So, include more fiber in your diet.

There are two kinds of fiber – insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber is the one everybody associates with bran. It needs water in order to travel through the system and along the way, picks up carcinogens and toxins, ensuring they don’t stay in your system for too long. Examples of insoluble fiber include:

• Wheat bran
• Whole grains
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Beans
• Grains
• Nuts

Soluble fiber comes from pectin and gummy substances, which stick to cholesterol and bile acids in the small intestine and removes them from the body. Examples of this type of fiber can be found in:

• Oats
• Oat bran
• Barley
• Dried Beans
• Soybeans
• Apples
• Nuts
• Flax seeds
• Fruits
• Vegetables

Include more fiber in your diet and reduce your cholesterol, lower you blood sugar and lose weight. It’s that simple!

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

Using Portion Control to Lose Weight

Portion control is something that most of us do not execute properly and really when you think about it, portion control is the secret to losing weight.

Knowing how many carbohydrates or how much protein you should eat and at what time will help keep you on your diet and moving towards your goal that much quicker. First you need to plan and that starts with some kind of list or journal. Start with a list of all the food you like to eat. Then rule out all those low fiber, high sugar, high carb, processed foods and replace them with low carb, healthy options. For example, I love green peas and corn. I could eat them every day, and you’d think because they’re vegetables, that would be okay, but they’re both loaded with carbohydrates. While I think I’m getting two portions of veggies, I’m really getting two portions of starch that I don’t need.

When you’re choosing fruits and vegetables, try to stick with seasonal vegetables – this will be easier on your wallet and ensure that you’re getting the freshest ingredients. Once you’ve decided what foods will appear on your new, healthy and slimmed down menu, plan out a week’s diet using portion control.

Here’s what you need to know about portions:

How to Gauge Your Portions

• One Serving of Carbs = 1 slice of whole wheat or whole grain bread, 1/3 cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup cooked whole wheat pasta, 1 cup of bran or whole grain cereal
• One Serving of Protein = 2-3 oz of meat, 1 egg, ½ cup dry beans, 1/3 cup nuts
• One Serving of Dairy = 1 cup yogurt, 2 dice-sized pieces of cheese

If you’re on a low-calorie diet to lose weight, here is a breakdown of each meal:

Portion Servings per Day

• Breakfast = 200 to 300 calories = ½ protein, 1 carb, 1 fruit (1 piece or 1 x ½ cup)
• Snack = 150 to 200 calories = 1 fruit or 1 dairy and unlimited low-starch veggies
• Lunch = 300 to 400 calories = ½ protein, unlimited low-starch veggies, 1 fat (1 tbsp salad dressing from monounsaturated fats like olive oil)
• Snack = 150 to 2000 calories = 1 fruit or 1 dairy or 1 serving or nuts (subtract the fat from dinner) and unlimited low-starch veggies
• Dinner = 400 to 500 calories = 1 protein, unlimited low-starch veggies, one carb and two healthy fats

Once you’ve got your portions down, you can start filling in your menu plan for the week. For instance, for breakfast, you will want ½ protein (1 tbsp peanut butter), 1 carb (1 piece of whole wheat toast) and 1 fruit (½ cup blueberries). When you start filling in the blanks with the correct portions and types of food you can eat, you will find that there are lots of fresh, healthy foods that you enjoy and learning to lead a healthier lifestyle will get easier and easier.

The above is just a guideline and is very restrictive in calories. The best way to gauge how many calories you should consume in a day is to take your ideal weight and multiply it by 10. For example, Ideal Weight = 140 x 10 = 1400 calories a day.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

Increase Fiber and Live Longer

If you’re going to make any changes to your diet at all, increasing your fiber is the smartest move you can make.

There are two forms of fiber – soluble and non-soluble. Soluble fiber comes in the form of fruits and vegetables and is called soluble because of its high water content. It is more easy to digest and travels through the system with ease. Non-soluble fiber like bran and psyllium actually requires a lot of water to help it move through the system. A lot of people make the mistake of eating more bran but not enough water and suffer the consequences – it can lead to cramps and digestive upsets.

A new study out of Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine that was presented at the American Heart Association’s Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Scientific Sessions this year shows that a high-fiber diet can lead to healthier hearts and an improved quality of life.

“It’s long been known that high-fiber diets can help people lose weight, lower cholesterol and improve hypertension,” said Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., corresponding author of the study and chair of the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “The results of this study make a lot of sense because weight, cholesterol and hypertension are major determinants of your long-term risk for cardiovascular disease.”

According to the American Heart Association, a minimum of 25 grams of fiber a day is required to make any significant changes in health. The source of this fiber should come from natural sources and not processed foods or supplements designed to increase fiber intake.

“A processed food may be high in fiber, but it also tends to be pretty high in sodium and likely higher in calories than an apple, for example, which provides the same amount of fiber,” Lloyd-Jones said.

The study examined data from 11,000 adults who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A mathematical formula to determine an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease was used with these analytical factors from the survey:

• Diet
• Blood pressure
• Total Cholesterol
• Smoking status
• History of diabetes

The results of these calculations showed favorably for adults aged 29 to 59, with older adults aged 60 to 79 years showing little effect. It was concluded that fiber needs a certain amount of time to take effect and that is why the results show favorably among a younger age group.

“The results are pretty amazing. Younger (20 to 39 years) and middle-aged (40 to 59 years) adults with the highest fiber intake, compared to those with the lowest fiber intake, showed a statistically significant lower lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease. The study suggests that starting a high-fiber diet now may help improve your long-term risk.”

Source:

Northwestern University. “Load up on fiber now, avoid heart disease later.” ScienceDaily 23 March 2011. 24 March 2011 <http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2011/03/110322172225.htm>.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

If You Want to Lose Weight, Step away from the Computer

It’s funny how many rules imposed by our parents were solid, sound advice. I was never allowed to eat in front of the TV and I thought it was just because it was considered bad manners.

It didn’t stick with me, though. I eat lunch in front of my computer and dinner in front of the TV. But now research has found that eating in front of the computer or TV is so distracting that it affects our memory and we can’t remember what we’ve eaten, so we just keep eating. It’s like our memory is somehow involved in the whole appetite-control process.

After conducting a study on 44 men and women, researchers from the University of Bristol, UK, believe that our appetite is greatly affected by our memory of what we’ve eaten from meal to meal. While previous studies indicate that eating in front of the TV increases the appetite, what this study shows is that this effect lasts much longer, even up till the next mealtime when the memory tries to recall what you ate earlier.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, looked at the eating behaviours of 44 subjects who were split into two groups – one that played a computer game while eating and the other that had no distractions. About half an hour after this meal, the groups were then tempted with as many cookies as they could eat. The distracted group ate the equivalent of 250 calories in cookies, while the non-distracted group consumed about half that amount. Pretty disturbing results if you consider that the average American child spends 25% of his mealtimes in front of the TV.

The subjects were then given a memory test to see how much of the meal they could remember that they ate half an hour earlier. They struggled to remember what they ate and in what order. Not surprisingly, this group also reported feeling more hungry after eating.

Of course, distraction comes in many forms and is not always digital in nature. These researchers believe that reading or even conversation is enough of a distraction to disrupt appetite memory and control. If you’re eating with a group of friends, you will probably consume more calories than if you dine alone with no distractions.

In a world that is wrought with distraction, this is good advice. Food should be relished and savoured. When we work through lunch, eating at our desk in front of the computer, not only are we programming ourselves to consume more calories than we need, but we’re adding to our stress levels. And we all know how much stress factors into the battle of the bulge.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM

A High Protein, Low Glycemic Diet is the Key to Healthy Weight

If you’re serious about losing weight and are making the change to a healthier lifestyle, you will want to familiarize yourself with the Glycemic Index.

If you’re diabetic, then you’re probably familiar with the Glycemic Index and strictly adhere to it to ensure optimal health; however, this index is not always easy to understand. In fact, it can be downright confusing, especially when you consider that a carrot ranks at 72, while chocolate is only 49.

According to the Glycemic Index, in order to maintain a healthy weight, you must stay within the low range of anything under 55. High glycemic foods are anything that measures in at 70 or more and the medium range is between 55 and 70.

The Glycemic Index was created by St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Using white bread as the barometer to measure the glycemic effects of other food, it was given a value of 100. Any kind of food that converted glucose slower than white bread or 100 was indexed as a low glycemic food. These are slow-absorbing foods like wholegrains, wholewheat breads and proteins. Any food affecting blood sugar levels quicker than white bread or 100 were indexed as high glycemic foods. These include white rice, processed cereals and fruits.

Low glycemic foods take longer for the body to break down and don’t cause your blood sugar levels to spike like high glycemic foods that enter the blood stream at a much faster rate.

In a 26-week study out of the University of Copenhagen, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, 1209 overweight subjects from eight European countries of an average age of 41 years old were randomly divided into one of four groups:

• Group 1 – Low Protein/Low Glycemic Diet
• Group 2 – Low Protein/High Glycemic Diet
• Group 3 – High Protein/Low Glycemic Diet
• Group 4 – High Protein/High Glycemic Diet

While the results of this study were compromised as many of the participants dropped out before the end of the 26 weeks, the results prove that a diet high in protein and low in glycemic value were the most successful in keeping the weight off.

“The weight regain was 0.93 kg less (95% CI, 0.31 to 1.55) in the groups assigned to a high-protein diet than in those assigned to a low-protein diet (P=0.003) and 0.95 kg less (95% CI, 0.33 to 1.57) in the groups assigned to a low-glycemic-index diet than in those assigned to a high-glycemic-index diet (P=0.003).”

Not only was weight management more successful in the High Protein/Low Glycemic Diet group, but more of these participants stuck with the diet than the low protein groups. This suggests that when you’re eating foods that digest slower, you feel fuller for longer and are less likely to cheat or cave-into cravings.

“Fewer participants in the high-protein and the low-glycemic-index groups than in the low-protein–high-glycemic-index group dropped out of the study (26.4% and 25.6%, respectively, vs. 37.4%; P=0.02 and P=0.01 for the respective comparisons).”

While the glycemic index is a difficult table to follow, if you follow these rules, you should find it easier to eat within the correct range and keep your weight down and your blood sugar levels within a healthy range:

• Choose only lean proteins and low-fat dairy products
• Choose only whole grains
• Try to get your carbohydrates from vegetables, fruits, legumes and nuts rather than starches
• Regularly choose fruits from the lower range
• Occasionally choose higher-ranking fruits like melon, bananas and grapes when the time is right (post-workout) or as a treat/reward
• Avoid over-cooking starchy foods like potatoes and pasta as this will increase their glycemic value
• Higher glycemic foods like carrots if eaten raw will digest slower
• Avoid trans fats and saturated fats
• Opt for healthy fats and oils like olive oil
• Avoid foods high in sugar
• Exercise healthy cooking options and avoid deep frying

So, it’s clear that a high protein, low glycemic diet is the key to losing weight and keeping it off. We can all agree on that. So, try not to let the glycemic index confuse you. The main thing about eating healthy is to be smart about your choices. We all know that white bread is a no-no. You don’t need an index for that. The healthier and fresher your foods, the healthier and fitter you will be.

Originally published @ FITLODE.COM