Archive for February, 2010

Do away with these sneaky sugars to fight diabetes—and obesity

Americans consume an average of 82 grams of added sugar a day. That's 20 teaspoons! What's worse, a good part of the excess sweet stuff isn't coming from desserts or soft drinks—it's coming from sources we'd least expect. Food manufactures have an arsenal of empty carbohydrates at their disposal, and they're not shy about using them to make everything we eat taste like candy.  And fight back against diabetes—and obesity—by eliminating them from your diet.

Cereal

Just because your favorite cereal doesn't have a cartoon character on the box doesn't mean it isn't still loaded with sugar. Not even heart-smart logos and bloated health claims can salvage the contents of boxes like Post Raisin Bran, General Mills Basic 4, or Multi-Bran Chex, all of which have more sugar than the same-size bowl of Froot Loops. Stick to cereals with high fiber to sugar ratios ensure a wholesome start to your morning.

Eat Post Shredded Wheat Original (1 cup) - 170 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g sugars, 6 g fiber

There's one ingredient in this box: whole wheat. Either eat it as is or add cinnamon and ground flaxseed--together they will give your blood sugar the smoothest ride possible.

Not Kellogg's Smart Start Original Antioxidants (1 cup) - 190 calories,0.5 g fat ,14 g sugars, 3 g fiber

The numbers don't lie; this box has more blood sugar-spiking impact than Apple Jacks and about the same as Frosted Flakes. That's because sugar in its various forms shows up no fewer than 10 times on the ingredient list.

Wheat Bread

American palates are used to the relatively bland flavor of white bread, which is why so many of us have trouble accepting wheat's more robust and earthy tones. But instead of allowing our taste buds to work through the new flavors on their own terms, manufacturers use sugar to mask wheat's true identity and make it more familiar to those unaccustomed to eating whole foods. The result? Aside from perpetually confused taste buds, these sticky loaves of "wheat bread" are spiking our blood glucose levels nearly as badly as the white loaves we're trying to leave behind.

Eat Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Bread Sprouted Grain (2 slices)-160 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g sugars, 6 g fiber

If you were to find a loaf of bread that had been fossilized for 1,000 years, it probably wouldn't be much different from this one from Food for Life. Looking to shave a few more calories? Try Nature's Own Sugar Free 100% Whole Grain Bread. It uses a small shot of sugar alcohol to give it a light sweetness while capping the energy load at 50 calories a slice.

Not Sara Lee Hearty & Delicious 100% Whole Wheat Bread - (2 slices), 240 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 10 g sugars, 6 g fiber

Ten grams of sugars isn't uncommon for full-size sandwich breads, but it is more sugar than a single Twix bar. In this loaf, Sara Lee reaches dismal heights with a combination of brown sugar, molasses, and raisin juice concentrate. That last one might sound healthy, but your body won't be able to tell it apart from pure table sugar.

Nutrition Bars

Few foods create more nutritional anxiety than the still relatively new concept of meal replacement bars. Should you be looking for high protein? High fiber? What's the ideal amount of calories? Unfortunately, sugar seems to be the one thing that all meal replacement bars have in common. And to get around it, they hide the sugar under highfalutin monikers like crystalline fructose, brown rice syrup, or--in Powerbar's case--C2 MAX Carbohydrate Blend. Your goal: Eat only those bars that earn the large majority of their calories from protein, fiber, and healthy fats. That will ensure your blood sugar stays at safe levels.

Eat Odwalla Sweet & Salty Almond (1 bar)- 220 calories, 11 g fat (1 g saturated), 8 g sugars, 6 g fiber, 7 g protein

This bar has every one of the big three essential elements: protein, fiber, and healthy fats. These are the nutrients responsible for filling your belly and keeping your internal sugars in the healthy range. Now you know why we call almonds a superfood.

Not Powerbar Energize Tangy Tropical Fruit Smoothie (1 bar)-  220 calories, 3.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 30 g sugars, <1 g fiber, 6 g protein

No fiber and more sugar than two scoops of Edy's Slow Churned Rocky Road Ice Cream? Yikes. Powerbar makes this bar for quick-burn energy, but it's not the kind of energy you need unless you just turned the third leg of an Ironman Triathlon.

"Healthy" Drinks

Few people truly realize the dramatic effect that sugary beverages have on blood sugar. Bottlers wrangle you in with overblown promises of increased energy, improved immune function, or instant and long-lasting stress release, but what they neglect to tell you is that the sugar in most of these drinks far outweighs any unproven health benefit that might result from sucking down a bottle. At best, you'll feel a placebo-like boost, but you can be certain that inside your body there's a frenetic rush to cope with the unnatural influx of glucose. The reason is simple: Sweetened drinks don't provide the safety net that real food does. There's no fat, fiber, or protein, which leaves nothing but a torrent of pure sugar sloshing through your body. Want a real health drink? Water and tea are your best bets.

Drink Honest Tea Just Green Tea (16 oz)- 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugars

Think that green tea is too simple to be a bona fide antioxidant powerhouse? Wrong. It does more good for your body than any smart or functional beverage on the market.

Not Snapple Protect Antioxidant Water Tropical Mango (20 oz)- 150 calories, 0 g fat, 30 g sugars

New rule for choosing a beverage: Read the ingredient list before you read the claims on the front of the bottle. If you did this with Snapple's Tropical Mango Antioxidant Water, you'd realize straight away that it is made from water and sugar. That makes those antioxidant and electrolyte claims on the front label absolutely meaningless.

Crackers

Yes, even crackers are now sweetened. It's not that there's an extremely large amount of sugar going in, but ironically the most sugar is being added to crackers that are made almost entirely from refined grains. The result is a one-two punch to your pancreas: First, manufacturers strip the cracker down to nothing but fast-digesting starches, and then they finish it off with a nice dose of corn sweeteners. In a healthy body, the resulting flood of glucose will be met by an equally massive tide of insulin, but as your body edges closer to diabetes, the insulin won't be able to keep up. Switch to an unsweetened cracker to flush this whole volatile scenario out of your body.

Eat Triscuit Thin Crisps Original (15 crackers)- 130 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 0 g sugars, 3 g fiber

A cracker as it should be: nothing but whole wheat held together with a little oil and seasoned with salt. The Thin Crisps are perfect for those who aren't fans of Triscuit's usual heavy design.

Not Wheat Thins Reduced Fat (16 crackers)- 130 calories, 4 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 3.5 g sugars, 1 g fiber

Wheat thins are held together with three different sweeteners and a sprinkling of cornstarch, which basically affects your blood glucose in exactly the same way as pure sugar.

Tomato Sauce

Have you ever been to an Italian restaurant and had the waiter come by with a cup of sugar and ask if you'd like some sprinkled over your spaghetti? No, of course you haven't. So why would you let the food scientists at Ragu or Prego add sugar to your marinara? The answer is you wouldn't, not if you knew they were doing it. Half a cup of spaghetti sauce ought to have around 5 grams of sugar--that's how much you'll find naturally in the tomatoes. Any more than that is cause for concern, especially considering how many Americans rely on bottled tomato sauce for easy weeknight meals.

Eat Classico Tomato & Basil (1/2 cup)- 50 calories, 1 g fat, 5 g sugars, 380 mg sodium

Classico makes some of the best sauces on the shelf, but that doesn't mean the company is without fault. Even they sometimes succumb to the low standard of high sugar levels. Not this jar though--the only sugars here are all natural.

Not Newman's Own Tomato & Basil Bombolina (1/2 cup)- 90 calories, 4.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 12 g sugars, 620 mg sodium

All considered, this jar has 72 grams of sugar--42 of which don't belong. The culprit is the 10 added teaspoons of sugar, which hold down a spot on the ingredient list between soybean oil and salt.

By reading labels, and looking at the simple sugars in your food choices, you can go a long way to losing weight quicker, feeling less hungry and reducing your risk for diabetes.  Now that's sweet!

We're in the 4th week of our LSS PROGRAM!  How's it going peeps? I've heard from several of you that you are feeling much stronger, have more energy and love the workouts....

But I've also heard that for some of you the weight isn't falling off as quickly as you want.

Is that because you've neglected your food journal? How many of you are keeping your VITABOT accurately and consistently?

One member who loves the program and the workouts recently wrote me, "If there's one thing I've learned from Bootcamp, there's no working off a bad diet."

If that's the case with you, you know it. If, on the other hand, you've been mindful of your choices, getting real with your food journal, listening to your coach and coming to classes, it might mean that you aren't losing weight as much as losing inches!

You could be taking off body fat, increasing your lean body mass and still never see the scale move.

The truth is, size does matter...

Muscle burns calories and keeps your metabolism active; or in other words fast. Fat slows down your metabolism and takes a lot longer to burn calories.

What makes this issue confusing is that the same amount of muscle weighs more than the same amount of fat. Since muscle is more dense than fat, a pound of muscle  takes up less space - meaning it is smaller in size - than a pound of fat.

Let's say your fat measures 6 inches by 6 inches, and your muscle measures the same. The muscle will weigh more. But a pound is a pound no matter what the material.

We all know the question: Which weighs more a pound of bricks or a pound of feathers? Obviously they weigh the same, but the feathers take up more room since they are not as dense as the bricks.

If you're taking up less space and you weigh the same, it's not a bad thing! That means you have more muscle, less fat and your metabolism is running at mach speed. But the proof is in the pudding. Try on those too tight jeans. If they fit, who cares what the scale says!

BECAUSE IT'S SIZE THAT MATTERS.....and jeans STILL don't lie!

6. Chipotle 800+ locations nationwide
Buffet-style Chipotle gives every customer complete control over her burrito, taco, or salad and you get to build it with fresh, local ingredients. In fact, Chipotle won high marks for its commitment to organics, hormone- and antibiotic-free meats, and produce sourced from local suppliers, which is revolutionary in a chain this big.
Try it: Burrito Bowls, which let you skip the tortilla-and the extra carbs.
Danger zone: Make sure you go light on cheese and sour cream.

7. Atlanta Bread 106 locations in 24 states (Southeast, West, and North)
This innovative bakery features whole-grain bread, fresh sandwiches (including paninis), and hearty, healthy soups and salads. It earned high marks for great sides, too, including fire-roasted black bean and corn salad.
Try it: The entrée salads like Salsa Fresca Salmon Salad
Danger zone: Pasta entrees at some locations are offered with bread … that's a whole lot of carbs!

8. McDonald's 14,000 locations nationwide
Among the big burger-based chains, McDonald's is leading the way in overhauling its menu to offer more heart and waist-friendly fare. Take the Happy Meals, which you can order with a side of apple dippers (with low-fat caramel) instead of fries and low-fat milk or fruit juice instead of soda. And if you have to have fries, McDonald's are made in a healthy canola-blend oil and come in at just 230 calories for a small. The Grilled Chicken Classic sandwich and wraps are healthy choices, too (just skip the mayo or sauce). And our whole panel commends McDonald's for spelling out the nutritional information right on the back of its tray liners.
Try it: The chain's 260- to 270-calorie Snack Wraps (choose grilled chicken) for protein without a lot of unwanted carbs.
Danger zone: Although McDonald's made our list, this is still the land of super-sizing and giant sodas. It's up to you to request a small.

9. Einstein Bros. Bagels 649 locations nationwide
We all know that bagels are pretty high-carb, but slathering cream cheese or butter on them is what really gets you into trouble. Einstein Bros. offers healthier alternatives like reduced-fat shmears, hummus, and peanut butter-a great way to add healthy fat to breakfast (or lunch). It also serves a Good Grains bagel that has an impressive 4 grams of fiber and any salad can be ordered in a half-size.
Try it: The high-fiber Veg Out on a sesame seed bagel.
Danger zone: "Overstuffed" size sandwiches are a calorie nightmare.

10. Taco Del Mar 270 locations in 22 states
Whole grains are easy to get here, with whole-wheat tortillas available as an alternative in burritos. The chain gets high marks for its new 320-calorie chicken burrito, available at most locations. Our judges were also impressed that Taco Del Mar banned lard from its beans and bakes its fish and taco shells instead of frying them.
Try it: The 460- to 555-calorie Mondito-size burrito, which fills you up but keeps fat and sodium in check.
Danger zone: The breakfasts. In particular, steer clear of the Mondo Breakfast Burritos, which are more than 1,000 calories.

Do you have any healthy fast food faves you want to share? Please post here!

Water vs. Coke : What would YOU like to drink?

WATER

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
• (This likely applies to half the world population.) In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
• Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied (in a University of Washington study).
• Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue. Preliminary research indicates that 8 to 10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

COKE

• In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
• You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean.
• The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
• To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
• To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
• To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
• To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
• To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.
• Coke will also clean road haze from your windshield. FOR YOUR INFORMATION: The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.
• To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the "Hazardous Material" place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.
• The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would YOU like a glass of water or Coke?

More Proof Exercise Leads to Healthier Aging
Good for the mind and body, series of studies finds

Just in case the world needed more evidence on the matter, along come four new studies verifying that exercise is indeed good for you, even critical if you plan to survive to a vigorous, hardy and tough-boned old age.

All four studies appear in the Jan. 25 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"I like to see this laid out, but every bit of information [already] suggests that being active is the healthier way and being inactive is the abnormal, unhealthy way," said James O. Hill, professor of pediatrics and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado at Denver. "Exercise is better than any drug or anything else we have for aging. There's no downside. If this were a drug, it would be the safest, most effective drug in the universe."

The first study, based on data from the Nurses' Health Study in the United States, found that women who were more physically active during middle age were more likely to be "successful survivors" by the time they reach 70.

Even walking and other moderate-intensity exercises lowered the risk for chronic diseases, heart trouble and cognitive impairment, the study found. That's good news for women intimidated by activities such as tennis or running.

"In terms of magnitude, walking and other moderate activities were almost equivalent to the benefit gained from more vigorous physical activity," said study lead author Dr. Qi Sun, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, adding that this finding was somewhat surprising.

The second study, also focusing on women, found that those who participated in a higher intensity exercise program four days a week had stronger bones and less chance of falling than women who were in a "well-being" program that included relaxation, along with flexibility, endurance and balance.

The ramped-up exercise program did not, however, reduce the risk of heart disease, said the German researchers.

Another study out of Germany found more evidence that exercise -- either moderate or high-intensity -- reduced the risk of cognitive impairment in men and women over the age of 55 over a two-year follow-up period.

And, finally, researchers in British Columbia, Canada, reported that women who practiced resistance training either once or twice a week had improved cognitive skills, but only in the areas of attention and conflict resolution, compared to women who focused on balance and toning activities.

The resistance training, which included leg presses on a resistance machine, had the added benefit of strengthening the quadriceps.

Surprisingly, women performing resistance training also experienced reductions in brain volume, a phenomenon normally linked with poorer cognitive function. This paradox needs more study, the study authors said.

An accompanying commentary in the journal pointed out that pretty much all physical ailments in later life result at least partly from lack of physical activity.

Meanwhile, exercise has been shown to improve arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease, lung disease, cancer and many more woes.

"The bottom line," said Sun, "is that, no matter what, if you can you should do some physical activity."

Source:   Healthy Day

Frustrated by unexplained weight gain around the middle?

You’re not alone. As women approach peri-menopause or menopause, it can be increasingly difficult to control our weight, even if we exercise and eat no more than before.

Due to hormonal fluctuations and a slow-down in our metabolic rate, the weight management solutions that worked for us in the past may no longer be effective. Waning energy levels sap our desire to lace up our sneakers and our bodies start to store fat cells in order to produce hormones that our ovaries no longer produce at the same rate.

Add stress to the equation, and we release excess cortisol, an event that can impede weight loss and is implicated in the deposit of fat around the abdomen.

Meanwhile, our scales record an extra five pounds, fat shifts from our thighs and hips to the waist and abdomen, and well-meaning loved ones tell us to accept the inevitable middle-age spread.

But you don’t have to “just live with it”.

What can we do?

An ever-growing body of research and practice demonstrate that we may be able to restore hormonal balance and avoid weight gain around the middle through various means.

Eat well: We’ve heard this before but what does it mean? If it’s been awhile since you reviewed Canada’s Food Guide or the American Food Guide Pyramid, keep these principles in mind.

* Eat balanced meals comprised of lean protein (40%), complex carbohydrates (30-35%) and healthy fats (25-30%).

* Stock your kitchen with plenty of antioxidant- and phyto-nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. In addition to providing essential micronutrients, these foods are packed with fiber, which help to keep us feeling full, maintain regularity and remove toxins from our bodies.

* Eliminate or limit alcohol. While beneficial in raising levels of HDL (good cholesterol), alcohol provides unnecessary calories and may also interfere with sleep.

* Eat less, eat more often: Many women find weight loss easier to obtain if they eat three meals and two snacks each day. In addition, many find they need to consume 200 to 400 fewer calories per day just to maintain their weight, even fewer if they wish to encourage weight loss. (Skipping meals, however, is never advisable. Skipping meals misses with your metabolism and over time you may find it increasingly difficult to lose weight)

Supplement your diet: It’s true, eating a well-balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals is your best bet. A good quality multi-vitamin, however, gives us a nutritional boost. Some vitamins and minerals are difficult to obtain through the typical North American diet; and, many of us find that our diets are not as varied as they should be during the winter months or during stressful periods. Finally, foods that have been preserved or travelled a great distance from farm to table may not be as vital as they once were.

Depending on your overall health, lifestyle and diet, you may benefit from other supplements as well.

MOVE: You don’t have to train for a long-distance run or take up residence at the local gym, but—if you are not already physically active—add aerobic and weight-bearing exercise to your weekly routines. (PILATES IS GREAT RESISTANCE WORK) Aside from fighting the affects of weight gain around the middle, you’ll enhance your mental clarity and, as an added bonus, increase bone mass, which is a key factor in reducing your risk of osteoporosis.

Manage stress: The stress hormone cortisol can lead to increased fat deposits around the abdomen. It can also affect our ability to make sound decisions, sleep restfully and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. Experiment with stress-management techniques, from yoga and meditation, to journal writing and laughter. Once you’ve found something that works for you, watch for signs that you need to unwind and give yourself some much-needed stress relief.

Should I be worried about perimenopause weight gain?

Although perimenopause weight gain isn’t inherently dangerous, it does pose some risks. In particular, excess abdominal fat can lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which your body has to secrete more and more insulin in order to remove sugar from your blood. Insulin resistance increases the risk of diabetes. Abdominal fat is also associated with greater risk of heart disease, breast and uterine cancer, hypertension, arthritis and stroke.

By adopting new lifestyle habits and optimizing your diet, you can improve your overall health; lower your risk of developing debilitating syndromes or diseases; and alleviate the discomfort of peri-menopause weight gain and related symptoms. For example, there is some evidence that women who achieve and/or maintain an ideal weight during peri-menopause experience fewer hot flashes during menopause. (That’s a pretty strong incentive for weight loss.)

You can feel better—and achieve optimal health!

NOT ALL CARBS ARE CREATED EQUAL!

It’s true. A carbohydrate-rich diet can inflate appetite and girth. Low-carb diets do promote short-term weight loss, but are accompanied by some severe dangers. So what should you do? The truth is, you can have your carbs and eat them too—you just have to know how to choose them.

The Truth about Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body's ideal fuel for most functions. They supply the body with the energy needed for the muscles, brain and central nervous system. In fact, the human brain depends exclusively on carbohydrates for its energy.

Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, beans, dairy products, foods made from grain products, and sweeteners such as sugar, honey, molasses, and corn syrup.

The body converts digestible (non-fiber) carbohydrates into glucose, which our cells use as fuel. Some carbs (simple) break down quickly into glucose while others (complex) are slowly broken down and enter the bloodstream more gradually.

During digestion, all carbohydrates are broken down into glucose before they can enter the bloodstream where insulin helps the glucose enter the body’s cells. Some glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles for future use, like fueling a workout. If there is extra glucose, the body will store it as fat.

All carbohydrates are not created equal.

There are basically three types of carbohydrates:

Simple carbohydrates are composed of 1 or 2 sugar units that are broken down and digested quickly.

Recent research has shown that certain simple carbohydrate foods can cause extreme surges in blood sugar levels, which also increases insulin release. This can elevate appetite and the risk of excess fat storage.

Complex carbohydrates (also referred to as starch) are made up of many sugar units and are found in both natural (brown rice) and refined (white bread) form. They are structurally more complex and take longer to be broken down and digested.

Complex carbohydrate foods have been shown to enter the blood stream gradually and trigger only a moderate rise in insulin levels, which stabilizes appetite and results in fewer carbohydrates that are stored as fat. Unrefined or ‘whole grain’ carbohydrates found in products like brown rice, whole wheat pasta and bran cereals are digested slowly. They contain vitamins, minerals and fiber which promote health. Fiber and nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits and beans which are carbohydrates also have many important functions for the body and are important for good health. Indigestible carbohydrates are also called fiber. The body is unable to breakdown fiber into small enough units for absorption. It is therefore not an energy source for the body but does promote health in many other ways.

Simple carbs, complex carbs, and fiber are found in many foods. Some provide important nutrients that promote health while others simply provide calories that promote girth.

• Sugar, syrup, candy, honey, jams, jelly, molasses, and soft drinks contain simple carbohydrates and little if any nutrients.
• Fruits contain primarily simple carbohydrate but also valuable vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water.
• Vegetables contain varying amounts of simple and complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water.
• Legumes such as beans, peas, lentils and soybeans contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein.
• Milk products contain simple carbohydrates along with protein, calcium and other nutrients.
• Grain products contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein. The amounts vary depending on the type of grain used and the amount of processing. Selecting whole grain options whenever possible is recommended.

What You Should Know About Low-Carbohydrate Diets

Following an extremely low-carbohydrate diet is disastrous, dangerous, and above all—boring! Carbohydrates are NOT the enemy. Including the appropriate amounts and types of carbohydrate-rich foods in your diet is essential for long-term health and weight loss/maintenance.

The Body’s Immediate Reaction to Very Low Carbohydrate Diets

When there is a severe deficit of carbohydrates, the body has several immediate reactions:

With no glucose available for energy, the body starts using protein from food for energy. Therefore this protein is no longer available for more important functions, such as making new cells, tissues, enzymes, hormones, and antibodies and the regulation of fluid balance.

When carbohydrates are lacking, the body cannot burn fat in the correct way. Normally carbs combine with fat fragments to be used as energy. When carbs are not available, there is an incomplete breakdown of fat that produces a by-product called ketones. These ketones accumulate in the blood and in the urine causing ketosis, which is an abnormal state. Ketosis does cause a decrease in appetite because it's one of the body's protection mechanisms. It's an advantage to someone in a famine (which the body thinks it's experiencing) to lack an appetite because the search for food would be a waste of time and additional energy.

Due to the lack of energy and the accumulation of ketones, low-carb diets are often accompanied by nausea, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, bad breath, and dehydration.

Because of dehydration and a lack of fiber, constipation can result.

Exercise and fitness performance is reduced on a low-carb diet. Do not be surprised if your energy level is so low that you cannot make it through your normal workout routine.

The Long-Term Effects of Low Carbohydrate Diets

When you severely restrict carbohydrates, your consumption of protein and fat increases, which has several long-term effects:

• The risk of many cancers increases when fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, and beans are eliminated from the diet.
• Protein foods are also high in purines, which are broken down into uric acid. Elevated levels of uric acid in the blood may lead to needle-like uric acid crystals in joints, causing gout.
• Kidney stones are more likely to form on high protein, ketosis-producing diets.
• Over time, high protein diets can cause a loss of calcium and lead to osteoporosis.
• The risk of heart disease is greatly increased on a low-carb diet that is high in protein, cholesterol, fat, and saturated fat. A temporary reduction in cholesterol levels may be experienced, but this is common with any weight loss.

The Million Dollar Question

How do you include carbohydrates in you diet in a safe, effective, and controlled way? The “Please KISS Me” (Please Keep It So Simple for Me) plan for carbohydrate control is a wonderful tool that only contains 3 simple rules:

RULE 1: Include the following in your diet:

• Fruits: 2-4 servings daily
• Vegetables: 3-5 servings daily
• Whole grain breads, muffins, bagels, rolls, pasta, noodles, crackers, cereal, and brown rice: 6-11 servings daily
• Legumes, beans and peas: 1-2 servings daily
• Low-fat and non-fat dairy products: 3 servings daily

RULE 2: Limit the following to less than 2 servings daily:

• Fruit Juice
• Refined and processed white flour products (bread, muffins, bagels, rolls, pasta, noodles, crackers, cereal)
• White rice
• French fries
• Fried vegetables

RULE 3: Eliminate the following from your diet or eat only on occasion:

• Sugary desserts, cookies, cakes, pies, candies
• Doughnuts and pastries
• Chips, cola and carbonated beverages
• Sugar, honey, syrup, jam, jelly, molasses

That’s it! A simple, effective carbohydrate-controlling plan that, when combined with your Vitabot nutrition program allows you to reap the countless benefits of complex carbohydrates and fiber while enhancing your health and maintaining a healthy weight. The long term result will be a healthy you!