| Most people know that maintaining healthy diets is an | | | | wheat, multi-grain or bran, do not necessary mean that |
| essential part of keeping you fit and healthy. Whether | | | | the product is whole grain. Confirm with the Whole |
| you have an existing health issue or you want to | | | | Grain Stamp from the Whole Grain Council. If not, |
| maintain a good weight, you need a healthy diet food | | | | check the ingredients to make sure that grain listed is |
| plan to stay in shape. Despite what certain fad diets | | | | specified as whole grain. Not all food labelled healthy |
| would have you believe, we all need a balance of | | | | diets is really good for you. Examples would be dark |
| carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre, vitamins, and minerals | | | | breaks and toasted wheat cereals. Avoid refined |
| to sustain a healthy body weight loss. | | | | grains like white breads, pastas, breakfast cereals that |
| What are good carbs and how can fiber be good for | | | | are not whole grain. |
| developing your own diet meal plan for weight loss? | | | | Fibre |
| Carbohydrates | | | | Fibre keeps you feeling full longer. High fibre foods tend |
| Carbohydrates are food composed of some | | | | to slow down the digestive process and make you |
| combination of starches, sugar and fiber. It provide the | | | | feel fuller for longer. Thus you will avoid overeating and |
| body with fuel it needs for physical activity by breaking | | | | excessive calorie intake during meals or during the day. |
| down into glucose, a type of sugar our cells use as a | | | | This is the primary mechanism by which fibre helps |
| universal energy source. | | | | you control weight. |
| There are Bad Carbs and Good Carbs. | | | | It is recommended that you "eat your fruit rather than |
| Bad carbs are foods that have been "stripped" of all | | | | drink it" for better weight control. Fruit juices can |
| bran, fibre, and nutrients. They are processed food | | | | contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per cup so either |
| made for easy and fast cooking. Examples are white | | | | avoid or dilute with water. A cup of apple juice has |
| flour, refined sugar, and white rice. These foods digest | | | | about 120 calories and no fiber, but a medium size |
| quickly in your system and they can cause elevations | | | | apple has about 80 calories and almost 4 grams of |
| in your blood sugar, which over time can lead to | | | | fiber in it. By eating the apple, you will consume lesser |
| weight gain, hypoglycemia or even diabetes. | | | | calories and having more fiber to fill you up longer. |
| Good carbs on the other hand are digested more | | | | And the simple organic acids produced to break down |
| slowly, these foods tend to make you feel fuller | | | | fiber in the digestive process helps to nourish the lining |
| quicker and for longer time and they provide you with | | | | of your colon, thereby maintaining a healthy colon. |
| more energy. They keep your blood sugar and insulin | | | | Fruits and vegetables are healthy diets that should be |
| levels from rising and falling too quickly. Examples are | | | | part of every meal, and be your first choice for a |
| whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. | | | | snack. Eat a minimum of five portions each day. They |
| To lose weight, make sure you include more good | | | | provide us with beneficial properties such as natural |
| carbs in your diet food plan. Examples are whole grain | | | | sugars, fiber, Vitamins and antioxidants. Choose fresh |
| brown rice, millet and barley. When you are eating | | | | or frozen, and focus on variety. Berries are |
| grains, make sure you are getting them in their whole | | | | cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and |
| form, healthy grains in the form of breads or cereals. | | | | mangos offer vitamin C, and so on. |
| When shopping for them, note that words like 100% | | | | |