Eat Carbs And Lose Weight?

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES

Now is the PERFECT time to share this secret, a secret that some have known about for years.

And this secret is so POWERFUL that you will be surprised at how easy it is to include this into your daily plan.

I will give you a hint: it has to do with the type of food you eat.

More specifically, it has to do with the CARBOHYDRATES you eat.

Carbs have a bad reputation, but certain carbs could be the best food for reducing inflammation in your body.

And, it can stimulate your body to release a POWERFUL protein which will stimulate FAT BURNING.

But not just any carbs will do.

Let me explain…

Low Glycemic vs. High Glycemic

There are two types of carbohydrates: Low and High glycemic foods.

And both raise blood sugar and insulin levels.

However, low glycemic foods release sugar much slower release than high glycemic foods.

The reason: high glycemic foods consist of white flour and white sugar.

High glycemic foods lead to spikes in blood sugar and encourages FAT STORAGE.

When your body digests high glycemic foods, there is a sharp increase in your blood sugar.

This then leads to an rise in insulin to shuttle that sugar into your cells to be used as calories.

The problem: left over sugar tends to get stored as fat in your body.

Low glycemic foods take longer to digest.

This leads to a SLOWER release of sugar into your blood.

Which then prevents dangerous insulin spikes and could prevent some of that sugar being stored as fat.

Low glycemic foods tend to contain whole grains (or sprouted whole grains) and plenty of fiber.

The fiber content is the key to slowing digestion.

And slowing digestion could potentially prevent your fat cells from getting “sick”.

As a review, there are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

Soluble fiber mixes with water and creates a viscous gel in your stomach, which then wraps itself around food particles.

By wrapping around undigested food, the food then takes longer for stomach enzymes to reach the food and break it down.

This slows digestion and gastric emptying (the contents of your stomach entering into your intestines), which slows the absorption of nutrients.

And slowing absorption can lead to a slower release of sugar into your blood.

There are many reasons why a sudden rise in blood sugar can wreck your weight loss goals.

A sudden sugar rush,  increases insulin levels, possibly leading all that leftover sugar to be stored as fat.

But there is something even more important.

A sudden rise in blood sugar has the ability to increase inflammation in your body.

As a review, antioxidants are  recommended to quell the fires of inflammation.

And there are many ways to get more antioxidants into your diet- increasing your fruits and vegetable intake, or a potent Green Drink.

Antioxidants may possess the ability to stop free radical damage.  Damage from free radicals can increase inflammation in your body.

Inflammation, could lead to sickness and may decrease the secretion of potent hormones that regulate fat storage and your energy levels.

Your fat cells, especially, become sick which has the potential to reduce their function.

Being overweight causes your body to reduce the production of adiponectin, a protein released by your fat cells that has many different functions in your body.

It has been shown the more overweight or obese you are, the lower your levels of adiponectin could be.

But losing weight can cause adiponectin levels to increase, which in turn could cause your body to burn more fatty acids for energy.

And it even helps maintain proper glucose levels.

But, what does adiponectin and inflammation have to do with low glycemic foods?

I am glad you asked…

Interestingly enough, low glycemic foods could have the ability to increase adiponectin levels

And this could possibly help you maintain weight or even LOSE WEIGHT.

Plus, low glycemic foods have shown the ability to reduce inflammation levels.

Let me explain…

The Research

Researchers recruited 80 participants in an effort to see if low glycemic foods might alter adiposity and blood sugar levels.

And their results will SURPRISE you!

The 80 people they recruited were normal weight, overweight, or obese.

They were given 2 28-day diets, alternating low and high glycemic foods.

All diets were equal in calories and macronutrients, and the participants were instructed to maintain normal daily activities such as exercise and weight maintenance.

The researchers tested different components, but were mainly interested in C-reactive protein and adiponectin.

C-reactive protein is a marker for inflammation in your body.

They noticed in the group with high body fat mass, that the low glycemic foods lowered c-reactive protein and increased adiponectin levels.

They determined the quality of the carbohydrate, independent from the energy of the food, can improve inflammatory markers and increase adipokines (adiponectin) in overweight or obese individuals.

Quality of Food Products

Diabetics have known for years about the glycemic index, and how certain foods can cause devastating effects on blood sugar.

Now more than ever, a proper diet and exercise program can be used as a means to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

Most people avoid carbohydrates because they are afraid of gaining extra weight.

Now, researchers are on to something.

First, you need to increase your intake of antioxidants from super foods, like Acai berry or including more fruits and vegetables into your daily routine.

The second way may be to increase your intake of low glycemic foods.

Antioxidants are powerful nutrients for reducing damage caused by free radicals, and this damage potentially can increase inflammation in your body.

Including the RIGHT amount of fruits and vegetables, though, may give you the right level of antioxidants that your body needs to stay healthy.

However, including and maintaining the right servings of fruits and veggies may become more of a task than a pleasure.

That is why it is important it to include a poweerful greens drink into your daily routine.