Low Carbohydrate & Smart Carb Dieting

5 Absolute Truths for Every Serial Dieter

Women will discover several unique scientifically PROVEN techniques for losing stubborn tummy fat and getting a tight sexy stomach like hers.

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More rotation diet ideas:
How Do You ROTATE Your Eating Patterns?
Negative Calorie Rotation Diet
Eat Stop Eat
Intermittent Fasting

1. Unbeknown to most, scientific research has shown eating the correct nutrients at the proper times creates a “thermic” fat burning effect which results in accelerated body slimming.
2. Creating your own “starvation” diet is a recipe for disaster Your metabolism slows to a crawl and not only creates weight loss plateaus; it can cause you to gain massive amounts of body fat.
3. Many of the “diet” foods you are eating are actually causing you to consume more and unhealthy calories pack on the pounds faster. I’ll be telling you more later about what the unscrupulous food industry is doing to make you fat!
4. Not only are some diet pills and potions a complete waste of your hard-earned money, they can be potentially lethal. If you are in desperate need of losing weight FAST there are much safer, permanent and healthy alternatives available to you. The most important TRUTH is below... But first, empower yourself even further and instantly download this special FREE Bonus e-book when you click on the appropriate link below...
5. It IS possible to safely lose up to fifteen pounds in just thirty days by following a healthy nutritional program created by a credible professional. Registered Dietitians, such as me, have the education it requires to induce rapid – and permanent - weight loss through easy-to-follow dietary programming. Sauteed Flank Steak with Arugula and Roasted Cauliflower and Red Peppers
Are you resolving to eat more healthily but finding that cold cereal and salads just aren't cutting it this time of year? Epicurious is here to help you in your quest for breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes that may be light in calories, fat, and carbs but are still high in flavor. And, best of all, these warming and hearty recipes are perfect for this blustery season.

Craving Beef?

You don't have to give up red meat to eat healthily—some cuts of beef have less total fat and saturated fat than a chicken thigh. To choose the leanest cuts, the American Dietetic Association suggests buying meat with the words "loin" or "round" in the name, such as sirloin, tenderloin, top round steak, and eye of round. Make your chosen cut even healthier by trimming any visible fat. In addition, grass-fed beef tends to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than conventionally raised varieties, as does bison, which has a good beefy flavor. Just make sure to cook these leaner meats slowly at a lower temperature, as they have a tendency to be a bit drier than high-fat beef.

Virtuous Veggies

Simply prepared vegetables would be an excellent accompaniment to any of these dishes—yes, even breakfast. But don't stymie their healthful potential by piling on butter, margarine, cream, or salt. A light spritzing of olive oil and fresh herbs enhance rather than mask vegetables' naturally delicious flavors. Go easy on oil when sautéing, and consider even lighter preparations such as steaming and poaching.

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The glycemic index and insulin sensitivity Optimizing Insulin Sensitivity and Body Composition Through Diet and Exercise

America is growing; that's a fact.

So are its citizens, though, with 17.1% of children being overweight in 2004 and 31.1% of adults being overweight. This is compared to 13.9% and 27.5% respectively in 2000 (16), catalyzing the so-called obesity epidemic.

Obesity can lead to many problems later in life, such as an increased risk for type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and escalating health care costs. It's clear that something needs to be done.

The most obvious first step is caloric control and to balance the first law of thermodynamics. This can be simplified by stating that one needs to balance their consumption of calories versus their expenditure to reach their goals.

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This is not always enough, though, as evidenced by the myriad of diets that have popped up over the years focusing on both macro and micronutrients, and often fruitless supplementation.

The truth is that there is no"magic pill," or a two-day weight loss cure. One needs to eat properly, exercise regularly, and manage their insulin through normal, non-pharmaceutical means. The role insulin plays becomes exponentially important in athletes and anyone looking to improve their body composition.

The role of insulin in the body and diabetes

Insulin is often called the most anabolic hormone in the body. Its role is to shuttle nutrients into tissues, primarily adipose, liver, and muscle tissue. It is released by the beta cells of the pancreas in response to an increase in glucose, amino acids, and free fatty acids. Within the liver it promotes anabolism increasing the uptake and storage of glucose as glycogen. At the same time it prevents catabolism by inhibiting glycogenolysis and the Cori Cycle. In muscle cells it promotes anabolism by stimulating protein synthesis through an increased uptake of amino acids while concurrently increasing the uptake of glucose to form glycogen and inhibiting phosphorylase to prevent its breakdown. Adipose tissue is subject to similar mechanisms; glucose and triglyceride storage are increased while the production of Hormone-Sensitive Lipase (HSL) is inhibited. HSL prevents the re-esterification of triglycerides, promoting their breakdown.

The release of insulin and its cellular response are critically integrated within the body. Under normal conditions blood sugar levels stay between 70 and 110 mg/dl controlled by a complicated network of hormones including but not limited to insulin, glucagon, and growth hormone (GH). Glucagon and GH both work to raise plasma blood sugar levels. Unfortunately this network is not always properly maintained leading to diabetes.

There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type II. Type I is referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes. It is characterized by the body lacking the ability to produce insulin and results in sustained hyperglycemia. Treatment for it generally includes insulin injections and constant monitoring of blood glucose levels.

Diabetics need to carry around sugary snacks because their constant insulin injections rob them of blood sugar. Since the brain can only function on carbohydrates (or ketones) a hypoglycemic state is not a good one to be in.

90% of diabetics have Type II Diabetes which is characterized by either a decreased ability to secrete insulin or a decrease in insulin sensitivity.

The glycemic index and its link to diabetes

Two critical ways to control and manage both diabetes and insulin are through diet and exercise. With respect to ones diet it is important to pay heed to the glycemic index (GI). The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates (CHOs) on a scale of 0 to 100 in relation to the rate at which they raise blood sugar levels after eating.

Foods with a high GI rapidly raise blood sugar levels and generally spike insulin levels; whereas foods with a low GI slowly raise blood sugar levels and have a more blunted and sustained insulin response. To measure the GI, 10 subjects fast overnight and are fed 10-50 grams of CHO containing foods and then finger-prick blood sugar samples are taken at 15-30 minute intervals for the next two hours. A blood sugar response curve is then constructed from this data and the area under the curve is used to calculate the GI compared to a base food (an equal amount of glucose). The area under the curve is divided by the area under the curve for glucose and then multiplied by 100 to achieve the GI rating. Generally foods with a low GI are preferential because it will cause a smaller insulin burst.

Chronically elevated insulin levels are not to be viewed as optimal. According to the University of Syndey Human Nutrition Unit recent studies from Harvard have indicated that diets rich in high GI foods increase the risk for type II diabetes and heart disease. This led the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999 to recommend that people in industrialized countries base their diets on low-GI foods.

To understand how type II diabetes is manifested in the body it is first necessary to understand the hormonal and physiological mechanisms in place. It all begins with the ingestion of food. Food enters the gastro-intestinal tract and through various enzyme-linked reactions is broken down into simpler molecules. In the case of CHOs there are three primary types: monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.

A monosaccharide is a simple sugar that is not further broken down before it enters the blood stream such as glucose of fructose. Its molecular formula is C6H12O6. A disaccharide is also a sugar but is broken down into two different sugars; such as sucrose which is a combination of fructose and glucose, or lactose which is a combination of glucose and galactose.

Polysaccharides are multiple (greater than two) molecules of sugar linked together such as starch found in vegetables and grains. They are then broken down into simple sugars once they enter the body.

In general (since there are many exceptions) the speed of digestion and GI is linked to the type of saccharide one ingests with the rates being: monosaccharide (highest GI) > disaccharide (moderate GI) > polysaccharide (lowest GI). If one eats a diet rich in monosaccharides they can have chronically elevated insulin levels in response to this. This will cause a myriad of things to happen. For one this may cause subjects to eat more due to rapid blood sugar fluctuations. Primarily though it can lead to insulin resistance.

With the advent of processed foods, sweets, and foods loaded with high fructose corn syrup, sugar consumption has significantly increased. In 1980 the average person ate 39 pounds of fructose and 84 pounds of sucrose; by 1994 the average person ate 66 pounds of sucrose and 83 pounds of fructose. As of 2001 25% of caloric intake was coming from sugars (6).

So, not only is sugar consumption increasing; but so is fructose consumption. While fructose is generally considered a"better" sugar being predominantly found it fruits, its processed form is not so great. For example, according to Dr. Nancy Appleton, fructose is not metabolized the same as other sugars and does not cause the pancreas to release insulin normally and leads to higher fat gain. It can also lead to mineral deficits such as in copper and magnesium since in its purified state it contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals.

The take home message is that fructose should come from natural sources such as fruit where these co-factors are present. In a 1983 study by Hallfrisch et. al. fructose was found to decrease the affinity of insulin receptors for insulin. This is the classic benchmark for Type II diabetes. This increase in sugar consumption causes the body to pump out more insulin. Since insulin is chronically elevated insulin receptors in turn down-regulate, or"desensitize." This makes it more difficult for the body to remove sugar from the blood leading to many other various problems such as blood clots, potential blindness, potential need for amputations, etc. Also it increases the risk for fat gain since insulin is primarily a storage hormone.

Enhancing insulin sensitivity through weight loss and the role of adiponectin

Adiponectin is protein produced by adipocytes. It promotes insulin sensitivity. In contrast to other adipokines it has been shown to have smaller total circulating levels in obese individuals.

In an August 2005 study by Abbasi et. al. 24 insulin-resistant non-diabetic subjects were recruited and either put on a weight-loss protocol based on caloric restriction or treated with rosiglitazone. The subjects all had a BMI of 30-35 (which is considered significantly overweight or obese). In the study the rosiglitazone group increased their adiponectin concentrations by 30% and enhanced their insulin sensitivity.

The weight-loss group though did not have any changes in adiponectin levels but they had the same 30% increase in insulin sensitivity. This suggests that factors other than adiponectin concentrations play a significant role in insulin sensitivity and that even mild weight loss can help one improve their insulin sensitivity thus supporting the hypothesis that exercise, weight loss, and a proper diet play major roles in promoting general health and maintaining proper functioning of the body.

In contrast a 2003 study by Faraj et. al. showed conflicting results regarding adiponectin on patients that underwent gastric bypass surgery. In almost all subjects adiponectin increased in response to weight loss and their insulin sensitivity increased. It is important to note though that this group lost significantly more weight than the group in the Abbasi study.

Based on these two studies, the jury is still out on the correlation between adiponectin and enhanced insulin sensitivity. Something else is extremely clear though from the two studies: fat loss in obese individuals is a major catalyst to enhance insulin sensitivity.

It is interesting to note something though from the Faraj study that should have been explored in greater depth; in the results section it reads"subjects who were receiving medical treatment for diabetes before the surgery (six women and four men) had discontinued all hypoglycemic agents."

This is the most striking part of the paper; diabetes was self-corrected through weight loss! Granted gastric bypass surgery is a drastic measure but similar if not the same results can be achieved through a proper calorie-controlled diet and exercise. This method also happens to be a lot safer and less expensive than surgery.

Insulin sensitivity and exercise and the role of glucose gransporters

Exercise also plays a crucial role in helping improve insulin sensitivity, especially resistance training. It's myriad of benefits include elevating GH and testosterone (TEST) levels and increasing ones metabolic rate through an elevated post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). It also blunts the insulin response and the contraction of skeletal muscle causes glucose-transport-protein-4 (GLUT-4) to propagate to cell surfaces.

GLUT-4 is an insulin sensitive glucose transporter present in skeletal muscle. It is necessary for sugar transport into cells and may facilitate the transport of glucose into muscle fiber. To quantify this Ren et. al. performed a study to examine the effect of GLUT-4 protein expression on fat and whole body glucose metabolism. The euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp technique was used on conscious mice. The rate of glucose disposal was significantly higher (70%) in the transgenic mice (who had over-expression of GLUT-4) than in normal mice in both fed and unfed states. According to the study"the results suggest that skeletal muscle glucose transport is rate-limiting for whole body glucose disposal."

This combined response of a blunted insulin response and up-regulation of GLUT-4 allows more glucose to selectively enter muscle cells while bypassing fat cells. This also results in an increased action of HSL (which is suppressed by insulin) which in conjunction with an increase in catecholamine concentration helps to catalyze the breakdown of adipose tissue.

To demonstrate this a December 2005 study by Polak et. al. placed 12 obese men (as determined by BMI) on a three-month dynamic strength-training protocol. Not surprisingly at the end of the protocol fasting glucose decreased by 20% and fasting insulin by almost 50%. Insulin resistance markers also were cut in half. It appears that dynamic strength straining improves whole body insulin sensitivity and improves lipid mobilization in subcutaneous adipose tissue in obese subjects.

Aerobic training also enhances insulin sensitivity. A 1999 study by Cox, Cortright, Dohm, and Houmard compared the effects of short-term exercise training on GLUT-4 concentrations and insulin sensitivity in older and younger individuals. They found that with exercise training at the same relative intensity quantified by VO2 max there was a similar increase in GLUT-4 concentration and similar enhancements in insulin sensitivity between both groups.

Other studies though refute this data such as 2005 study by Goulet, Melancon, Leheudre, and Dionne that found no increases in insulin sensitivity in older women 96-120 hours post workout. This study though measured insulin sensitivity 3-5 days after the last exercise session. It can be suggested that insulin sensitivity in older subjects might only improve for a briefer expanse of time post-exercise; possibly for less than 24 hours.

Even if increases in insulin sensitivity are more short-lived in older subjects there is still some benefit; the older subjects still saw improvements in body composition. It just follows that older subjects just might need to exercise more frequently to enhance their insulin sensitivity. Then again most people would benefit from an increase in their activity level.

Taking advantage of this data

There is now a plethora of data regarding nutrient timing and what to eat pre and post-workout. General recommendations from authors such as Dr. John Berardi in his Massive Eating series are to concentrate most of your intake around your workout period when your body is most insulin sensitive. This is recommended because the post-workout period"is marked by a dramatic increase in insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, and glycogenic activity; this means that muscle glycogen re-synthesis rates are dramatically elevated during the immediate post-exercise period." (17)

A 2000 study by Rasmussen, Tipton, Miller, Wolf, and Wolfe was"designed to determine the response of muscle protein to the bolus ingestion of a drink containing essential amino acids and carbohydrate after resistance exercise."

The study found that the combination of amino acids and carbohydrates in a beverage taken either one or three hours post-workout had a synergistic effect in promoting anabolism. They theorized that the timing was not as important because previous studies done by them had demonstrated that muscle fractional synthetic rate is elevated for at least 48 hours after heavy resistance training.

It is clear that exercise and proper dietary intake play pivotal roles in helping the body to function optimally. It is also clear than many major health problems plaguing today's modern American society can easily be offset if one chooses to exercise and consumer lower GI carbohydrates throughout most of the day; though higher GI CHOs have been found to beneficial when centered around an exercise period.

Even diabetic symptoms can be controlled or reversed through modest weight loss and exercise. The problem is that"bad habits;" e.g. eating high GI CHOs, processed foods, and driving everywhere instead of walking have become cultural and everywhere one turns there is seemingly a donut or fast-food set of French fries within a few steps.

In conclusion the solution to obesity and type II diabetes is simple and not even pharmaceutical and certainly non-surgical; it's about changing ones lifestyle to incorporate better foods in proper quantities while simultaneously becoming more active.

About the Author

Jason Feldman is currently a senior studying kinesiology at Arizona State University and applying to medical school at the end of the semester. His area of interests include but are not limited too: endocrinology, nutrition, physiology, and supplementation. His true passion though is the integration of all of the above to export science from the lab and convert it to progress.

Low carb weekly meal menus for a month

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Glycemic Index and Satiety Index Two hunger-fighting tools: Glycemic Index and Satiety Index More about Satiety Index
More about Glycemic Index

We know there's no miracle munchie, but if you had to choose just one food for snacking, based on how long it would keep you from getting hungry again, what would you choose to eat?

Maybe a better question is how would you choose? Diners and dieters familiar with the index could run through the numbers they know from that nifty scale and come up with a pretty good response for the question, but others may be more stymied.

There's actually another measurement tool might help us identify the best hunger-fighter foods of all. It's called the "Satiety Index," meaning that it's a gauge of how well a food keeps you feeling satisfied and keeps hunger sensations at bay. It's similar to the glycemic index, and it's a pretty nifty tool in its own right.

All the scores can seem a little daunting at first, but after a while, you just learn which foods you want to eat in order to achieve your particular result. And you don't have to memorize any of this anyway. You can get handy little resource materials like wallet card references for either index, so you might as well arm yourself with the best information from both ideas to help you pick the best foods for your own defensive diet.

Reviewing the Glycemic Index

The GI Index is a ranking of foods based on their immediate effect on blood sugar levels. It measures how much your blood sugar increases over a period of two or three hours after a meal.

Glucose, a simple, very quickly digested sugar, is used as the "index," or the standard against which other foods are measured. It's assigned a value of 100. Highly processed carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion end up with the highest rankings. High-protein foods and high-fiber complex carbohydrates tend to rank low. And generally speaking, when it comes to identifying healthy, hunger-abating foods, low GI is good.

The index has been around for years, and it supports arguments in favor of low-fat, high carbohydrate diets for weight loss, as well as prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In fact, diabetics are often urged to memorize the index with the same diligence they used in going after the multiplication tables in fourth grade. That's because foods that take longer to digest (low GI scores) produce less dramatic spikes and drops in blood sugar and insulin production.

While those fluctuations can actually be dangerous for diabetics, for nearly any dieter, they are at least a misery, causing urgent, even painful hunger sensations to race off to the brain. So the glycemic index has also been used as a good measure of the "stick-to-your-ribs-ness" of foods. People who want to lose weight choose foods with the lowest glycemic index.

Meet the Satiety Index

Of course, for dieting in general, the limitation of the glycemic index is that it mostly includes carbohydrate foods, those most likely to have a significant effect on blood sugar. And that's not all most of us eat.

So a few years ago, Susanna Holt, PhD, of the University of Sydney wanted a system specifically to measure different foods' ability to produce satiety and fend off hunger; in other words, an even better indicator of their "stick-to-your-ribs-ness," and one that would include other sorts of foods.

In Holt's Satiety Index, a slice of white bread is the index, and it's also assigned a value of 100. The satiety value of other foods is rated relative to the bread, with foods offering longer-lasting hunger abatement scoring higher. That means on this scale, people trying to lose weight would choose foods with the highest numbers.

In developing the satiety index, Holt's test subjects were college students, not famous for their wise diet choices. The students were invited for 'breakfast' which consisted of 240 calories worth of various specific foods, anything from jelly beans to bacon.

After eating, the students were asked to rank their feelings of hunger every 15 minutes for the next two hours, during which they could continue to eat more of that particular food, but nothing else. Holt's various tests yielded the scores used in the Satiety Index.

Here are a few samples from each scale, for comparison. There's no Satiety Index score for the plain sugar, because, well, who wants to eat plain sugar? Yuck.

FOOD GLYCEMIC INDEX SATIETY INDEX

* glucose (sugar) 100
* white bread 70 100
* croissant 67 47
* whole wheat bread 68 154
* potatoes(boiled or baked) 59 323
* french fries 72 116
* chocolate bar 49 70
* lentils 30 133

Now, looking at the differences between the two scales, you might start to suspect that there is more to satiety than the effect a food has on your blood sugar. Indeed, protein and fat both have minimal effects on blood sugar.

And here is where Dr. Holt's studies produced some real surprises. She and her hungry student volunteers demonstrated that foods high in fat made people want to eat more, even though we usually think of rich, high-fat foods as filling. This explains the apparent contradiction between potatoes, the runaway winner on the Satiety Index, and french fries, which scored poorly on both scales. It's not the spud that's to blame, it's all that fat!

Dr. Holt speculated that because the body responds to fat as something to be stored for a 'rainy day,' a period of scarcity, rather than something to be used immediately, the gut doesn't stop sending hunger signals as soon, so we go on wanting to eat more.

But let's don't forget the function of sheer mass. A 240-calorie serving of boiled potatoes is just a lot more food than a 240-calorie serving of greasy French fries. As a rule, it's going to take longer to digest and therefore, it will hold off the next round of hunger signals for a longer time.

But why would whole wheat bread be 54 percent more satisfying than the same number of calories in white bread? It's not any bigger a slice, is it? It may or may not be, but what's at play here is the fact of processing. As foods become more refined, the seed coats and other fiber components that are removed are the very ones that slow the passage of food through the digestive tract, resulting in prolonged "I'm not hungry" messages to the brain.

The Satiety Index really only measures short-term satiety, because the experiments ran for just two hours. Fruit was very satisfying initially, because 240 calories worth of fruit is a rather large portion, that matter of mass again. But because fruit is really mostly water and sugar and a little fiber, it leaves the gut rapidly, so hunger returned at the end of the second hour for the fruit eaters.

On the other hand, participants who had eaten whole grain bread or lean protein kept their nibbling impulses at bay for much longer as their bodies continued to work on what they were still processing.

Taken together, the best scoring items on these two indexing tools offer a variety of really good choices for healthy, low-calorie foods to incorporate into your daily diet. And if you can only pick one for snack time, go for something with some staying power.

Caroline J. Cederquist, M.D. is a board certified Family Physician and a board certified Bariatric Physicians (the medical specialty of weight management). Dr. Cederquist is the founder of Bistro M.D., a home diet delivery program that specializes in low calorie gourmet food that is delivered to your home or office. Bistro M.D. serves as culmination of Dr. Cederquist's expertise and experience in the world of medical weight loss.

High-carb culprits, low carb substitutes

The high-carb culprits

From eDiets

Had a bad day? Feeling tired and cross? Why not pep yourself up with a nice cup of zero-carb coffee doctored with just a dollop (or two or three) of a sweet coffee flavoring? Or hey, like the commercial says, how about letting one of those instant flavored international coffee mixes, like Suisse Mocha, whisk you away to another land?

Not so fast, thou would-be-virtuous low-carb dieter! You may think those beverages are harmless. But if you’re counting your carbs, a little cuppa’ll cost ya. To guide you on the path to righteous drinking, here are five sneaky high-carb beverages -- and five delicious, low-carb substitutes:

1. The high-carb culprit: That old-time favorite, lemonade. So you’re sitting in a restaurant, and you spy lemonade on the menu. Gee, that sounds tasty. And it’s gotta be low carb, you think. So you order a tall, frosty glass of sour-sweet lemonade, topped with a maraschino cherry and a pretty red straw. Stirring and sipping, you feel oh-so-happy that you didn’t succumb to the coffee milkshake. Well, kudos for skipping that high-carb milkshake -- but not so fast with the pats-on-the-back for the lemonade, my friend! Lemonade contains that high-carb ingredient: sugar, which is NOT on your diet. Drink water in the restaurant and promise yourself a treat later at home, thanks to... The low-carb substitute: Wyler's Light Lemonade and Wyler's Light Pink Lemonade. They’re de-lightful, without any carbs and with just five calories per serving! A thirst-quenching refresher that’s so tasty, you won’t even miss the sugary kind.
2. The high-carb culprit: The standard coffee house beverage. Yes, we know, there’s a Starbucks or other coffee house on every corner these days. And who orders just a plain ol’ coffee anymore? Flavored coffees with chocolate and syrups are the typical order of the day, and ahhhh, those irresistible fragrances. Skip it (and save your money!). Instead, aim for home and... The low-carb substitute: Brew-your-own coffee with a spoonful of sugar-free Da Vinci syrup, in a flavor like sugar-free White Chocolate or sugar-free Hazelnut. Luscious and (ta da!) zero carbs! Here’s to your health. We recommend: try the Da Vinci sugar-free sampler, so you can enjoy carb-free variety. Now who said dieting was difficult?
3. The high-carb culprit: Hot chocolate. So it’s Sunday morning, you’re lingering over the Sunday newspaper, and visions of hot chocolate with marshmallows are dancing in your trying-to-be-low-carb head. Not so fast! The low-carb substitute: Whip out something that every low-carb dieter should keep on hand: one of the new sugar-free, low-carb flavored coffee drink mixes from General Foods International. The Suisse Mocha (my favorite) tastes like a combination of full-bodied coffee swirled with dark chocolate. And at 2 carbs a cupful, there’s no guilt!
4. The high-carb culprit: You’ve just worked out, and you hike yourself to the beverage bar at the gym and buy one of those sugary flavored waters in order to "compensate" for all that sweat. The bad news: sorry, Charlie, but you may have just gulped down more calories than you burned if you go for that bevvy! Wise up, and head for... The low-carb substitute: New All Sport Zero is a no-carb, no-sugar, no-calorie thirst quencher that tastes fabulous! Flavors include Lemon Ice, Mixed Berry, Tangerine, and Fruit Punch. Fill a glass with ice, pour in the Tangerine All Sport Zero, and enjoy a deliciously good treat!
5. The high-carb culprit: regular soda. It’s a hot summer day, and a cold drink really sounds good. So you walk up to the soda dispenser at the office or the snack bar at the ballpark and ask for a Coke or a Sprite. Gulping down that fizzy, icy beverage just feels so great. Unfortunately, buddy-roo, you just mindlessly swallowed more carbs than your total day’s allowance, depending on the phase of your low-carb diet! Next time, go for... The low-carb substitute: diet soda. Almost all vending machines and snack bars have diet soda options these days. And if you’re not sure whether diet soda will be available (for example, at a ball game or movie), pop a bottle of water or diet soda into a purse or knapsack for a just-in-case back-up beverage. That way, you’ll have no excuses!

Why you should limit sugar in your diet

By Bob Greene, BFA, MFA

eDiets Contributor

The average American consumes well in excess of 100 pounds of refined sugar each year. Yes, you read that correctly: 100 pounds! Consuming too much sugar has been shown to:
# Cause weight gain and contribute to obesity
# Increase the incidence of diabetes
# Contribute to the progression of cardiovascular disease
# Contribute to the incidence of various cancers

And that's just what we know now! There is no question limiting your consumption of sugar is in your best interest. We're going to look at some ways to do that, but first, let's talk about what sugar is.

Sugar is really carbohydrate. For some, this causes a good bit of confusion, since we've been told carbohydrates are good for us. The truth is, there are some carbohydrates that are bad for us and others that we need in our diet. To make sense of this, you might find it useful to learn a little about carbohydrates.

There are basically three different types of carbohydrates: monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. They are distinguished by the number of simple sugars that they are made of.

Monosaccharides are simple sugars: glucose, fructose and galactose. Glucose, also known as blood sugar, can be produced when your body breaks down more complex carbohydrates. It's also found in some of the foods we eat.

Oligosaccharides are most frequently disaccharides or double sugars. They are formed when two monosaccharides combine. The three main disaccharides are:

Lactose = glucose + galactose
Maltose = glucose + glucose
Sucrose = glucose + fructose

Lactose is the sugar found in milk. It's also referred to as milk sugar. Maltose is not a common component to our diets. It shows up in malt products, such as beer and certain germinating cereals. Sucrose is the most common dietary sugar and is abundant in cane sugar, honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, even beets. We should be most concerned with limiting sucrose in our diet -- and be particularly aware of limiting refined sugar or table sugar. Refined sugar comes from stripping the natural coating from the cane plant and is found abundantly in foods such as candy, cakes, pies, soda and some cereals.

Polysaccharides occur when three or more simple sugars are combined and can be made up of hundreds of simple sugars connected to each other. They are found in both plants and animals. In animals, polysaccharides are made and stored in the muscle for energy. We call this animal carbohydrate glycogen.

When we speak of complex carbohydrates, we are typically referring to plant polysaccharides. In plants, there are two types of polysaccharides: cellulose and starch. Cellulose is the fibrous part of the plant. We know it as fiber. It's good to get plenty of fiber in your diet. You can get it from sources such as leafy vegetables, pulp and the skin on most fruits.

Starch is abundant in our diets. It's found in such foods as potatoes, corn, bread, cereal, beans, peas, rice and pasta. Some people feel they should avoid starch, when, in fact, this complex carbohydrate is very important to our diet and our health. I suggest that about 50 percent of your total calories come from complex carbohydrates as opposed to simple sugars. Unfortunately, there's been an unhealthy trend toward decreasing complex carbohydrates in favor of simple sugars. Your goal should be to limit your intake of simple sugars -- sucrose, in particular -- while increasing your consumption of complex carbohydrates.

Be aware, though, that just as there is refined sugar, there are processed grain products, such as white rice, white flour and white bread. They are much lower in nutritional value than whole grains, and should be avoided. Whole-grain breads, brown or whole-grain rice and whole-grain pastas are much better choices.

I don't believe it's necessary to keep a record of your sugar intake in the same way you would keep track of your fat grams. Most people do fine if they just know what to avoid.

Avoid: table (refined) sugar, soda, candy, pie and white flour. Processed grain products such as pastas, white rice, white bread.

Healthy Choices: Fruits, vegetables, beans/legumes, whole-grain breads, whole-grain pastas, whole-grain rice, brown rice.

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