Week 2-Diet

Carbohydrates are not the enemy

Believe it or not, despite the fact that there are many diets, which preach low-carb eating as the golden ticket to weight loss, the truth is that your body actually needs carbohydrates to function at its optimal level. Carbohydrates are a component of foods such as breads, grains, cereals, fruits and vegetables that break down into glucose. It is this glucose that directly feeds your muscles and cells.

Of course, not all carbs are created equally and we need to understand and separate the good from the bad.

Good Carbs

• Vegetables (all kinds)
• Fruit (LIMIT QUANTITY IF TRYING TO LOSE FAT)
• Oats and Oatmeal
• Brown Rice
• Whole Grain Breads
• Whole Grain Pitas
• Whole Grain Cereals
• Potatoes

While starchy carbohydrates are classified as "good" carboydrates this is only when they are eaten in small quantities i.e. don't go and eat a full loaf of wholemeal bread. Beware of your intake of starchy carbs like rice, bread etc

 * Simple Rule: Anything that is picked from the ground or from a tree is a good carb*

Bad Carbs

• White Bread
• White Rice
• White Pasta
• Instant Oatmeal
• Fruit Juices
• Bagels
• Donuts
• Muffins
• Sweets
• Processed Breakfast Cereals

These type of carbohydrates increase insulin levels which enables these carbs to be stored as fat. Whole Wheat kinds offer two to three times more fibre than refined white.

Solution

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Do not cut carbs out of your diet. The trick to eating carbs is choosing the right carbs at the right time of the day. Choose natural over processed.

Timing is important-starchy carbs (sweet potato, whole meal pasta) early in the day and fibrous carbs (fruit and vegetables) later in the day.

With this in mind this week we changed our eating habits and decided to eat starchy carbs for our lunches and then in the evening after we workout, we will eat protein with fibrous carbs like an omelette with side portion of broccoli or chicken/tuna salad.

WHAT ABOUT POTATOES?

Being Irish the stereotype is true we do LOVE our potatoes. So you are probably thinking does this mean I can never eat potatoes again? Are white potatoes really bad for you?

White potatoes are actually a healthy carbohydrate as long as you eat them in the right form with the entire skin, and please don't ruin them by deep frying them into french fries either! French fries are one of the most evil things ever invented for your health, but only because we ruin them by soaking them in a scorching bath of trans fats in the deep fryer from the hydrogenated oils that are typically used.

Keep in mind that potatoes contain so many vitamins and minerals that the list is way too long to even try. Also, as long as you eat the skins, you get a decent shot of fiber too. An occasional potato is not going to hurt your efforts to get lean, especially if you combine it with some other fibrous vegetables and maybe a healthy fat and some protein.

The important thing to remember here that an “occasional” potato won’t hurt you.

Summary

1. Nutiriton is 90% of the game

2. Choose your carbs wisely –natural over processing

3. Timing is as important-starch carb early in day and fibrous carbs later in the day