The basics of weight loss diets: Know Your Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are in fact a type of sugar,

It is a vital component of the metabolism process.

The most important thing to know about carbohydrates (aka “carbs”) is the difference between simple and complex carbs.

Simple carbs are found in: white bread, chocolate, candy, cakes, table sugar, and so on.

Complex carbs are found in: oatmeal, whole wheat bread, potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, and so on.

In your average weight loss diet, simple carbs are to be avoided while complex carbs are essential in the right dosage.

The difference in carbs is rooted in the digestion process,

Simple carbs are digested fast while complex carbs are digested slowly.

The reason you should eat only complex carbs (and not a lot of those either) is this:

When the body breaks down carbohydrates as part of the digestion process,

The level of blood sugar is rising,

When the blood sugar is high, the body releases insulin to level the blood sugar index.

When insulin is released, the body does not use fat as a source of energy,

Even worse, the body will store the energy in the form of new fat cells as long as it doesn’t have a better use for it (muscle, providing energy for a workout, etc).

For example, if you eat chocolate your blood sugar is rising,

Your body receives a quick boost of energy it has nothing to do with,

The energy is stored as fat.

On the other hand,

Complex carbs are digested much slower.

This means that the blood sugar will not rise quickly,

Instead, the body will receive energy gradually and will not produce a lot of insulin (aka “insulin spike”).

So, what you should do is eat a complex carb before you do your workout.

The timing is crucial, you do not want to give your body energy that you are not going to use soon.

Leftover energy, as you all know, is stored as fat.

However, do not cut all carbs off your diet,

some people do it thinking it will hasten their diet - but it is very dangerous.

It weakens your immune system and can damage your metabolism.

Carbohydrates are a major source of energy but it doesn’t mean you can just quit eating them.

You must be calculated and eat the right carbs at the right time.

If you really want to lose weight,

You should combine eating complex carbs before long aerobic activities.

This way the body knows it has a reliable energy source and so it allows it self to burn fat.

Hopefully you will take what you just read into your weight loss efforts and increase your diet’s productivity.

Good luck,

David H. Mason, Please feel free to contact me: DHMason@LivingRightLosingWeight.com For more information about dieting psychology, weight loss, fitness and nutrition you are welcome to visit my site: www.LivingRightLosingWeight.com

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