Category: Learn

Carbs bring us joy. Think of French fries, cake, and pancakes. In moderation, carbs provide us with much needed energy and make our meals extra delicious. In excess, we may experience large fluctuations in our energy levels, weight gain, and diabetes. Adjusting how many carbs we consume can help alleviate the health issues we may have developed.

Who benefits the most from eating low carb?

According to the American Diabetes Association, “over 37 million Americans have diabetes and another 96 million have prediabetes.” Diabetes and prediabetes are chronic diseases that result from too much sugar in our blood. This can increase our risk for strokes, cause kidney damage, and lead to blindness among many other complications. Most cases of diabetes are classified as type 2, meaning blood sugar is higher than normal. Prediabetes is also characterized by higher than normal blood sugar but not high enough for type 2 diabetes. Having a blood test regularly to check for blood sugar levels will be essential for treating or preventing the disease. Symptoms and risks for future complication can be greatly reduced by eating low carb.

How to eat low carb

Trying to count all the carbs for every single meal we eat can make the process stressful. The American Diabetes Association has a simple approach called the Diabetes Plate Method. This method recommends that our meals consist of 50% of our plate with non-starchy vegetables (e.g. broccoli and green beans), 25% of our plate with protein foods (e.g. chicken and salmon), and 25% of our plate with carbs (e.g. brown rice and sweet potatoes). We can still enjoy pasta, bread, and more of our favorites carbs, but the goal is eat less than we are accustomed to by replacing with non-starchy vegetables.

Tricks for eating low carb

For the first few weeks, you may still have cravings for foods you are looking to limit or avoid. There are many ways to help satisfy those cravings and keep you on your healthy eating journey.

– Replace rice with cauliflower rice
– Use almond flour instead of regular flour when baking
– Cook with spaghetti squash or zucchini strands instead of wheat pasta
– Incorporate nuts and seeds into snacks and meals to replace calories from carbs
– Try Greek yogurt/cottage cheese and fruit for dessert

The transition may not be easy, but the benefits will absolutely outweigh any temporary joy we may experience from indulging in carb heavy foods. If your blood sugar is high enough for prediabetes or you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, you can manage your condition by reducing the carbs you eat. This can potentially alleviate any symptoms as well as prevent the need to take medication. Even if you are not at risk for diabetes, you may notice that your energy levels are more consistent throughout the day by avoiding carb heavy meals. Try lowering some of your carbs and see if you notice any benefits!

References:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/carbohydrates/art-20045705

https://diabetes.org/

Finding and understanding nutritional information for our foods can be exhausting. We may be most familiar with nutrition labels founds on products we purchase at the grocery store. The information will often be small and include a host of numbers and percentages. This can make understanding nutritional information intimidating. However, the more informed we are about our foods, the better decisions we will make for our bodies. How can we get started?

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration sets nutrition guidelines, which can be found at https://www.fda.gov, to advise us on how to meet our nutrient needs and promote better health. Our bodies need a wide variety of nutrients, such as protein and calcium. However, rather than try to understand all the nutrients, we will focus on 3 categories that contribute to many of our health problems. Diets high in refined carbohydrates/sugar, saturated/trans fats, and sodium have been associated with numerous diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. We will breakdown how we can focus on each of these categories.

Carbohydrates

The FDA recommends you eat 275g of carbohydrates daily based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. Most of the foods we enjoy contain carbohydrates. Grains, breads, and potatoes are some notable sources. We may find that our energy levels spike and crash depending on how many carbohydrates we consume for each of our meals due to how our blood sugars rise and fall. This can indicate we may be overindulging in this macronutrient. Constantly having high blood sugar can even eventually contribute to diabetes. A blood test can help us assess if we are at risk for diabetes. Even if we are not at risk, we can track our carbohydrates for a few days and try making adjustments to see if we notice any improvements in how we feel.

Saturated fats

The FDA recommends you eat no more than 30g of saturated fat daily on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. There is no daily value for trans fats because the FDA does not have scientific reports that help establish an amount. Countless research links saturated fats with an increased risk for heart disease. We can identify saturated fats by noting they are solid at room temperature, such as fats in red meat and cheese. A blood test can assess if we are at risk for heart disease. Tracking how much we consume in saturated fats for a few days can help us see if we should make any adjustments. Although we may not be at risk for heart disease now, developing good habits will ensure lower risk for problems in the future, such as heart attacks.

Sodium

The FDA recommends you eat no more than 2,300mg of sodium daily on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. Although we need sodium for our bodies to function, too much sodium consumption can lead to high blood pressure, which increases your risk for cardiovascular diseases. Having high blood pressure affects our daily activities due to symptoms such as headaches and anxiety. Most of our sodium intake comes in the form of salt, and high levels of sodium can be found in many processed and restaurant foods. A blood pressure test can assess if we are within the normal range. Tracking how much we consume in sodium for a few days can help us see if we should make any adjustments.

Make an effort to track how much of these 3 nutrients you consume on an average day. Take advantage of blood tests and other medical assessments to understand any potential health risks. With a bit of time and effort, you will take better control of your health. You will be on your way to notice the benefits of understanding nutritional information.

References

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/carbohydrates-and-blood-sugar/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/31/usda-dietary-guidelines-diabetes_n_5635554.html

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-Saturated-Fats_UCM_463756_Article.jsp#.W3eWYdJKg2w

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium/sodium-health-risks-and-disease/

https://www.cdc.gov/salt/pdfs/Sodium_Fact_Sheet.pdf

https://www.fda.gov/downloads/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidancedocuments/foodlabelingnutrition/foodlabelingguide/ucm265446.pdf

Have you ever noticed that a hearty pasta or decadent burger and fries at your favorite restaurant impacts your body differently than when you eat a similar meal cooked at home? Restaurant foods often contain more ingredients and are served in larger portions. Why should we focus on healthy eating at restaurants?

Importance of learning about our food

Millions of people suffer from chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. There is a consensus among health experts that a higher risk for some of these diseases results from several nutrients in our food, namely: carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and sodium. This is an oversimplification of the relationship our bodies have with our food, as there are many other factors that contribute to our overall health, but focusing on these three nutrients will provide valuable metrics in guiding us towards making better decisions.

Even if you do not suffer from an illness, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, you will still feel the effects of your diet. Indulging in too many carbohydrates may leave you feeling more tired than usual. Too much salt could make you feel bloated. Many have difficulty waking up every morning, maintaining consistent energy, or feel heightened anxiety at times. Your nutrition absolutely affects how you feel throughout the day, and this can impact your productivity at work, school, and in everyday activities.

What can we do?

Most of us have a vast selection to choose from for our meals. Large corporations, restaurant chains, and numerous retailers disproportionately control what foods we have available to us. We don’t have to resort to cooking all of our meals under the scrutiny of our own kitchens. We can dine out and still enjoy delicious food. Most restaurant chains provide nutritional information on their websites. Focus on carbohydrates, saturated/trans fats, and sodium. This will prevent us from becoming overwhelmed by the volume of information provided. You may be surprised by what even a supposed healthy salad could contain.

Make it a goal to understand the nutrient profiles of some of your favorite meals. Not all restaurants will have this information available. As you spend more time familiarizing yourself with various restaurant menus, you will develop a good sense of the nutrient profiles of most dishes based on the ingredients and descriptions. This can be likened to how you can gauge the temperature outside based on your experiences comparing against the thermometer. Becoming better informed about our meal choices when eating out will help translate to better health!