Move over fats, carbs in all their forms and sizes are the new villain in the weight loss town. Not all carbs are bad, in fact, complex carbs can help you motor through the whole weight loss process smoothly. Complex carbs make you full, provide the essential nutrients to run physiological processes of the body smoothly, including that of fat burning. If you have to eliminate a form of carb, it should be refined ones because they largely have empty calories whereas complex carbs are nutrient dense. It’s really difficult to achieve zero carbs status because all fruits and veggies have some amount of carbs in them, and to avoid veggies and fruits to eliminate carbs is not a good idea, neither is it sustainable. Apart from that, with complex carbs comes an amazing ingredient for weight loss, fiber. So, that’s why, do not avoid carbs, and as with any food, moderation is the key with carbs too. Also, eating these delicious carbs wouldn’t make you overweight, so do try them to boost weight loss and get healthy as well.
Why Do People Avoid Carbs To Lose Weight?
Now, coming to the question of why people avoid carbs – it’s the primary source of energy for the body, but excess carbs are stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen, which is a form of energy that the body uses up for instant energy. Each gram of glycogen retains 3 gm of water, and so upon cutting down carbs, one can lose water weight. Also, refined carbs like cakes, cookies, white bread, etc., have empty calories that spike insulin levels and insulin is a hormone which triggers fat storage as well, so when you eat a lot of refined carbs, most of them get stored as fat molecules, leading to weight gain.
Carbs That Wouldn’t Make you Overweight:
Recent studies have revealed that a group of carbs, called “resistant starch,” boost weight loss because they take longer to digest, act as prebiotic feeding the friendly bacteria of the gut, and most importantly, do not trigger sharp insulin spikes. Here’s a list of foods with carbs that wouldn’t make you overweight.
1. Popcorn: Not the ones that come in microwavable packets, laced with butter and preservatives, but we are talking about the ones that can be popped out of organic kernels, which can be a considered a healthy snack with their high fiber, mineral content. Popcorn is hardly a junk food, it’s a whole grain, that when eaten in moderation wouldn’t make you overweight.
2. Sweet Potatoes: This is one source of carbs you should definitely be including in your diet. Rich in antioxidants, beta carotene, vitamin C, minerals, and fiber, sweet potatoes can be baked, boiled, and even made into chips as delicious treats.
3. Dals/Lentils: High in protein, fiber, complex carbs, lentils can be part of a healthy diet without any second thought. Dal Makhani, dal fry are just a few options to make plain lentils yummy.
4. Quinoa: This one is high in protein, fiber, minerals, has been found to promote weight loss, and is considered one of the healthiest grains.
5. Oats: With a low glycemic index, high nutritional profile, oats is an indispensable component of any weight loss diet. It also helps that they are extremely low in calorie. And there’s a really delicious way to eat your oats – find it on the weight loss diet on the Rati Beauty app.
6. Buckwheat: It’s a superfood that has not got its due importance yet because it’s a nutrient dense carb source with good amount of protein, fiber, and minerals too.
7. Banana: Especially raw banana, has abundant resistant starch, keeps you full for longer and curbs appetite as well.
Summing up, say no to refined carbs and yes to complex carbs.
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