3 Key Steps – Beginners guide to Eliminate Refined Carbohydrates from your Diet

3 Key Steps

3 Key Steps – Beginners guide to Eliminate Refined

Carbohydrates from your Diet

It is the Way to Healthy Weight loss and Weight Management

Decreasing your Risk of Heart Disease, Diabetes & Cancer

An important question that many people ask that they find confusing is about carbohydrates asking – Are all Carbs Bad for You? The answer is NO! 

The carbohydrates found in fresh, whole foods are actually good for you, as they are full of necessary vitamins and minerals that your body requires to function efficiently. These are known as whole carbohydrates; they remain in a natural state.

Whole, Simple and Complex carbohydrates are the healthy ones, keeping it simple. As they are referred to as whole foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and barley. These are foods that have been minimally processed or are eaten in their fresh or raw form.  Some of these foods to ensure freshness or safety, are frozen, or have undergone minimal processing such as yogurt, milk and whole-grain bread and pasta. These carbohydrates still contain all their fibre and nutrients.

On the other hand, Refined carbs provide very few vitamins and minerals. The body processes refined carbs quickly, so they do not provide lasting energy, and they can cause a person’s blood sugar to spike. It is the increase in consumption of refined carbs that has led to the serious problem of obesity in our society. This leading to the increase of health problems, such as:

• heart disease
• type 2 diabetes
• stroke
• hypertension
• asthma
• chronic back pain
• osteoarthritis

Let’s take a look at how you can begin to minimize and eventually eliminate these refined carbohydrates! The Good and the Bad!

Good vs Bad Carbohydrates

The average person consumes between 250 to 350 kilos of refined sugar per year. That’s about 1 to 2 kilos per day! There is 1 million kilograms to a milligram.
The recommended quantity being 5 milligrams per day. It is easy to see the dilemma. You may not be able to eliminate every little ounce, but following these steps will certainly get you must closer to your recommended 5 milligrams.

How Refined Carbohydrates Harm Your Health  

Refined carbohydrates have been extensively processed to producing foods that are manufactured from white flour and sugar.

Unfortunately, many Australians are eating refined carbs on a daily basis as the major part of their diet. Foods such as soft drinks, candies, muffins, cakes, desserts and baked goods these are not the only foods that are in the refined carbohydrate category.  You will also find many more refined carbs in foods such as breakfast cereals, breads, buns, pizza dough, crackers, white rice, white pasta, pretzels, potato chips and French fries.

You might say but, these foods are YUMMY, and you Like them!  When you know what they are doing to YOU? I think you will change your mind.

Due to the over processing of these carbohydrates, they have no sustainable nutrient content, therefore, if you were to have a blood test you may find that you are suffering from malnourishment, depleted of the essential vitamins and nutrients needed to sustain your body functions. Refined carbohydrates are also a major contributor to many of the increasing health problems, such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, kidney, liver, Alzheimers and so forth.

I hear you; you are saying – “No I don’t want to fall victim to these diseases”. So, let’s look at what you can DO!

The Secret to Making Positive Changes with the Food you Eat is to work on – Making the Food you Eat, your Best Friend – Rather than your Worst Enemy.

3 Keys to Begin Eliminating Refined Carbohydrates!

The necessary steps to Making Food your Best Friend!

1: Clean out the Pantry of both your Kitchen & your Mind 

• Eliminate adding sugar to any of your food or drink. Believe me you will get used of having tea and coffee without sugar.

• Eliminate or minimize your intake of processed or packaged foods.

• Eliminate eating lollies, cakes, chocolates, pastries, biscuits, bottled fruit juices, dried fruits, refined breads and soft drinks.

• Check Labels: Get in the habit of looking at the ingredient list and check for whole food ingredients. If you see wheat flour, enriched wheat flour, sugar or high fructose corn syrup listed, then the product contains refined carbohydrates.

2: Start Afresh:

• Fresh Real Food: The easiest way to avoid refined carbohydrates and sugar is to purchase whole foods in their unprocessed state. This includes all fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, whole grains, yogurt, goats’ cheese, eggs, chicken, lean beef, lamb, pork and fish.

• When Eating Out: Enjoy meals that have lean meat, chicken or fish with no sauces, then have a salad or vegetable selection such as sweet potato, pumpkin, corn, carrots, greens are healthy carbohydrates you can enjoy with your meal. Avoid desert unless fresh fruit and yogurt. If you enjoy a glass of wine, then by all means have one or two maximum or a couple of beers. Avoid any soft drinks or mixer drinks.

Benefits of Non-Refined

Complex Carbohydrates

So, yes what is in it for you when you choose to move away from might seem like your favourite foods at the moment.

These non-refined carbs are what is known as your good carbs because they are foods that contain naturally occurring sugar with no additives or preservatives. Due to minimal processing, they retain optimal nutrition therefore having long term benefits to your health by:

• Assisting with healthy bowel and digestive function due to the natural fibre.

• Improved energy and vitality.

• Reduces anxiety and improves brain function.

• Maintains healthy weight as being real food it is easily absorbed and utilized by your body improving your metabolism.

• Supports Healthy Sleep: Certain carbs like oatmeal, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, bananas, and brown rice contains large amounts of tryptophan, which relax the body and help put you to sleep. Oatmeal even helps your body produce melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep. Eating some complex carbs at night before bed can help you sleep more soundly through the night and fall asleep faster.

3: Understanding the Health Benefits of Positive Change -Wholegrains, Vegetables and Fruit 

• Whole-grain products include brown rice, whole-grain pasta, beans, whole wheat bread, whole oats, buckwheat, millet, whole rye, whole-grain barley and whole-grain corn are considered good carbohydrates. These foods are rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that are beneficial to your health. Also, they have a low glycaemic index because they cause a slower change in blood sugar levels.

• Diets rich in high glycaemic index foods cause a rapid rise in blood glucose levels, thereby increasing the risk for diabetes and heart disease. By contrast, foods with a low glycaemic index help you achieve a more stable blood sugar and improve weight loss and control Type 2 diabetes.

• Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, nutrients and carbohydrates. People who consume about 2,000 calories per day should eat 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables daily.

• Legumes such as beans, peas and lentils are high in fibre, carbohydrates and protein and low in fat. Legumes may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer, reports the Linus Pauling Institute. On a 2,000-calorie daily diet, you should eat 3 cups of legumes a week.

Healthy Eating is Happy Eating Because You & You’re Family are Worth it! Mindful Nutrition is about becoming mindful and aware of the foods you are eating and why. It is how you will build a positive, healthy and rewarding relationship with food with my eBook: Eating to Live

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