Healthy Carbs To Eat While Losing Fat

Diet naysayers and self-proclaimed nutrition experts may preach that including carbohydrates in your diet while trying to tone-down is the biggest sin since egg-free mayonnaise. Well not unexpectedly, they couldn’t be further from the truth. Eating healthy carbs is not only possible, but it can be made into a fun activity for friends and family alike to find enjoyment in.

Moreover, carbs alone won’t make anyone fat, that much is sure. Carbohydrates are needed to provide energy for the body, and fasting on carbs can easily be as detrimental to your preferred weight levels since it would make you feast on junk food to the ground like there’s no tomorrow. According to nutrition twin experts Tammy Lakatos Shames, R.D. and Lyssie Lakatos, R.D. -- you can undoubtedly ‘melt’ those love handles by munching on the RIGHT carbs.

Which ones are the right ones? – We’re glad you asked.

Green Peas

Green Peas are a great source of potassium, zinc, vitamin C and dietary fibers. Furthermore, zinc is a known enemy of the common cold and may help you survive through season transitions by boosting your immunity threefold. Zinc is also involved in the creation of leptin – a hormone familiar to food enthusiasts as the “fat hormone” – which name alone suggests that it has something to do with regulating satiety even before edibles manage to reach your belly’s bottom.

So in a way, green peas have double the impact on your overall regulation of fat.

Barley

No one is a fan of blood sugar peaks and valleys that can leave people feeling starved and sign for desperate measures – such as that chocolate iced crème filled donut sitting about freely on your shelf.

When ingested, pearled barley, hull-less barley or even barley groats release sugar slowly into the bloodstream, maintaining an almost-perfect glycemic curve that battles against hunger in a natural and healthy manner.

Whole-Grain Bread

In a research conducted at Harvard, a continuous nibble at whole-grain breads fares well for the heart and may help in battling heart disease in the long run. In another study done by Penn State scientists, participants who indulged in a low-calorie diet while munching whole grains lost substantially more fat than those who ate processed grains.

Also, be on the lookout for 100% whole grain bread packages, since clever marketing can trick you into buying “whole grain” labeled bread made of only 51% whole grains.

Whole-Wheat Pasta

As with whole-grain bread – it’s only logical that whole-wheat pasta shares some benefits for keeping that waistline in check, plus more. Swapping regular for whole-wheat pasta is directly linked to having a thinner waistline, a significant decrease in abdominal fat and a lower body mass index (BMI).

But, as author Keri Gans, R.D. recommends in his book, to keep weight in check make sure you’re not gobbling up more than 200 calories JUST from pasta alone.

Chickpeas

To reach satiety faster than you normally would, opt in for foods part of the legumes family such as beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas. These superfoods are known to fend off overeating and promote increased energy levels, fitness and also help while working out.

A great recipe involves 3 tablespoons of olive oil, chickpeas, and spices to taste roasted at 375F for 40 min. to get an excellent snack viable at any given time of day.

Pears

Again, as supported by clinical trials, the guys and gals at Annals of Internal Medicine came to the conclusion that healthy adults whose intake consisted of at least 30 grams of dietary fibers per day had lost 5 pounds in one year. These participants did not make any other change to their existing diets except the addition of fiber.

Pears are known to have high amounts of fiber, vitamins and other important nutrients that make it not only a great source of healthy carbs – but also a powerful fruit for individuals seeking an overall improvement in their eating habits.

Popcorn

Trading off potato chips for air-popped popcorn kernels would be a welcome alternative for all – especially those trying to get rid of fat. Popcorn is good for the heart, reaches satiety levels faster than, say, fried potatoes and reduces hunger like a boss.

A great alternative to ease that yearn for fatty foods once and for all.

Having suggestions of your own? Go ahead and share them below and we’ll be more than happy to answer.