Low Glycemic Carbs, Protein & Weight Loss: Part II

I know you have taken the last installment of this article and really tried to embrace the information I provided. Now I am going to make the process a little easier for you by giving you some tips for the practical application of the low glycemic carb and protein concept. First I am going to talk about good carbohydrate selection. Then I am going to discuss protein's role in your daily meals and finally I will talk a little about the meals that are a staple in my own personal diet.

Choosing "good" carbohydrates is relatively easy. First on the list, beware of "white" foods and enriched products. White pasta, white rice, white bread and flour tortillas are all stripped of much of their nutritional value leaving us with a carbohydrate with very little nutritious value and less fiber. These "airy" foods will often leave you hungry after a short amount of time which means you will more likely head back to the cupboard for more snacks shortly after your meal. Stick with more fibrous food choices like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread and corn tortillas when choosing your carbohydrates. Eating a baked potato with its skin is a great potato source. The fibrous outer layer of a baked potato takes longer to digest than if you eat french fries or mashed potatoes, which again results in a slower release of glucose into the blood stream. Be sure to fill your diet with a lot of veggies. Vegetables take a lot of work to be broken down by your digestive system, they are an unparalleled source of vitamins and nutrients and they keep you satiated without adding tons of calories. As for fruits, they are simple carbohydrates on the glycemic index, but their nutritional value when it comes to vitamins, minerals and antioxidants far out weigh their high glycemic rating. The key to eating carbohydrates is picking ones that won't leave you hungry after your meals and that will cause a less drastic initial insulin response.

Now for the protein part. Eating lean proteins like egg whites, fish, tuna, turkey, chicken and some clean cuts of beef are the way to go when it comes to choosing a good source of protein that will keep you satiated. Although not everyone agrees on whether eating animal product is necessary or not, the truth is most of us eat some sort of lean meat and it serves as an excellent source of complete proteins we. Due to the complex structure of meat products, it takes a tremendous amount of work by our digestive system to metabolize fish, chicken and beef. I typically recommend my clients eat some sort of lean protein with every major meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) because it will help them feel more full. As I stated in Part I, feeling of fullness will keep us from senseless snacking or binge eating readily available simple carbohydrates found in many snack foods. This technique has been especially effective for me since I typically want to eat every two hours. When I get a good lean cut of beef or a big piece of chicken, I don't feel like I am starving a couple hours later and I can move through my day more comfortably. Lean protein shakes are great snacks for fat loss because they won't cause an insulin response, especially if they are pure protein without any sort of carbohydrate balance.

Now that I have armed you with some general food selection knowledge, I am going to share some of my personal favorites that I use daily. First off, let's talk about breakfast. Breakfast is the start of the day, so it's good to have a lot of carbs in the morning to get that metabolism revved up. I basically have three choices I use for breakfast: Oatmeal + Turkey Sausage + Protein Shake + Fruit, Breakfast Burrito (Egg White + Turkey Sausage + Whole Wheat Tortilla) + Fruit, or if I am in a rush Wheaties Fuel or Trader Joe's Golden Flax Cereal + Meal Replacement Shake. For my snacks I will use throughout the day: PB & J (so classic, economical and utterly awesome), two omega-3 enriched chicken patties from Costco, EAS lean protein shake + fruit, Cellucor IsoPro Sport shake, small turkey sandwich + fruit and CLIF bars + fruit. For lunch I keep it pretty basic: Brown Rice + Chicken + Veggies, Turkey Burger Patties + Baked Potato + Veggies, Turkey Meat + Whole Wheat Tortilla Burritos, Whole Wheat Pasta + Turkey Meatballs, Baked Potato + Chili (homemade, oh yeah!). As for dinner, much of the same that I have at lunch if not the exact same thing. Don't get me wrong, I have my cheat day that last from Friday night to Saturday evening, then I get right back on the horse on Sundays. It helps keep me sane and focused. For the most part, those are the food choices I have found work for me and my body. I hope this helps you all a little more with your fitness goals!