Eat smarter for more efficient weight loss

by Jelena Savic, B.Nat. Healthy Life Chadstone

Most people understand that to lose weight they need to use up more energy than they consume.This generally means more physical activity and less calories. But you can impact on this basic equation by changing the type of calories you eat and improving your metabolic rate.

Avoid ‘empty calories’ of high GI foods 
Calorie counting is only part of the story. Choosing foods with a low glycaemic index means you’ll feel less hungry and have fewer cravings. The same number of calories from a high-GI food will tend to be less satisfying.

What is glycaemic index?
When food is broken down in your gut, carbohydrates are converted into sugars, the main one being glucose, which passes through the gut wall into your bloodstream. To remain healthy your blood glucose level needs to remain pretty stable, which is where the hormone insulin comes in.

Insulin works on the cells of your body instructing them to take in glucose from the bloodstream to use for energy, or to convert the excess into glycogen or fat (which are stores of energy).

High GI foods, such as pastries, cakes, white bread and even white rice, contain simple carbohydrates that are quickly converted to glucose and create a spike in insulin levels. Unless this energy is used up straight away with a high intensity work out, the excess blood glucose is stored as fat. Plus, when the rapid spike in insulin drops, the resulting blood sugar imbalance causes a craving for something sweet.

Complex carbohydrates release sugars more slowly and, due to their high fibre content, help you feel full longer between meals. They also tend to have a high vitamin and mineral content. Good sources include whole grains such as quinoa, millet, barley, oats and brown rice, as well as legumes and green vegetables.

Increase your metabolism to use more energy
A complex network of hormones and enzymes convert food into fuel. Your metabolic rate determines how efficiently that fuel is used. If you have a fast metabolism then, even when you’re inactive, more calories are being used up for basic body functions than an average person.

DO NOT miss breakfast! You need to jump start your metabolism first thing in the morning to burn the most calories possible throughout the day. Studies show that eating breakfast can increase your resting metabolism for the rest of the day by as much as 10%. A healthy breakfast may include oats or quinoa porridge, eggs on wholemeal toast or muesli and full cream yoghurt.

Spreading your food intake into five or six small meals a day will balance your blood sugar levels and provide you with longer lasting energy. (Provided, of course, that you don’t increase the total amount you eat.)

It’s thought that long gaps between meals causes your body to go into ‘starvation mode’ – a natural protective mechanism whereby much of the food you have consumed is stored into fat for use another day. If instead, we train the body that the next meal will come before the drop in blood sugar, fat storage mechanisms are slowed down and the food we consume is used as an energy source to get us through the day.

Exercise does more than burn up calories
A healthy diet is just one part of the equation. The other is exercise. By building up lean muscle mass with strength and resistance training, your body’s resting metabolic rate naturally increases along with your ability to burn fat.

Regular exercise 3-5 days a week for 40 min, will not only promote weight loss, but boost your stamina, energy and the release of feel good hormones to keep you feeling positive.

Resource: healthylife.net.au