Good Carb, Bad Carb

Healthy Food Bytes: Good Carb, Bad Carb

Carbohydrates are your body’s main energy source. It’s probably not a good idea to try to reduce your carbohydrate intake too much. Some people need more carbohydrates than others. The carbohydrate to protein ratio needed for each individual varies greatly. There is no one size fits all diet. You are unique in your body chemistry and metabolism.

“Simple” carbohydrates such as sugar and white refined products are not good for you period. Avoid them. “Complex” carbohydrates on the other hand such as whole grains and beans are good for you and are loaded with nutrients. Your body breaks these down at a slower rate therefore provides you with an even amount of energy instead of a spike and crash effect.

Simple carbohydrates such as in cakes, cookies, are high in sugar and low in fiber. This gives you little value for your body. Fruit and vegetables are also simple carbohydrates, but contain fiber and changes the way the body processes the sugar and slows down the digestion of these carbohydrates and makes it work more like a complex carbohydrate. Try to stay away from these simple carbohydrates: soda, candy, artificial syrups, sugar, white rice, white bread, white pasta, desserts. Try a delicious piece of fruit for dessert (grapes, watermelon, strawberries – yum). Try to change the way you think about food.

Eating lots of high glycemic index foods is not good for your body because it pushes your body to extremes – especially if you are overweight and you don’t exercise or move your body on a regular basis.

Complex carbohydrates are good for you they usually have a lower glycemic load – so sugars will be released at a more consistent rate.

So how do you know if a carbohydrate is good or bad?

Familiarize yourself with the Glycemic Load Factor (google it). This tells you how quickly and how high your blood sugar will rise after eating the carbohydrates as compared to eating pure sugar. Lower glycemic index foods are healthier for your body, and you will feel fuller, longer, after eating them. You can also look at the glycemic load of foods. It takes into account the index and the amount of carbohydrates in the food.
High glycemic load foods include – white crackers, French fries, honey, potatoes, refined cereals, soft drinks, sugar, white bread, white rice.

Low glycemic load foods include – barley, bran, brown rice, bulgur wheat, lentils, oatmeal, whole fruits, whole grain cereals, whole wheat products.

Some tips on how to switch to low GI foods:
Switch out white refined products for “whole” grain (rice, pasta, bread) Read the labels. If the ingredient list says “whole” wheat flour or “whole” oat flour, “brown” rice (etc) then it is more complex than simple.

Eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juice

Don’t eat a lot of potatoes

Eat lots of veggies and salads

Try quinoa as a side dish

What’s high? What’s low?
Hi GI = 70 and above
Medium GI = 56-69
Low GI = 55 and under

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It's Too Hot To Cook

Healthy Food Bytes: It’s too hot to cook!

Try these simple nutritious salads for your next summer meal:

Caprese Green Salad

regular caprese just doesn’t have enough veggies for me J

4 c. of dark green lettuce (red leaf and green leaf are my favorite)

½ c. multi colored mini heirloom tomatoes

½ c. fresh mozzarella – chopped

Sliced sweet onion (such as Maui)

Bunch of basil leaves – ciffonade (you know, roll it up tightly and slice to get thin strips)

For the dressing

2 tbs. canola oil

2 tbs. good extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs. good quality balsamic vinegar

2 tbs. Agave nectar (natural sweetener that doesn’t spike blood sugar like table sugar does – looser consistency than honey - has a milder taste than honey)

Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Spinach Salad with Pecans, Feta Cheese, Pears and Cranberries

4 c. of spinach (baby or regular)

½ c. pecan halves

1 thinly sliced pear

¼ c. feta cheese crumbles

2 tbs. dried cranberries

Sliced red onion

For the dressing

2 tbs. canola oil

2 tbs. good extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs. unfiltered apple juice

2 tbs. natural unfiltered apple cider vinegar (for probiotic benefit)

2 tbs. Agave nectar

Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Note: you can swap out an apple for the pear.

Quick Curry Chicken Salad

Buy 1 Rotisserie Chicken (go ahead, you can cheat, it’s hot – remember)

Shred 2 cups of chicken (discard skin, save the rest for another meal)

Hand full of grapes (any variety, cut in half)

Hand full of walnuts (chopped)

¼ cup water chestnuts (chopped)

1 garlic clove - pressed

2 tbs. chopped sweet onion

For the Dressing

2 tbs. canola oil real mayo

2 tbs. organic plain yogurt

2 tbs. natural ranch dressing (in produce section)

1/8 t. turmeric (tumeric has all sorts of great health benefits – used in Auyervedic practice in India for thousands of years to reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system)

1/8 t. coriander

1/8 t. cumin

Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together, pour over chicken, grapes and walnuts

Mix well, serve in cups of Bibb lettuce - enjoy whole grain crackers on the side.

You can add more or less of whatever you like. Make these salads to your liking.

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So You Don't Like Veggies?

Healthy Food Bytes: So you don’t like veggies?

Simple tips to help you expand your palate for veggies.

Eating more veggies couldn’t be easier.

To make your veggies taste better and make them more interesting, try different spices and sauces such as red pepper flakes, soy sauce, or a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. You can also combine other flavorful veggies and sauté green beans for example, with onions, bell peppers and fresh garlic. Also, don’t overcook your veggies. This zaps the life out of them therefore killing vital enzymes and nutrients. Your veggies should be crisp and colorful after lightly cooking them.

Try new veggies often and experiment with them in various ways. You may not like raw cabbage in a salad, but you may like it slightly sautéed with a little Asian flavored sauce. (check previous blog entries for recipes). Blend veggies into soups – carrots and butternut squash are particularly good in soups -makes the broth thicker too. Have you tried canned pumpkin in a waffle mix? Delicious! I’ll post the recipe later as Fall approaches us.

Keep trying at least a taste of veggies at each meal. You may be surprised that after a few times you will acquire a taste for it.

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