How the Body Uses Carbohydrates

 

Carbs are broken down into simple sugars, and in turn absorb through the bloodstream.  As your sugar levels increase your pancreas releases a hormone (insulin), which transports glucose into your cells supplying them with their source of energy. When this process happens too quickly your energy is used up faster and you become hungry sooner.  However, when the process is slower as with; complexed carbs your energy levels are sustained longer.  Which mean you are satisfied longer, thus you eat less.

Carbohydrates produce six different functions in the body:

Provide energy and regulation of blood sugar

1. Sparing the use of proteins for energy
2. Breakdown of fatty acids and preventing ketosis
3. Biological recognition processes
4. Flavor and Sweeteners
5. Dietary fiber

There appears to be a direct link between what is going on with the blood sugar and diabetes and heart disease.  This makes it very important for you to select your carbs wisely to maintain healthy levels of insulin in your blood to avoid these diseases.

NancyT

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CARBOHYDRATES

Most foods contain carbs, which the body breaks down into simple sugars and are the major source of energy for our bodies.  Understanding carbs and their purpose will help us make healthier carb choices and not get caught up in fad carb diets. 

Carbohydrates give the body energy to perform its many functions. There are two different types of carbs; simple and complex.

 Simple Carbs (simple sugars) are found in table sugar, candy, fruit and milk.  Of those three, fruit and milk are the healthier choices.   Fruit contains vitamins and fiber and  milk contains calcium. (I am not a big advocate of milk and I will share why at a later time).  While simple sugars give a quick energy increase, they also crash quickly causing you to be hungry sooner.

 Complex Carbs(starches) include the grain products; bread, pasta, crackers, vegetables and rice.  It is always best to select unrefined grain products over refined.  Refined, are white flour, white rice any thing that has been bleached and or processed.  Unrefined grains are best because they have not been processed to the point of removing fiber, vitamins and minerals. These carbs stick with you longer with the added bonus of fiber, which helps with digestion and elimination.

NancyT

Plan Your Success Part 2

Knowing our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is helpful when planning our meals.  This tells us how many calories we need to stay at our current weight or to achieve our desired weight.  Go to (http://exercise.about.com/library/blbmrcalculator.htm) and plug in your height, weight and gender to get your BMR.

1.  Decide how much we want to lose each week (no more than 1 -2 lbs.) and pace ourselves accordingly.  Losing weight too fast can result in saggy skin and can sometimes be unhealthy. 
2. Keep track of our blood pressure.  BP machines are free at most Fry’s Food Stores.
3. Take a week to observe what we actually eat.  Write down every single thing that goes into our mouths daily.  We’ll be surprised at some of the mindless eating we often do.

Meal planning is vital to weight loss.   In order to maintain good health it is best to eat balanced meals.  Let’s plan our meals and try to eat more whole foods and less processed foods.  Taking a lunch to work verses eating out will not only help our waistlines but also save money.  Include healthy snacks such as carrots, celery, fresh fruit, nut and berries.  We can make our own trail mix with nuts and raisins, so we don’t get too hungry in between meals.

Eating an apple a day is really good for us!  God’s natural candies (fresh fruit) are healthy and make great snacks when on the go.  Drink plenty of water.  Listen to your body it will tell you when you eat something that does not agree with you.  You know that bloated feeling you get after a heavy greasy meal.  That’s your body telling you not to do that again.

Remember, we don’t want to live to eat; we want to eat to live!

NancyT

My Strategy For Weight Loss

I don’t like the word diet because the first three letters spell die, and I am not trying to do that right now.  So I opt to eat more living foods such as fruits, nuts and vegetables as close to their natural state as possible.   

 Now that doesn’t mean I don’t have fried chicken, which is my personal favorite.  But I keep the bad, unhealthy meals to a minimum.  I do a Daniel fast at least twice a year.  During this time I only eat raw fruits, nuts and vegetables for a month.  It gives your body a rest from all the processed junk.  It allows you to get protein and fiber which helps clean you out.  I usually chop up the vegetables differently for different taste.  For salad dressing I mix together pure lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.

By the time I finish my Daniel fast, my taste buds have changed.  I gradually reintroduce meats and other things into my meals and often find that they don’t taste as good as they once they did.  But the best secret I can pass on to you is how to structure your plate at meal times.  If you follow this you will lose weight.

●Make sure ½ of your plate is filled with fruits and/or vegetables,  ¼ grains and beans and only ¼ is devoted to meat, poultry or fish:

   

●Fill up on high fiber food and you won’t have much room for the other stuff.  I have  a salad with every sit down meal, even if it is just some fried chicken!

 ●Drink plenty of pure water and don’t substitute any other drink!If you’re a soda drinker cut down as soon as possible.  Later I’ll explain why.

 NancyT

Plan Your Success Part 1

The bible teaches us to write our plans down and make them plain and a healthy body is (or should be) part of our overall life plan. Some of us may need to modify our weight because of health issues. We highly recommend consulting your Doctor prior to starting any weight loss program.

Let’s note where we are and set some realistic goals for ourselves.

1) Write down our measurements including neck, arms (biceps), above and     under the breasts, waist, abdomen, hips, both thighs, calves.
2) Weigh ourselves and then decide:

• What size we want to wear (4, 5, 6, 10 or 12)
• How much we want to weigh
• What we want our measurements to be (36, 24, 36 is not for everyone)
• Favorite kind of exercise
• How often we will exercise (3 times a week is ideal)

3) Keep a weekly log of our progress. Take note of setbacks (why, what we can do differently, etc.) and be encouraged by our accomplishments.

NancyT

What’s Eating You!

Are you an emotional eater?  I’ve been guilty a time or two of drowning myself in a pint of HaagenDazs ice cream or chocolate chip cookies to make myself feel better.

In our quest to win the battle of the bulge one of the things we must learn is to pay attention to when/why we’re eating.  Find out what is eating at us, resolve those issues and we’ll be on our way to healthier lifestyles.

God’s plan is that we prosper, and be in good health, even as our souls prosper!  Yes!  God is concerned about our weight!  He came to give us abundant life!  Obesity can be a robber of that abundant life.  Diabetes is on the rise and there is a direct connection between this disease and obesity .

And know this, everyone is not going to be a super model thin nor should we strive for that.  I say we commit to be the best we can in this body, being that it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, allow Him to help define what your weight should be.  He will help you in all the areas necessary (what’s eating you, what you should eat, what you should weigh).

And don’t forget to get out and get some movement.  I say movement because in all honesty that’s what exercise really is, our bodies were made to move!  There are times in the worship service I feel that I’ve burned some serious calories!  Come on everybody get up and dance like David!

 NancyT

Things are Turning Around!

Good Afternoon Everyone!

Everyone is trimming down.  I am so encouraged.  I’ve lost round about 20 pounds so far and even more inches.  People think I’ve lost more weight than I actually have.  I have 30 pounds to go.

I have been doing basically an Atkins Diet.  No carbs, No sugar.  To my surprise carbs have been easier to go without, but sweets – Claude have mercy!  That has been so hard.

I’ve also noticed that soda taste “yuk” to me now.  I felt like I was drinking acid or something.  I am going to try my hardest to totally drop soda.  My cousin Shannon shared with me that it will take a 30 minute workout just to work off a soda – WOW!

Well, we are on a roll people, let’s keep going.  Let’s try to reach our target goal by the end of the year.  We’ll have a celebration party at the end of the year.

Be blessed people!

Express4 Support (Nicole)

OPTIONS!

Hey Hey Hey! So, I have been trying to educate myself on weight loss, diets, excersise, etc. The other day something caught my eye…it was more like an explosion in my head! It seems like my whole life has been one big diet…to the point where I’m beggining to hate the word (I know I hear an Amen) LOL!

We hear about the latest fad, and trust me I have just about tried it all…and it’s important to find what truly works for you. I have found that I sacrafice so much just trying to stay fit that I endulge and then fight to take those extra two to five pounds back off, which is ok to a point…but I am looking for true balance. Which brings me to my next point…I am reading a book called Naturally Thin…the concept slapped me in my face, although not a new concept, as Oprah would say, I had an “ah ha” moment. The focus of the book is “You can have it all, you just can’t have it all at once”! “Taste everything, eat nothing”. Some people call this “grazing”. Most people that graze throughout the day are naturally thin and have portion size under control…and they never get hungry because they are always eating.

Again, this is not a new idea, but it’s new to me because my problem is I am greedy, I do not eat small portions of anything, and that will be my challenge. If I am having a salad, it too is huge! LOL I am going to try grazing, keeping in mind Taste everything, doesn’t mean eating bad all the time, but truly focusing on portions.

My ultimate goal is my overall health and living life the way it’s meant to be lived…healthy and happy! Let’s be real, we ar not eating salad everyday for the rest of our lives, there has to be a better way! I’m searching for it!!! Exercise is key! Will keep you posted! Love ya!

If you are interested the book is called, Natually Thin, by Bethenny Frankel. Walmart online has it the cheapest I have seen.

Express4 Support (Shannon)

Hello Everyone

It’s been a minute since I’ve blogged and for that I apologize.  TGB is on the move and I’ve been crazy busy and had the nerve to get sick Thank you all for your prayers.  Now, let’s get down to our weight issues.  I hope everyone is well and on track.  I’m starting something kind of crazy, but under my doctors care, I know it will work for me.

I’m tired of staring at all my clothes in the closet!  So, I just started a 500 Calorie Diet for 3 weeks to jump start my weight loss.  I went to a doctor to talk to them about my weight issues and she told me something surprising.  When I work out, I go all out.  Jumping, girating, jiggling, THE WORKS!  (LOL) My doctor told me that for my particular body and the health issues I have.  I was actually putting my body under stress when I exercised and raising my cortisol levels.  In return, my results have been extremely slow.  She told me to stop all the girating (LOL again) and focus on walking.

To jump start my weight loss she has me on a 6 week Program.  500 Calories the first 3 weeks and 1500 the next 3 weeks.  Then I will gradually increase my intake to no more than 2500 Calories a day to maintain with exercise.

Here what I eat on my 3 Week 500 Calorie Diet:

Any quantity of  Water, Tea, or Coffee (No Sugar or any type of sweetner)

Breakfast:  Tea and 1/2 Piece of Fruit

Snack:  The other half of fruit I saved from breakfast

Lunch:  A handful of salad with a handful of grilled chicken. (No salad dressing, but you can do a vinegar oil)

Dinner:  A handful of any type of meat and a vegetable.

Dessert:  1 Piece of Fruit

No Sugar and No Carbs

So far, so good. I wanted to share that with you because I told my brother Greg that the group was going to think I had plastic surgery losing weight that quickly. This diet is not for everyone, but please refer to our disclaimer.

Be Blessed Nicole

GEAR UP!!!

Hello everyone! I am back among the land of the living and quite honestly have missed you guys!
You are like family now…this truth rang on confession Friday last week, as much as I wanted to light into you all for being SOOO bad, today it is like water under the bridge…that is until you guys start confessing this weeks donuts and twinkies!!! LOL Love you none-the-less!

I know tomorrow is a big day for a large part of the group and I am SOOO routing for you all! You’ve set a goal and tomorrow is the BIG DAY! It will be so much fun, I wish I was going to be there. Couple things I wanted to mention: Be sure to wear a GOOD pair of either running shoes or cross trainers. Wearing the right gear will make the experience so much more pleasurable and allow you to keep focused on the goal rather that the corn forming on your toes! LOL The wrong shoe can cause all kinds of heartache and pain, so GEAR UP properly! Also, wear light weight clothing…if you layer, layer lightly! I know it will be morning and somewhat chilly, but once you get moving you’ll want to be able to wrap a jacket around your waist and keep it moving easily.

Lastly, H2O, H2O, H2O….lots of it! Keep yourself hydrated, we don’t want anybody out there passing out! Please Jesus! LOL!!!

Ladies, be blessed, I will be thinking of you and hope to hear how it went…most of all HAVE FUN and ENJOY EACHOTHER! TTYL!

Express4 Support (Shannon)