The Next Time You Go To The SuperMarket… (Part 3)

Hi again and we’re back with the 3rd installment of the supermarket series!

If you haven’t read the previous blog posts, regarding protein and healthy fats sources, you can do so here:

• Part 1 (yummy proteins)
• Part 2 (good, healthy fats)

This post, we are going to talk about carbs.

In the past decade, carbs has lost popularity due to the fad low-carb diets, books and products that have swept the market. What used to be low fat diets in the 80′s has been challenged with this ‘new’ concept that was introduced by Dr Atkins. (well it’s no longer new because we’re in 2008 now)

Why do people shun carbs? The premise behind a low carb diet is that you’ll have better insulin control and rely on your bodyfat to be used as energy. All fine and dandy from a physique attainment standpoint. But do we need to resort to these restrictive ways to get fat loss?

Nope not really.

The trick is to get good carbs and consume it at certain times of the day when your body needs it the most. Like first thing in the morning and around your workout times. The so called ‘good’ carbs will be introduced below in this post.

‘Bad’ carbs are to be avoided. Anything that’s processed like refined sugar, white bread, noodles and white flour are considered bad. And especially anything that comes out of a box, it’s bad. Rule of thumb is, if your great grandmother have not seen or heard about it, it’s no good.

Here’s a list of the good ones that I recommend. Remember, timing is very important when it comes to carbs as compared to fats and protein which should be consumed throughout the day. Most good carbs have low Glycemic index scores.

• Lentils (some types have high protein content, up to 50%)
• Oats (all type as long as the ingredients state 100% oats and nothing else)
• Whole grain breads (don’t be fooled with ‘brown colored wholemeal’ breads. just because they are ‘whole’ and brown in color doesn’t mean they are not processed)
• Brown rice/ basmati rice
• Skimmed milk (post workout)
• Variety of fruits of all colors
• Variety of vegetables of all colors

Lentils:

Great for lunch or breakfast and you can cook it in many types of dishes.

Skimmed Milk:

For post workout nutrition, skim milk can be the best choice if you don’t intend to buy any protein supplements.

Brown Rice:

Superior choice compared to white rice due to lowered GI.

Basmati Rice:

For a change, try basmati rice. There are many recipes on the internet that you can cook up.

Oats (various types):

Not the instant cereal variations. Those are no-no’s because they are actually breakfast candies in disguise!

Whole grain breads:

As mentioned earlier, don’t be fooled for processed breads which are ‘labeled’ as healthy and wholesome. Read the ingredients. The first that should come out is whole grain.

Vegetables: 

What can I say. Eat ‘em all the time and as much as you want!

Fruits:

Consume in moderation too because fruits contain sugars called fructose and fructose will be stored in the liver. The liver has only so much space, the rest goes to your dreaded fat cells.

All right folks. This is the 3rd installment and we have covered protein, fats and carb sources? What’s the next macronutrient?

There’s none! Because those are the only 3 macronutrients around.

The 4th installment, and the final one too will be posted soon. It’s a surprise so stay tuned!

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