A Healthy Carb Switch
Are you cutting back on carbs? The right approach might help reduce your risk of heart disease. Don't nix carbs altogether. Replacing just a few with either protein or monounsaturated fat helped improve people's blood lipid profiles in a recent study. If you want to cut carbs, try these healthy ideas: eat half the bagel with a smear of peanut butter, cut your rice serving in half and toss in black beans, and eat less pasta but add a dab of olive oil.
To live a healthy lifestyle, it's not necessary to severely restrict carbs. But if you want to reduce your carb intake, there are healthy ways to do it, such as by cutting back on white pasta and rice and replacing them with vegetable protein or healthy fats. A healthy balance of carbs, protein, and fats is best. Although your body needs carbohydrates, protein, and fats, certain types are better choices than others. For example, high-fiber complex carbs are better for you than simple carbs. Vegetable protein tends to be better for people than animal protein. And unsaturated fats are healthier for the heart than saturated fats and trans fats. Good choices for high-fiber complex carbs include whole-grain rice, whole-wheat bread, and high-fiber fruits and veggies, such as pears or broccoli. Good vegetable protein choices include soybeans, nuts, and seeds. If you eat animal protein, choose lean cuts of meat, fish, or poultry without the skin. Good sources of monunsaturated fat include olive oil, flaxseeds, avocados, and nuts. In addition to choosing the right kinds of carbs, proteins, and fats, more and more research suggests that the ratio in which you consume these energy sources matters to long-term health, but more research is needed to confirm these findings.
RealAge Benefit: Eating a low-fat diet--and eating healthful unsaturated fats when you do eat fat--can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.
References
Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the Omni Heart randomized trial. Appel, L. J., Sacks, F. M., Carey, V. J., Obarzanek, E., Swain, J. F., Miller, E. R., Conlin, P. R., Erlinger, T. P., Rosner, B. A., Laranjo, N. M., Charleston, J., McCarron, P., Bishop, L. M.; OmniHeart Collaborative Research Group. The Journal of the American Medical Association 2005 Nov 16;294(19):2455-2464.
Cheers,
Eve :-)
To live a healthy lifestyle, it's not necessary to severely restrict carbs. But if you want to reduce your carb intake, there are healthy ways to do it, such as by cutting back on white pasta and rice and replacing them with vegetable protein or healthy fats. A healthy balance of carbs, protein, and fats is best. Although your body needs carbohydrates, protein, and fats, certain types are better choices than others. For example, high-fiber complex carbs are better for you than simple carbs. Vegetable protein tends to be better for people than animal protein. And unsaturated fats are healthier for the heart than saturated fats and trans fats. Good choices for high-fiber complex carbs include whole-grain rice, whole-wheat bread, and high-fiber fruits and veggies, such as pears or broccoli. Good vegetable protein choices include soybeans, nuts, and seeds. If you eat animal protein, choose lean cuts of meat, fish, or poultry without the skin. Good sources of monunsaturated fat include olive oil, flaxseeds, avocados, and nuts. In addition to choosing the right kinds of carbs, proteins, and fats, more and more research suggests that the ratio in which you consume these energy sources matters to long-term health, but more research is needed to confirm these findings.
RealAge Benefit: Eating a low-fat diet--and eating healthful unsaturated fats when you do eat fat--can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.
References
Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the Omni Heart randomized trial. Appel, L. J., Sacks, F. M., Carey, V. J., Obarzanek, E., Swain, J. F., Miller, E. R., Conlin, P. R., Erlinger, T. P., Rosner, B. A., Laranjo, N. M., Charleston, J., McCarron, P., Bishop, L. M.; OmniHeart Collaborative Research Group. The Journal of the American Medical Association 2005 Nov 16;294(19):2455-2464.
Cheers,
Eve :-)
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