CARBOHYDRATES ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND

More and more doctors are putting the overweight on low carbohydrate diets. You only need carbohydrates if you need quick energy, so if you are an Olympic or professional athlete, this is not for you. Growing children need them, too, but not as much as we are feeding them.

My husband and I have been on a very low carbohydrate diet for three years and have lost 45 pounds between us. My husband lost 30 and I lost 15. Men lose weight faster than women because their metabolism is faster - that's also why they live shorter lives. The best part is, we're never hungry and even though we break our diet too often to lose any more weight, we MAINTAIN. We don't gain any more weight.

Carbohydrates turn to energy faster than other foods, therefore if you don't use them quickly, they turn to fat faster.

Potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, cereal, brown or white beans, and of course, sugar - these are the seven main culprits in our diets. According to statistics, the number one vegetable in the American diet is French Fries. This is very sad and very unhealthy. Unfortunately, most fruits contain a lot of sugar. I have listed some substitutes under TIPS.

The rice we Americans eat is stripped and bleached. Bread and pasta have very little food value, also. Potatoes are good for you, but they are still carbohydrates. If you eat the potato peels, you get all the minerals without the carbohydrates.

It is also now widely accepted that eggs do not cause high cholesterol, your body produces it and it is genetically determined. You need protein especially in the morning, so eat ham and/or eggs. If you do not eat protein for breakfast, you will get hungry faster and overeat at lunch.

Do not eat bacon. Bacon is loaded with nitrites and so are hot dogs. I read somewhere that if a growing child eats three hot dogs a week, their odds of getting cancer are hugely increased - I believe it.

Cut your portions in half. Most of us eat way more than we need. You may feel hungry for a short while, but if you eat more protein and less carbohydrates, it probably won't affect you.

Pay the extra money and buy meats without preservatives, hormones and antibiotics. I already mentioned that preservatives cause cancer and hormones can, also. Antibiotics can cause strains of virus to become immune to them and then you are in trouble.

If you are a vegetarian, do not despair. Eggs, cheese (all forms), and fish are excellent forms of protein. Everyone needs to eat at least three portions of ocean fish a week or take the Omega Oils. Your body needs the essential oils to function properly. Olive oil has been shown to prevent breast cancer and it makes a great cooking oil for things like spinach and other vegetables. If you are constipated or your nerves are on end, you probably aren't getting the essential oils you need.

You can search on the internet for more information on each of these subjects and I strongly urge you to do so. If you read the same facts over and over, maybe they will stick and you will change your diet.

One third of Americans are obese, but only one fifth of them admitted to it.

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