So you may be thinking, OK, I guess carbs aren’t that complicated. But what should I eat?

Well, first, forget the “should.” And while you’re at it, drop the words “good” and “bad” from your vocabulary too. ALL foods fit when you use balance, variety, and moderation to guide you. So how does this apply to carbs?

Variety: Numerous studies have shown that a diet high in carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fiber provide significant health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Since carbohydrate-containing foods vary in their nutrient and fiber content, eating a variety will maximize the likelihood that you will meet your body’s needs.

Balance: An important skill is to balance eating for nutrition with eating for enjoyment. So what about sugar? Some refer to it as “empty calories” because it provides glucose without other nutrients like vitamins, minerals, or fiber. However, since it is a source of calories that can be used for energy and provides pleasure for those who enjoy it, it is not really “empty,” is it? Using an “all foods fit” model, sugar in moderation is just part of a balanced diet.

Moderation: Many people now recognize that they have been eating more carbs—particularly refined or processed carbohydrates and sugar—than their body needs. Practicing moderation by becoming more mindful of your portion sizes and the number of servings just makes sense. How carbohydrates are prepared and what they are served with also has an impact on their calories and nutritional value. Again, moderation is the key.

Carbohydrates don’t deserve the bad reputation they’ve gotten over the last decade. When you understand simple nutrition principles and use variety, balance, and moderation to guide your choices, you can build a healthier lifestyle without depriving yourself of the carbs you need and love.

For more help learning to manage your weight without a bunch of rules, take our mini e-course (It’s free): http://www.amihungry.com/mini-e-course-i….

Every living cell in your body requires fuel for existence. Carbohydrates play a significant role in meeting those needs by providing necessary energy. In addition, many carbohydrate-containing foods also provide fiber, important vitamins, minerals, and phyto-chemicals that have been shown to improve health. Since carbohydrates are found in a wide selection of foods, including bread, pasta and other grain products, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and sugar, they are great for adding variety and flavor to your diet. A diet that severely limits carbohydrates is potentially harmful and pretty boring, making a strict low-carbohydrate diet an unsustainable method of weight loss for most people.

The bottom line is that weight gain occurs when more calories are eaten than burned. It doesn’t matter if the extra calories come from carbohydrates, protein, or fat. In addition to an active lifestyle, the real key to weight management is to take an “all foods fit” approach using variety, balance, and moderation to guide you.

You may also be interested in taking a complimentary mini e-course about weight management without fad dieting: http://www.amihungry.com/mini-e-course-i….

We’ve all heard that carbs just turn into sugar when you eat them. That’s what they are supposed to do! To understand why that’s not bad, here’s a simple lesson in carbohydrate metabolism.

When carbs are eaten and digested, they are broken down to their simple form—glucose. Glucose then floats in your bloodstream (hence the term blood sugar), where it is ready to be taken up by your cells to be used for energy or stored. Under normal circumstances, your body closely regulates your blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels.

When your blood glucose rises after eating, your pancreas releases insulin. Insulin has two main jobs. It stimulates your brain, muscle, fat, and other cells to take up glucose to be used for fuel. It also stimulates the liver to make glycogen, the storage form of glucose. These functions keep your blood sugar stable and make sure that your body has glucose available for fuel when needed.

When you haven’t eaten in awhile your blood sugar levels begin to fall. Since glucose is the primary energy source for your brain and red blood cells, this triggers symptoms of hunger including moodiness, irritability, fatigue, nausea, headaches, and difficulty concentrating.

If you don’t eat enough carbohydrates to supply your brain cells with glucose, protein in your diet will be used to make glucose instead of making tissues and performing other vital functions. In addition, since your body will also break down protein from your muscles, heart, liver, kidneys, and other vital organs to be turned into necessary glucose, you may lose valuable lean body mass, which can have long-term damaging effects on your metabolism. Further, when you regain weight, you regain fat, not the lost muscle tissue. This results in a less healthy higher percentage of body fat.

Bottom line: Carbs are important for stoking the fire of your metabolism. Next post, I’ll talk about how to get the most from the carbs you eat.

You may also be interested in taking a complimentary mini e-course about weight management without fad dieting: http://www.amihungry.com/mini-e-course-i….

As the latest wave of fad diets, the low-carb craze, wanes, many long-standing nutrition recommendations are under close scrutiny. The typical recommendation is that 45-65% of our dietary intake should come from carbohydrates. While this is a broad, flexible range, it’s higher than many low-carbohydrate diets allow. As a result, dieters and non-dieters alike express confusion and conflict about what to eat.

For example, you may have heard someone say, “Carbohydrates just turn to sugar in your body.” Since many people think of sugar as “bad,” they think of carbohydrates as “bad.” But actually, sugar is just another word for “glucose” which is an important form of energy. So the truth is, the majority of carbohydrates do turn into sugar during digestion because that’s what they’re supposed to do!

In the next post of this series on carbs, I’ll help you understand why that’s not “bad” by giving you a very simple lesson in carbohydrate metabolism.

You may also be interested in taking a complimentary mini e-course about weight management without fad dieting: http://www.amihungry.com/mini-e-course-intro.shtml.  

With all the attention paid to childhood obesity these days, some parents, health care professionals, and the media may believe that children and teens should have their food closely monitored and controlled.

Since dieting hasn’t worked to decrease overweight and obesity in adults, why on earth would we impose this approach on children?

Unless there’s an immediate and serious threat to a child’s well-being,* putting a child on a restrictive diet just leads to other problems:

Guilt: Research has shown that children who are restricted from eating certain foods are more likely to choose those foods when their parents aren’t around, more likely to eat those foods even when they aren’t hungry, and more likely to feel guilty when they do. (Kind of sounds like your last diet doesn’t it?)

Eating Disorders: Studies have shown that eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia may start with an innocent attempt to diet and control weight. In the United States, conservative estimates indicate that after puberty, 5-10 million girls and women, and 1 million boys and men are struggling with eating disorders or borderline conditions.

Disordered Eating: In my work as a weight management specialist in adults, I have also seen that dieting leads to a preoccupation with food and the development of abnormal eating patterns - patterns that are often carried into adulthood.

Body Image Disturbances: American society often sets up unrealistic expectations for physical appearance. Girls and young women are especially vulnerable to the pressures of our society—especially her peer group—to be thin.

Weight Gain: Dieting is not only ineffective, but studies have shown that adolescents who diet actually gain more weight than their peers.

So what’s a parent to do? Keep in mind that our goal is to raise healthy, happy children that can skillfully navigate our abundant food environment into adulthood. A positive approach to building healthy habits that don’t lead to more food and weight problems is essential.

• Teach children to recognize the difference between hunger and all the other reasons they feel like eating.
• Provide delicious, nutritious meals and snacks and set a good example with your own eating habits.
• Never make certain foods “bad” or “forbidden,” since that only increases their desirability.
• Be sure to provide plenty of opportunity for physical activity – and that may mean going along for a bike ride or game of tennis.
• Most importantly, be sure your home is a place of unconditional love and acceptance.

Dr. May is the author of ‘H’ is for Healthy - Weight Management for Kids - a fun way to introduce young children to the importance of healthy eating, an active lifestyle, and unconditional acceptance of their bodies. The healthy attitudes and behaviors they learn are invaluable gifts that last a lifetime. (Includes Spanish translation on every page.) Peak inside: http://www.amihungry.com/book.shtml

*If you are concerned about your child’s weight and health, see your family physician.