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HEALTH / WEIGHT LOSS
Winning at Weight loss - The right stuff
After attempting to be a vegetarian and following a low-fat, low-carb strategy, desperate dieters may not have had much success in reducing weight. Effectively cutting kilos, according to Sherry Torkos, author of The Glycemic Index Made Simple and Winning at Weight Loss, may require more carb control.
"Carbs provide us with many important nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber and essential fatty acids. The problem is that we are eating too many carbs and the wrong types," says the Canadian pharmacist, who was in Bangkok to promote her books. She defines the good and bad carbs by looking at the Glycemic Index (GI) - a scale from 0 to 100 that measures the impact of different foods on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion have a high glycemic index while those that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have a low glycemic index.
"Pay close attention to foods that have a high glycemic index because they cause sharp increases in blood sugar," she explains. "Instead, choose complex carbohydrates (whole wheat, brown rice, oat, flaxseed, legumes and vegetables) because they are broken down more slowly and evenly, which helps control lood sugar levels."
Starchy high glycemic foods include pasta, rice, potatoes, foods made with refined grains (cereals, muffins, cookies, pie cake). Sugars in sweets, candies, condiments and juices are also high glycemic foods to limit while slimming. "Besides choosing foods with a low GI, eat smaller portions but don't skip meals," adds Torkos.
In addition, supplements may assist in weight control when used in conjunction with a sensible diet and exercise program. While the shelves of pharmacies and health food stores are lined with weight-loss products, few are clinically tested for safety and efficacy. For carb control, Phase 2 is a supplement with standardized extract of white kidney bean - a starch neutralizer that has been shown to reduce the amount of starch absorbed from starchy meals and promote loss of body fat. RT
