Eat healthy by Jeev Nutritionist

𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐒 𝐒𝐎 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓?
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Over the past few decades, carbs have gotten a bad reputation fuelled by diets such as Atkins, Keto, Dukan to name a few, as well as phrases such as ‘no carbs before marbs!’ or ‘carbs make you fat’. ⁣

😖 These diets promote easy, rapid weight loss but by limiting the amount of carbohydrates that you eat, you deprive your body of a main source of fuel, and many nutrients that you need to stay healthy.

Carbs also contain the SAME amount of calories per gram as protein (4 kcal/g), in comparison to 9 kcal/g for fats!⁣

✔️👉The key is eating more complex carbs such as legumes, wholegrains, starchy veggies and fruits than refined carbs such as white flour, white bread, pastries, sodas, snacks and added sugars.

𝗪𝐇𝐘 𝐃𝐎 𝗪𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐒?⁣
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1️⃣ Energy - Carbs are the body’s primary source of energy. When we consume them, our body breaks them down into glucose which is then transported into the bloodstream to our organs that require it. It can also be stored as glycogen in the liver and used when our body needs it - e.g. for movement! 🏃🏻‍♀️ ⁣
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2️⃣ Cognitive Functioning - Our brain requires approx. 120g of glucose a day to support optimal mental performance - including attention, memory & learning. A diet deficient in carbohydrates may cause fatigue, ‘brain fog’ and headaches 🧠 ⁣
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3️⃣ Calorie intake - Carbohydrates (including grains, potatoes, fruit, dairy, starchy veg & some protein foods such as beans) tend to make up around half of an average adult's calorie intake; if this is not met, there may be a depletion of energy to support weight management, our brain & other organs in the body ❤️ ⁣
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4️⃣ Spare protein and fats for their uses! - Consuming enough carbohydrates makes sure our body does not resort to using (too much) protein or fats instead, which are needed for bodily functions such as growth, repair & nutrient absorption 💪🏼 ⁣
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5️⃣ Fibre - Fibre from complex carb sources such as wholegrains, fruits & veg are key for a healthy digestive system & supporting risk reduction of some diseases such as type 2 diabetes & heart disease 🍌 ⁣
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🤔 What are your fave carbs?!

🙅‍♀️ There is no such thing as good and bad foods, what matters is the quantity and frequency in which we have the foods. We just need to consider the ratio.
😣 You shouldn't be trying too hard to restrict yourself as this can lead to feelings of anxiety and even guilt around food, which isn't good!
🤤 Try to practice intuitive eating and don't be afraid to say 'yes' when you fancy it and 'no' when you don't.
✔️ Be kind to yourself and remember that food is for enjoyment too.
🤔 Remember what i like to call the 80/20 principle which can help you to find your balance.

As a nutritionist, I often get questions around this time of year asking for support with sustainable weight loss to support health. Unfortunately, there are many myths surrounding weight loss that many people tend to believe.

👉𝗦𝗢, 𝗟𝗘𝗧’𝗦 𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝟱 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗦 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗪! Read on ➡️

1️⃣ 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐩 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭- This is NOT true. Skipping meals🍜 can result in tiredness and make you miss out on essential nutrients. Moreover, you will probably snack on high fat and high sugar foods afterwards which can make you put on weight.

2️⃣ 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟😣😖 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭- By doing this, your body will be low on energy. Consequently, your body senses this as a “threat” and starts to burn less calories as it is receiving less. This may cause you to crave for high fat and high sugar foods and lead you to eating these, eventually leading to weight gain. Starving yourself can also shrink your muscles.

3️⃣ 𝐂𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐭- Fat is very necessary and we should not be afraid of it. Fat is necessary in the diet for things like absorbing nutrients like fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat, specifically cholesterol help to produce hormones like s*x hormones oestrogen and testosterone and growth hormones.

4️⃣ 𝐂𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧- Gluten free for weight loss can really be a marketing ploy. You do not need to cut out gluten unless you suffer from gluten intolerance or coeliac disease.

5️⃣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - A lot of people who are doing that are just eliminating carbohydrates from the diet which is why it’s hard to sustain because your body does need carbohydrates for a reason. While there is a lot of research on mice models but that hasn’t been transcribed into human studies. While people have lost weight on keto, it is often not without side effects such as high cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol, irritable bowel symptoms and gastrointestinal discomfort.

Hope you find the above useful ❤️ Let me know in the comments or DM me 😊