Carbohydrate-rich foods such as legumes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables should make up 47 to 67 per cent of daily calories. - file
Atkins, move over, carbs are back in vogue. Really. A new study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Assocation (ADA) finds that eating carbs can help you stay lean. The study looked at 4,458 healthy Canadians, aged 18 and over, and the bottom line? Those whose diets contained the most carbohydrates had the lowest risk of being overweight or obese.
For the past decade, the debate over the best diet to maintain a healthy weight has centred around carbohydrates. The late physician and cardiologist Robert Atkins won over many dieters to his high-protein, low-carbohydrate plan which, over the short term, produces greater weight-loss results than a diet high in carbohydrates. But it's the long term that counts when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight and studies have determined there's no difference between the diets and amount of weight lost after one year. Recent studies suggest that a high carbohydrate diet is indeed effective for losing weight and outperforms a high protein diet when it comes to losing body fat and lowering cholesterol and blood sugar.
The current study, on the cover of the July ADA Journal, found the likelihood of being overweight or obese declined steadily as carbohydrate intake increased. Compared to people whose diets provided the least carbohydrate (36 per cent of calories), those who consumed the most (64 per cent of calories) had a 40 per cent lower risk of being overweight or obese. In the study, participants with the highest carbohydrate intake had a lower intake of calories, protein, total fat and saturated fat than the lower carbohydrate eaters. They also consumed almost double the fibre and more fruits and vegetables than those with the lowest carbohydrate intake.
Eat 'good' carbs
The key is the type of carb eaten. To help reduce the risk of excess weight gain, diabetes and heart disease, 47 to 64 per cent of your daily calories should come from carbohydrate-rich foods such as wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and legumes. The following tips can help you increase your intake of healthy carbs - and manage your weight.
Go for wholegrain: choose 100 per cent wholegrain breads, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, quinoa and breakfast cereals made from wholegrains. Read ingredient lists; choose foods that list a wholegrain as the first ingredient.
Choose fibre-rich carbs: include 20 to 35 grams of dietary fibre in your daily diet. Choose breads that provide at least two grams of fibre per slice and breakfast cereals with at least five grams of fibre per serving. Mix half cup (125 ml) of 100-per cent bran cereal with other cereals to boost your fibre intake. Add legumes and lentils to soups, salads and pasta. Snack on fruit, dried fruit, nuts or plain popcorn instead of refined, low-fibre snacks such as pretzels, cereal bars and white crackers.
Practise portion control: regardless of the type of carbohydrate you eat, managing portion size is key to weight control. If you are trying to lose weight, keep portions of cooked grains and pasta to a cup or cup and a half or fill only one-quarter of your plate with starchy foods. To judge your portion size at home, measure your food for a few days. Choose two slices of wholegrain bread instead of one large bagel (worth four to five slices of bread).
Limit refined sugars: curb your intake of candy, chocolate, soft drinks, fruit drinks, desserts and other sweets. The World Health Organisation recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 10 per cent of daily calories. If you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, this translates to a daily maximum of 48 grams (12 teaspoons worth) of added sugars.
- Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian in Springfield, Ill., www.creators.com.