Your Best Health
By Mandy Seay
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 Mandy Seay All rights reserved worldwide.
This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. No part of this ebook may be copied, given away or sold. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means without written permission of the author.
Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Your Best Health
By Mandy Seay, RD, LD
Table of Contents
Section 1: Intro, Overview and The Secrets to Losing Weight and Being Healthy Long-Term
Section2: Macronutrients, Food Combining and Calories
Section 3: Categorizing the Foods You Eat. What’s What?
Section 4: Carbohydrate Counting Basics
Section 5: Meals, Eating Out and Case Studies
Section 6: The Benefits of Tracking
Appendix A: Calories and Carbohydrate Breakdown
Appendix B: Carbohydrate Food List
Appendix C: Non-Starchy Vegetables
SECTION 1
Congratulations on taking the first step towards your new lifestyle! Whether you have diabetes, pre-diabetes, are obese, overweight or just want to improve your quality of life, you will surely benefit from learning how to count carbohydrates. The best kept secret about carbohydrate counting is that this is really how everyone should eat.
Each person will have a different carbohydrate range based on sex, age, weight, height and activity level.
Let’s start by removing the word diet. This eating plan is not a diet. How many diets have you been on? You started on Monday, then Wednesday went out to eat with friends and blew your diet. You then threw in the towel and binged for the rest of the week, telling yourself you’d start the diet again on Monday. By Monday, you’ve dug yourself deeper by eating 5 times the amount of calories you would have normally eaten, you’ve gained weight, you feel guilty, you are upset with yourself and on top of all of that negativity you have to start restricting what you eat.
Let’s say you get through the diet, whether it be a few weeks or a few months. You’ve lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time – you’re feeling proud of yourself and you’re satisfied with the results. At this point you think it’s time to stop the diet and go out to eat to reward yourself for all of your hard work. One night of celebrating won’t hurt, but then your old eating habits return and so does the weight…plus a few extra pounds. Now here you are, frustrated and upset with yourself.
Take a moment now and tell yourself, no more diets. Promise yourself that you will never go on a diet again. Assure yourself that you are going to nourish and fuel your body. You are no longer going to punish yourself, you’ll be good to yourself. Tell yourself that you’re going to be accountable and you’re going to create a new lifestyle for yourself.
With this book, you have access to the carbohydrate/calorie counter to help you better manage what you eat based on your lifestyle (this will be provided to you later on in the book). These numbers are estimates only and are not a substitute for direct, personal care. The most accurate way to find your perfect numbers is to see a dietitian personally. Log onto http://www.eatright.org to find a registered dietitian in your area.
What I am going to show you will help you create a new lifestyle for yourself. My favorite thing to tell people is - erase what you’ve heard about how you can’t eat this food or that food. Unless you find that your body is sensitive to a certain food, you can eat anything you want. It’s just going to be about portions. And if you have problems with portion control – well I’ve got a solution for that too!
This new lifestyle will be something that you will be able to maintain for the rest of your life. No more unrealistic restrictions or crazy one-food diets or cleanses. You won’t have to cut out bread, pasta, potatoes or rice. You can go out to eat wherever you like. You can attend parties and eat the foods provided. No more food fantasizing, no more binging – no more dieting! With this plan, you’ll gain education, energy and confidence while you lose weight.
With that being said, what you learn in this book will take some work on your part. But isn’t it true that anything worth having, is worth working for? If you don’t agree, then just take a look at the alternatives – expensive medications, countless doctors’ visits, hospitalization, amputation, blindness, nerve damage, dialysis, etc. This probably isn’t something you want to progress to.
While this will be a challenge, the good news is that you don’t have to buy or use anything fancy with this program to reach your health goals. Depending on what your lifestyle is like right now, you may or may not have to make major changes. Either way, take it slow and make small, realistic goals along the way. I’ve provided a goal sheet in Appendix H to help guide you to success.
This book is meant to be a guide to leading a healthy lifestyle, not a substitute for medical advice. If you have a medical condition and/or are taking medications, it is important that you see your doctor regularly and speak to them about your plans before making any drastic changes, including those suggested in this book.
MACRONUTRIENTS
To put things into perspective and set you on the right path, it is important to discuss the macronutrients that make up our foods: carbohydrates, protein and fat. It should be noted that eating any of these three nutrients in excess will result in weight gain. It all goes back to the adage, “all in moderation.”
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates are a very important part of our diet and if you look at recommendations for daily intake, they usually make up about half, or more, of daily calories (45-60%) (1). When carbohydrates are eaten, they are transformed into glucose (or blood sugar) which is the preferred source of fuel for the body. The body can use glucose immediately and/or store it in the muscles and liver for future use.
The dietary reference intake for carbohydrates for adults is 130 grams per day(1). This number is the minimum amount necessary for proper brain and body function (2).
Carbohydrates are found in many of our foods: starchy foods (like rice, pasta, cereal, bread, etc), fruits, vegetables, foods with added sugar (like candy, cookies, snacks, sodas), milk and yogurt.
PROTEIN
Protein is also an important part of our diet. Proteins are found in every cell, tissue and organ in our body. Protein is a building block that helps build and repair the body. Depending on the person, protein should comprise 10-35% of the calories in the diet (1).
Protein is found in most foods, but amounts will vary based on the type of food. Protein sources include dairy products, meats, poultry, fish, legumes, soy products, eggs, grains, nuts and seeds.
FAT
Fat, believe it or not, is also important for normal body function like blood clotting, controlling inflammation, brain development, insulation and absorption of certain vitamins. Depending on the person, fat may make up anywhere from 20-35% of the diet (1). Not all fats are created equally however. We’ll discuss this in more detail later.
Added fats include: oils, nuts, nut butters, cream cheese, avocado, margarine, butter, mayonnaise, salad dressing, creamer (half and half) and sour cream just to name a few.
WHY FOCUS ON CARBOHYDRATES?
Carbohydrates are the main focus for people with diabetes since this is the nutrient that affects blood sugar. Additionally, since they make up such a large part of our diet, counting carbohydrates makes meal planning much easier.
Proteins and fat do not directly affect the blood sugar but are still important parts of the diet and should not be disregarded since they also contain calories and fat which can affect weight.
COMBINING MACRONUTRIENTS
One of the most important things you should do at each meal is combine these macronutrients, not only to balance your meal but also to help you achieve and sustain satisfaction.
Let me explain. Carbohydrates are metabolized very quickly, if you eat a meal that is mostly carbohydrate and low in fat or protein – for example oatmeal, this will get digested very quickly(3). The result - you’ll be hungry again soon. If you eat another carbohydrate only food, you’ll soon be hungry again and before you know it, you’ve consumed too many calories and carbohydrates. It is theorized that protein and fat help you to feel fuller for a longer period of time. While there is some controversy over the affect protein and fat have on blood sugar, it is hypothesized that protein and fat slow the release of the glucose into the bloodstream, thereby keeping your blood sugar from spiking. So in this example, adding a hardboiled egg to this cereal will help increase satisfaction and delay hunger while keeping blood sugar levels stable.
Keep in mind, the majority of your meals will be made up of carbohydrate, while only moderate portions of protein, and small portions of fat, will need to be added. We will go through more examples later on.
CARBOHYDRATE BACKGROUND
Many people, especially those diagnosed with diabetes, assume incorrectly that the fewer carbohydrates they eat, the better. As mentioned before, carbohydrates are converted into glucose. Glucose, to the body, is like gasoline is to a car – it is what provides the body with energy. Glucose is the body’s preferred source of energy (4). Some organs, like the brain, only use glucose as a fuel source. The brain cannot store or make glucose, so it must have a steady supply provided in order to function properly₅. Have you ever experienced a low blood sugar? Maybe you went a long time without eating or you did heavy exercise without refueling properly. The symptoms of a low blood sugar include dizziness, irritability, abnormal or unusual behavior, double or blurred vision, sweating, anxiety, heart palpitations or tremors? This was your brain reacting to an insufficient amount of glucose. High blood sugar can be detrimental to the brain as well, like memory loss and stroke(5).
CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM
Let’s take a simple look at how carbohydrates are broken down. After we eat the carbohydrate, it is converted to glucose during digestion. The glucose is then absorbed into the bloodstream. In reaction to the glucose, the pancreas secretes insulin. Insulin is a hormone that acts like a key, unlocking the body’s cells, to allow glucose to enter and fuel the body. Once the glucose enters the cells, the amount of glucose in the bloodstream is reduced.
People with diabetes either aren’t making enough insulin or their body isn’t using it properly. Either way, the doors to the body’s cells are not being opened properly, leading to a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream. This build up can lead to serious complications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25.8 million people in the United States had diabetes in 2010. Because symptoms of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) are not always identified, almost half of those people were not aware they had the disease(6).
When the cells are not receiving the fuel they need, an individual may feel fatigued or hungry after eating because the energy is remaining in the bloodstream; it is not getting into the cells where the body can actually use it.
If levels are very high, the blood pulls intracellular fluid into the bloodstream causing increased urination and thirst. Fluid and glucose are excreted in the urine which can then lead to unintentional weight loss and dehydration (7).
So now that you’ve got the basics of carbohydrates and how they act in the body, let’s talk more about how they function throughout the day.
It is important to keep carbohydrates at a consistent amount at each meal in order to keep blood levels stable. You don’t have to eat the exact same amount at each meal, but you want to keep it within the range you were provided. With that being said, you cannot save up all of your carbohydrates and eat them at one meal.
If you have diabetes, it is important to check your blood sugar before meals and 2 hours after. The two hour after reading will give you an idea of how your body reacted to what you ate. You may find that the carbohydrate count works for you at most meals but may rise after eating appropriate portions of certain foods. Everyone’s body is different, so it is not unusual for some people to be extremely sensitive to certain foods, like certain fruits, while others have no issue at all.
EXERCISE
One of the best ways to manage or prevent certain diseases and conditions (like diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, etc) while promoting weight loss is through exercise(8). Exercise does something phenomenal – with one session of exercise, insulin sensitivity can be increased. Let me explain. Let’s go back to the analogy of insulin acting like a key. Imagine your muscle is doing work – it will need more energy than usual, right? The doors for the muscle cells may be open, but the need for glucose is greater than what they can allow in. So what happens is the muscle makes new doors and insulin now has more doors to open. The glucose flows from the bloodstream into the muscle cells and gives you the energy to do your activity thereby lowering your blood sugar.
These doors, however, are only open temporarily. The amount of time they stay open is based on how hard you workout and for what time period. So if you go on a leisurely walk for 15 minutes, they’ll be open for a little while – but if you were to go on a hike through the hills for an hour, the doors will be open much longer. After activity has ended, the muscle’s doors will close and the body will return to its usual state. Prolonged periods of inactivity can have the opposite affect and increase your insensitivity to insulin, which is one of the characteristics of type 2 diabetes(9).
When thinking about an exercise routine, keep these things in mind. Exercising on most days is preferable. If you need to, every other day is acceptable, but try not to take two days off in a row as this will lead to increased insulin insensitivity(9). Perhaps you’ve noticed that on days you’ve exercised, or the following day, your blood sugar numbers have decreased.
I recommend that you exercise for at least 150 minutes a week(9). This can be translated to 5 days a week for 30 minutes or in any increment you prefer, but keep in mind – the more often, the better. You can even split exercise up throughout the day, but make sure to spend at least 15 minutes doing an activity.
Once you’ve increased your exercise, go back and recalculate your calories and carbohydrate intake. The numbers may change, especially if you’ve increased it significantly.
If you haven’t done any exercise in a while you may need to talk to your doctor to see if you are healthy enough to take on exercise. Take it slow at first and work up to 30 minutes a day, once you feel comfortable there, you’ll start to find you have more energy – go ahead and increase the amount of time you spend exercising.
When I talk about exercise or physical activity, this can include anything from yard work, gardening, walking, running, swimming, tennis…anything that gets you moving and gets your heart rate up. If you are thinking, “Well I’m busy at work all day” or “I’m always moving with the kids” don’t make the assumption that this is a sufficient amount of activity. Firstly, if you’re doing that activity on a regular basis and you haven’t seen any weight loss, then it’s probably safe to assume that you’re not doing enough. Try adding in some additional activity like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking in the farthest parking spot at all of the places you drive to like the mall, the grocery store or work.
For more ideas and information, go to the CDC’s page that discusses physical activity(10).
There is something else you should be aware of if you do regular exercise. It is theorized that after performing a certain type of activity over a continuous period of time your body learns how to do it more efficiently. This is just as if you were to learn a new skill, say golf for example, after practicing and playing it for a while, you become better and more skilled at it. The same goes for your body, not only does your body figure it out, it also uses less calories and opens fewer doors on your muscles – thereby reducing the insulin sensitivity. It is best to vary your exercise routine every few weeks to keep things fresh.
So what exercise is best? A little bit of everything is best! Cardio, resistance training and stretching. Research has found that people who do cardio and resistance training will have better blood sugar control, as well as A1C numbers, than doing one exclusively over the other. (A1C is a blood test used to diagnose and monitor management of diabetes.) Additionally, data suggests that doing various types of exercises can lead to a reduction in medication(11).
Don’t limit your activities to just cardio and resistance training though, incorporate some stretching as well. Stretching improves flexibility and blood flow to muscles. Flexibility maintains agility and balance, two things that are extremely important, especially as we age(12).
You may want to consider yoga to help you maintain flexibility and strength. There are various types that range from intense to relaxing. Experiment and see what works for you.
If you don’t have the money for a gym membership, the weather is too extreme or safety is an issue, here are some other exercise options:
•Mall or any large department store walking
•Cable access exercise tv programs
•Wii fit
•Exercise videos/dvd’s
•Turn on your favorite music and dance around the house
•Rev up your intensity when cleaning the house
•Walk/run the stairs where you live or at a nearby stadium
•Join a local sports club
•Purchase an inexpensive resistance band to use while watching tv, reading or working on the computer
•Look up free outdoor activities in your area
•Go out dancing
•Grab a friend and go play tennis
•Play soccer with your kids
While we’re on the topic of exercise, make a commitment now. Write it down, be specific. How many days are you planning to exercise? What type of activity? How many minutes? When do you plan on doing this activity?
Many people ask me, is there a “best” time to do activity? Not exactly. But if you tell me you’re going to exercise after work or in the evening, I might try to change your mind. After a long day, many of us still have other commitments we must tend to – errands, cooking dinner, take care of the kids….not to mention, you’re exhausted. Your time may be already spent with these commitments and you may be so worn out at this point that exercise sounds torturous. Instead, think about rearranging your day. What time do you wake up in the morning, could you get up 30 minutes earlier? The benefit of doing this is that you’ll get it out of the way first thing. Another good time would be at lunch. If you have a 60- or 30-minute lunch break, take advantage. Go for a walk and then eat your lunch after. If after work is the only time that you think you can do this, try and get others involved to help keep you committed and motivated. Make a plan to do your exercise with a friend or with family members, but don’t depend on them too much. If someone is sick or has to cancel, you still need to fulfill your commitment. If none of these times work for you, you’ll need to think about moving things around in your schedule. Exercise is very important, if you have to schedule it in your calendar, then do it. Weight loss will be minimal without it.
Think of something that you can do to reward yourself for fulfilling this goal. Make it a non-food reward. For example, treat yourself to a massage, a movie, or whatever will make it worth your while.
It’s important to note here that if you have diabetes, keeping track of your blood sugar will help you see how exercise affects you. Everyone is different, and depending on how your body reacts to exercise, you could see a change in your blood sugar anywhere from immediately to 24 hours after. A possible side effect of incorporating new or more vigorous activity is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Some people may even experience this at night while sleeping. You might recognize this if you are having disruptive sleep, feel ill in the middle of the night, have night sweats or feel hung-over when waking.
If you notice that your blood sugar falls low after exercise, it is important to adjust your diet to meet these increased blood sugar needs. For example, you may need to have a snack before going to sleep. If you perform long bouts of regular exercise, check your blood sugar every 30 minutes and always keep snacks handy.
SECTION 3
CARBOHYDRATE CONTAINING FOODS
Let’s move on to talk in more detail about what foods contain carbohydrates. As you may remember, the majority of foods do. Carbohydrates are found in:
Starches
Breads (including white, wheat, rye, etc)
Pastas (white, whole wheat, etc.)
Rice (brown, white, etc.)
Cereals
Oatmeal
Flour
Corn meal
Cous Cous
Quinoa
Bagels
Tortillas
Waffles
Hamburger and hotdog buns
Starchy Vegetables
Breadfruit
Corn
Hominy
Peas
Plantains
Potatoes (sweet, white, etc)
French fries
Winter squash (acorn, butternut)
Yams
Yucca
Legumes:
Beans
Black-eyed peas
Lentils
Crackers and Snacks
Crackers (all types)