Table of contents:
- The source of carbohydrates to choose while on a diet
- The sources of carbohydrates that you should limit if you want to lose weight
One way to lose weight is by reducing the intake of calories that enter your body and doing regular exercise to burn calories. Many people diet by not eating rice, or even avoiding any carbohydrate sources, because they say a diet without carbohydrates will lose weight faster. Is it true?
A low-carbohydrate diet (one source of which is rice) can indeed help you lose weight. However, you may need to know other sources of carbohydrates to make it easier for you to stick to your diet.
The source of carbohydrates to choose while on a diet
Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy. One gram of carbohydrates will produce 4 calories of energy. So, however, your body still needs carbohydrates. There are many types and sources of carbohydrates available. In losing weight, you need to be smart in choosing which carbohydrate sources you can choose from in your diet.
When you are on a diet, you should choose carbohydrates with complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are carbohydrates that have sugar molecules with longer chains and more fiber. So, the body needs more time to digest it. This can then keep you full longer, so you will eat less.
In addition, the longer absorption of complex carbohydrates can also prevent spikes in blood sugar. Thus, this reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
You can get the source complex carbohydrates from a variety of foods, such as:
- Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds can also be used as a source of carbohydrates. Apart from that, certain nuts also contain healthy fatty acids which can improve your health. You can include nuts such as soybeans in your daily menu, or by consuming them snack made from soybeans which are rich in fiber & protein so that it is digested slowly by the body and makes you full longer. Snacking two hours before a big meal can also help reduce excess carbohydrate intake.
- Red rice. If you can't eat without rice, try replacing white rice with brown rice. Brown rice contains higher fiber and a lower glycemic index than white rice, so it not only keeps you full longer, brown rice also won't make your blood sugar spike quickly after eating.
- Tubers. You can also use potatoes and sweet potatoes as a source of carbohydrates in your diet. Potatoes and sweet potatoes eaten with the skin have a higher fiber content than those eaten without the skin.
- Fruit. Fruit contains natural sugars so that it can be a source of energy for your body. In addition, fruit also contains fiber. So, consuming fruit in your diet can help you lose weight.
- Vegetables. Although so far you have known vegetables as a source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. However, vegetables also contain carbohydrates, albeit in very small amounts.
The sources of carbohydrates that you should limit if you want to lose weight
During this time you may not realize the food you eat is a poor source of carbohydrates. These sources of carbohydrates can make it easier for you to gain weight, so you should limit their consumption when dieting. This carbohydrate source is a type of simple carbohydrate.
Simple carbohydrates are a type of carbohydrate that is very easy for the body to digest. It doesn't take your body long to digest these carbohydrates, so your blood sugar can rise faster and fall again quickly. This makes you feel hungry again faster and results in consuming more food, leading to weight gain. Excess consumption of simple carbohydrates is also associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Example from source simple carbohydrates is:
- Sugar and syrup
- Sweet drinks, soft drinks, and energy drinks
- Candy
These foods and drinks contain high levels of sugar and usually contain very few essential nutrients, even zero nutrients. Thus, consumption of these foods and drinks should be limited. If consumed in excess, it can easily lead to weight gain leading to obesity.
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