Carbohydrate question

wkgmom914

wkgmom914

Cathlete
Cathe,
I have a question on carbs. It's been mentioned that we should eat a clean "diet" and I have done so 90% of the time.....I do have the occasional cheat with chocolate etc. but on the whole I eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean chicken & fish (no red meat because I can not break it down very well). As far as grains I have the same problem. Dairy is limited as well because of lactose intolerance. Does a clean diet include whole wheat pasta, breads etc on a limited basis? I ususally have two slices of reduced calorie bread in the morning with a little low sugar jam, and occasionally when I go out to eat I will have a piece of bread (just one). I'm not a pasta eater (and I'm Italian!), but I do like my bread. Anyway, should I totally eliminate all bread in order to see my abs? I have a 4 pack, but the last "2 cans" will not show. I also want to ad that I stay away from sugar as well, but do have a TBS of honey in my tea at nite roughly about 3 or 4 nites a week.

Any advice from you Cathe, or anyone else would be GREATLY appreciated.

:)
 
You didn't mention the type of bread you're eating. I would suggest that your bread have at least 3 grams (or more) of fiber per serving. It's best that a serving is ONE piece of bread. I personally prefer sprouted grain breads that contain NO flour. I find that I'm not bloated when I eat these. In addition, I would NOT recommend you eat bread at dinner. If you want a 6 pack, I would hold off in eating the breads at dinner for a couple of weeks to see how your body is responding.

Are you eating sweet potatoes or yams? This is an excellent form of complex carbohydrates that doesn't impact your blood sugar and doesn't make you feel bloated.

Regarding your jam. Instead of using a sugar free or low sugar jam/jelly, I suggest you make your own. What I mean by this is take 1/2 cup of berries with a teaspoon of water and heat in microwave for 2 minutes. Using a fork, gently break apart the fruit until it's at a consistency you like. If you need the fruit sweetened, I suggest you use a natural sweetener such as Stevia (or a tiny amount of honey or Agave).

Hope this helps.
Lorrayne
 
Not Cathe but.........I totally avoid bread. I'm on modified Atkins (I count carbs, not calories) & also avoid fruits, pasta, pizza--you know, most of the stuff that tastes good. I use splenda instead of sugar. Also I take lots of vitamins--calcium supplement, vitamin C supplement, & a multivitamin.
 
Lorrayne,
Thank you so much for your input. I checked my reduced cal. bread and it only had 2g of Fbr per slice. Fortunatly, I still had the sprouted grain in the freezer so I will go back to that and stick with it. I usually do not have bread at dinner, maybe once in a blue moon when my boyfriend and I go out to a fancy restaurant. dinner usually consists of a lean protein and lots of veggies. And I LOVE the jam idea!! I will DEFINATELY do that!! Thank you again.

Elizabeth
 
Elizabeth,

Glad to help. Yes, definitely get that sprouted grain out of the freezer. It's a wonderful option to normal bread. :9
 
Dear Laura,
Thank you also for your input. Unfortunately I can not TOTALLY avoid bread.....I do however only have it once a day and always before 3pm. I do use Splenda instead of sugar and take all the necessary vitamins...but I still get that bloated feeling sometimes. Regarding the fruit, I usually have two pieces a day. I was curious since you avoid fruit do you have any problems with not getting enough fiber (bear in mind I can not digest grains such as rice, barley etc)?

Thanks
Elizabeth
 
> I personally prefer sprouted grain breads that contain
>NO flour.

I agree. I don't eat much bread, but when I do, it's the sprouted grain type.
 
Oh heck yeah--I forgot to mention I take a fiber supplement as well. And boy are those things a PIA--they're like horse pills & you have to take like 5 a day.

But I do get fiber from other sources, mostly veggies. And I am a salad fanatic--salads are the staple of my diet.
 
Thanks Laura for all your imput.....good thing I really love veggies! I will look for a good fiber supplement.

Elizabeth
 
>Kathryn,
>What type of sprouted grain bread do you buy that has no
>flour?
>
I get "Food For Life" brand.
 
> I will look for a good fiber supplement.

IMO, one should get the fiber one needs from their diet. If you eat a healthy diet with good carbs (veggies especially, but also beans and low glycemic fruits like berries, apples and pears) you shouldn't have to worry about taking a fiber supplement.

Actually, I think being "regular" without taking a supplement is a good indicator of getting enough fruits and veggies in your diet.
 
There are other variables that call for a fiber supplement. For example, I have severe nasal allergies and take an antihistamine/decongestant every day. A side affect of this medication is constipation. I found a fiber supplement like Metamucil, once a day along with a diet consisting of heavy veggies and two fruits per day really helps. Also, plenty of water is essential.

Fiber intake is an individual need based on many variables. There's nothing wrong with taking them if your body needs them.
 
RE: Fiber options

Hi, there are several options in consuming fiber. I do eat unlimited amounts of veggies and 2 low glycemic fruits per day. In addition to this, I take 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds per day. This is another wonderful option in getting some fiber into your diet. :)

Regarding constipation. If the ground flaxseeds aren't doing the job, I have found taking 400 to 1200 mg of magnesium asporotate at bedtime really does the trick for me. Be sure you start with 400 mg first to see what happens as the stool could become quite loose... Also be sure you're drinking lots of water to help with elimination.
 
I used to buy the Food for Life brand (it's easier to find in grocery stores such as Safeway/Vons). However, I perfer the texture to French Meadow's sprouted grain breads. I buy this bread at Whole Foods. However, I understand it's also sold in the frozen food section at Super Target stores.
 
Laura,

You seriously don't eat ANY fruit?? Wow. That's committment. I don't think I could do that. I love fruit-- and I didn't think it was bad for you. Could you tell me more about why you choose not to eat fruit?

Thanks!
 
RE: No fruit

Obviously I'm not Laura and can't answer for her, but I wanted to provide my comments to the no fruit subject. I've read some bodybuilding books and some of them do not advocate any fruits in the diet. Others allow one to occasionally eat a Granny Smith apple. The reason is bodybuilders don't want anything to impede their lean muscle mass appearance for competitions.
 
RE: Fiber options

Dear Lorrayne,
Thanks for the info on magnesium, I'm going to try that. I do try and get the 2 tbs of ground flax in a day already, I think I will try the low glycemic fruits as well, I do love fruit.

Thanks again
 
OK-- so is this a body builder only thing or is it thought to be a general health guideline? Thanks Lorrayne!

By the way-- why would it impede the appearance needed for a body builder-- sorry, I'm full of questions today! :)
 
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