Fat Loss Rule No.1
The 5 Most Effective Principles of Fat Loss
1. Eat Protein with Complex Carbs
It is essential that every meal we consume as a human being must contain all three food groups, protein, fat and complex carbohydrates. A simple guide to follow would be a portion consisting of 40% protein, 50% carbohydrates and 10% fat, although this can differ greatly in certain individuals, whose metabolic typing favors one particular end of the scale (see Nutritional Profiling).
Firstly we need to establish exactly how quickly the body can break down and utilise the energy in the foods we consume, this will greatly affect our blood sugar levels causing us to either crave certain foods (usually sugars) or feel full and satisfied for longer. When we crave sugars we usually eat sugars which will eventually lead to fat being stored around the belly! Now, I’m guessing that one of your main goals is to ‘lose weight’, right? What we all really mean by that statement is ‘lose fat’, specifically belly fat.
I’m going to try and keep this as simple as I can, stick to the basics and give you simple advice that you can begin to use right now.
Most of us have probably heard of the Glycaemic Index (GI). This is a measure of how high blood glucose levels rise after food is digested. Foods with a slow conversion rate have a low GI while foods with a fast conversion rate have a high GI score, make sense?
So plainly speaking if you only consume foods that score low on the GI scale- your body is going to receive a steady release of energy and you prevent excess energy (glucose) from being stored (as fat).
I know this can all get a bit confusing, here is a much simpler way of thinking about it. You must always remember to combine the correct amount of protein with fibrous carbohydrates, along with fat, in every meal and snack you consume. Always ask, “Where is the protein?” It’s a rule I stiff follow to this day; I have it on auto pilot so I never forget!
Take this as an example-
A bowl of white pasta with a tomato sauce
Looks healthy right? Well kind of I suppose, but “Where is the protein?” There isn’t any. The tomato sauce is low in fibre and the portion of complex vegy carbs to starchy carbs is far too low. FAST RELEASE
A better example would be-
A bowl of whole wheat pasta with broccoli, green beans and salmon. The fish has the right amounts of protein and fat while the broccoli and beans provide fibre and slow release carbs keeping the balance between the complex carbs of the veg to the starchy carbs of the pasta balanced. SLOW RELEASE
So, what’s a simple carb and what’s a complex carb? Simply put, a complex carbohydrate still has its fibre content intact, has not been processed or changed from its original state. I.e. a steamed carrot with the skin on.
In contrast a simple carbohydrate has been refined and processed losing its fibre content, making the GI score much higher. I.e. That same carrot chopped, boiled and then mashed.
A common mistake we all make is thinking carbohydrates are only starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice, cereals and potatoes. We all forget that fruit and vegetables fall into the same category.
We can identify complex carbs as usually being green, leafy and dense. Some fruits fall into this category (fibrous ones) while others become simple carbs owing to their natural lack of fibre and high levels of natural sugar. These include melons, citrus fruits and plums.
What’s the deal with protein then? Just as with carbs there are also different types of proteins, complete and in-complete. Proteins are the building blocks of your body and contain amino acids, 22 in total, 8 of which are essential for adults. As these can not be produced they must come from your diet. These essential amino acids (known as complete proteins) contain all the elements needed for the body to produce the remaining amino acids. A good example of these complete proteins would be fish and eggs.
For the majority of people I would recommend you stick to lean cuts and limit red meat to 2 pieces per week. Remember protein is not just limited to red meat. Fish, eggs, seeds and poultry all provide essential proteins too. Why is fish so good?
Open any ‘health’ magazine and you’ll instantly be bombarded with the benefits of eating fish. The reason being, it is full of protein while also being rich in an essential fat Omega-3. These fats provide a vital role in the crusade against fat loss and also reduce the risk of diabetes and enhance brain function. You’d be stupid not to eat them!