That the entire new diet is based on lower-glycemic-index foods. So whether you’re cooking for yourself or enjoying prepared meals, you’ll get the right amount of good carbs to fuel your body when you follow the diet.
At this point, you might be asking if you should just avoid carbs altogether. Many of my patients ask me this. It is the concept behind most of the nocarb/ high-protein diets out there nowadays, but this type of thinking is flawed. A low-glycemic meal plan is far better for weight loss than simply avoiding all carbs for the following reasons:
Additionally, research shows that low-glycemic-index carbohydrates contain key compounds critical in fighting various diseases including cancer. Good carbohydrates like the ones incorporated into the nutrisystem diet not only benefit your metabolism and fat burning processes but also carry significant amounts of phytonutrients and antioxidants, which are powerful disease-fighting compounds.Your body needs these nutrients, and if stripped of its source of them, it will struggle to fight disease.
I am sure one of the major questions still on your mind is if the nutrisystem diet can control your hunger. The answer is an overwhelming yes.My patients have told me time and time again that while they were losing weight on a low-glycemic plan they were amazed at how they didn’t feel hungry. The reason is that low-glycemic carbohydrate foods stay in your intestines longer, which tells your brain that you are full for a longer period of time. Low-glycemic carbohydrate meals help to control your blood sugar level, which also reduces your feeling of hunger throughout the day. Through its low-glycemic carbohydrates and proper balance of proteins and fats, the nutrisystem diet meal plan is your best weapon against hunger.
Fiber also is key to nutrition and weight loss for the same reason those good carbs are: it helps keep your insulin levels low. In fact, most fiber-rich foods have a low-glycemic-index value, so they play a vital role in helping you slow down the speed in which sugar enters the bloodstream. By eating a balance of high-fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrates, you slow your sugar absorption and lower your insulin, thus encouraging your metabolic best to help you lose weight. Adding fiber and protein to your meal lowers its total glycemic level. Fiber supplies the bulk in your diet and can aid in lowering cholesterol levels and preventing constipation, hemorrhoids, and heart disease. Fiber-rich foods are more satisfying to your body’s natural system for registering a feeling of fullness. When you eat foods rich in fiber, satiety - or that feeling of being satisfied after a meal - is achieved earlier and lasts longer than when you eat refined foods, which tend to have higher glycemic values. Fiber-rich foods help to slow the breakdown of blood sugars, making you feel less hungry.
When it comes to fiber, your goal should be to consume at least 25 to 30 grams of it each day from a variety of different food sources - which may be a little trickier than it sounds. Today, most of our grains are stripped of their fiber. They are processed and refined in a process that removes the fibrous bran and beneficial oils. Through the nutrisystem diet meal plan, you’ll be following a diet that lets you eat whole foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which ensures that you are getting enough fiber in your diet. Consumed in their natural state, these delicious foods can help provide your daily dose of nutritious, health-affirming fiber and offer protection against a variety of chronic diseases. Whole foods found in the nutrisystem plan are good sources of soluble fiber, which serves your body well by creating a sticky gel that acts like a protective coating to prevent harmful substances from doing damage. A recent major university study found that men who ate 7 grams of soluble fiber daily were 40 percent less likely to die from heart disease than those getting only 4 grams. Great soluble fiber sources include prunes, avocados, black beans, kidney beans, artichokes, sweet potatoes, figs, and apples. Insoluble fiber is another form of fiber that comes from the supportive structural material of plants. It stimulates normal movement in the intestinal tract and can dilute the concentration of toxins that may be residing in the colon. This type of fiber can also prevent the formation of diverticulosis, a disease involving the intestinal wall. Great insoluble fiber sources include avocados, blackberries, guava, wheat bran, prunes, lentils, broccoli, brussels sprouts, mung beans, and carrots.
One other thing that’s important to mention when we’re talking about fiber is water. Everyone knows that water is a must for ultimate weight loss. It moistens and lubricates our tissues and joints, helps eliminate wastes and toxins from our tissues, and is crucial in our body’s ability to transport vital nutrients, proteins, sugars, electrolytes, minerals, and vitamins for proper assimilation. A reasonable goal is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses daily. Another way to calculate your individual needs is to divide your body weight in half and drink that amount in ounces. When you increase the amount of fiber in your diet, you need to increase your intake of water, too. Fiber acts much like a sponge in your system, soaking up fluids in your body, which causes an increased need to adequately hydrate all the cells so that they can do their best work.
When you increase your fiber intake, you also want to prevent any blockage from occurring. You want to make sure the fiber remains well lubricated and slippery so that it can pass entirely through your system, grabbing debris along the way and not getting stuck somewhere in your intestines.Water binds with the fiber in your meals, increasing its thickness and making it more bulky. This delays the transit time through your intestinal tract, slowing digestion and absorption of carbohydrates.
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