A list of useful carbohydrates that can help you lose weight instead of gaining it

No-carb diets bring quick results, but we can’t lose weight correctly without eating carbohydrates. A calorie deficit is the main thing to pay attention to when it comes to losing weight along with a proper balance of protein, fat, and carbs to make the process healthy and safe. There are products that contain the necessary amounts of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins which help us feel full for longer without requiring us to eat a lot.

We collected the most important information about carbs that nutritionists have written about, and created a list of the tastiest products that can help us get rid of that excess weight once and for all.

CARBOHYDRATES IN THE PROCESS OF WEIGHT LOSS

The most important thing to remember about carbs is that they provide us with energy. Even fat and protein can’t metabolize without them. But carbohydrates are usually accused of contributing to weight gain. Is this true?

By structure, carbohydrates are divided into 2 parts.

Complex carbs contain starch, fiber, pectin, and glycogen (bread, beans, cereals, pasta, potatoes, vegetables, nuts).

• They’re slow digesting and make us feel full (starch + fiber).
• They improve the work of intestines and maintain gut flora (fiber).
• They reduce water retention (fiber).
• They support the gastric mucosa and improve digestion (pectin).
• They help with muscle growth (glycogen).

Simple carbs contain glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, and maltose (fruit, milk, sweets, pastries, beer, fast food).

• They cause blood sugar swings.
• They give you more energy.

When your glucose level increases, the pancreas starts producing insulin. The more carbs we eat, the higher the insulin level is. Complex carbs do that slowly and simple ones cause swings and an urge to eat more.

If we usually eat simple carbs, we provoke a rapid insulin level increase. It doesn’t allow your body to digest fats and that’s why we gain weight.

It doesn’t mean you have to quit simple carbs, your diet just needs to be balanced. Eat more complex carbs to lose weight.

7 NOURISHING HELPERS

7. CHICKPEAS

Chickpeas contain protein and lots of irreplaceable amino acids that are responsible for proper metabolism. And fiber helps control the amount of food we eat.

Chickpeas go perfectly with vegetable soups, spices, and olive oil. Hummus, one of the most famous Arabic dishes, is made of mashed chickpeas.

To lose weight faster, nutritionists recommend replacing products high in saturated fats with chickpeas.

6. CORN

Protein and vitamins contained in corn help us get healthy skin, hair, and nails, contribute to fat burning and have fiber that stimulates the work of the intestines.

An interesting fact: If you mix corn with beans, you can make the process of weight loss more effective because both products contain resistant starch, a carb that dodges digestion and improves metabolism.

5. PASTA

Whole grain pasta is one of the main products in the “diet list”. Such pasta contains complex carbs that supply us with energy and clean our body of toxins.

Pasta perfectly combines with vegetables. Make sure you cook it al dente (pasta that is cooked to be firm to the bite.)

4. GREEN BEANS AND ASPARAGUS

Green beans contain potassium that strengthens muscles and normalizes the work of the intestines. Green beans are highly recommended to people who don’t eat meat because they contain a huge amount of plant-based protein. This low-calorie product is really popular among people who want to lose weight because of its nourishing properties that make us feel fuller longer.

Asparagus possesses the same benefits. It contains fiber, great amounts of vitamins, helps lower high blood pressure, cleans out toxins, and stimulates the work of the heart.

3. MUSHROOMS

Though mushrooms are very nourishing, they don’t contain many calories. Thus, raw champignons contain only 27 calories while fried champignons have just 50 calories.

Amino acids, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, vitamins B, C, and D make mushrooms a very healthy dish. Fiber and protein let us satisfy our hunger faster. There are even special mushroom diets.

2. RICE

Wild rice is considered to be one of the healthiest products that isn’t a grain. Rice is an aquatic grass, Zizania aquatica, and grows in North America. Wild rice contains a small number of calories, a huge amount of fiber, protein, and tryptophan, an amino acid that serves as a natural sedative. This rice with nutty flavors enriches our bodies really fast.

It’s recommended to eat wild rice with other products because it’s so heavy. Add some wild rice to white or brown rice to make a well-rounded meal.

1. POTATOES

Whether or not potatoes are healthy to eat is one of the most controversial questions in dietology. Well, its harmfulness is greatly exaggerated. Not everyone knows that potatoes contain less starch than pasta and some cereals.

But the way of cooking it is what really matters. Potatoes baked with vegetables and olive oil or boiled potatoes won’t affect your body because such dishes save their useful elements. We recommend to stop consuming butter and meat with potatoes (especially fried ones). Choose methods that we mentioned above so that the product won’t have a bad influence on your body.

What do you usually eat to keep fit? Share your recipes with us in the comments!