Category: Diet Food

There are many different types of diets out there to choose from, including many that restirct or regulate carbs. If you have tried a traditional low carb diet, but you have a hard time eliminating carbs altogether and typically end up stopping the diet, there is another option. Carb cycling is a type of low carb dieting that doesn’t cut carbohydrates out of your diet completely, but instead regulates how many you take in each day. Carb cycling is often a method used by body builders that want to achieve the health a low carb diet can provide, but need those carbohydrates for fuel for pushing weights. You don’t have to be a weight lifter to get the benefits of carb cycling, however. Read on to learn about carb cycling to decide if it is a good low carb diet option for you.

Carb cycling diets consist of exactly what the name implies – you cycle your carbohydrate intake. There are a few different ways to do this, however. For some, they have low carb days and high carb days and these are rotated equally. For others, they will have no carb days, moderate carb days, and high carb days. When this type of carb cycling diet is followed, the days can be rotated equally, or you can opt for more low carb days than high carb days. 

The carb cycling diet is good for those who exercise a lot (particularly those who lift weights), and the higher carbohydrate days can be beneficial on days that training is strenuous. For off days or light days of working out, the low carb/no carb option is the best. If you don’t typically do strenuous workouts, but you are interested in carb cycling because you think you might be able to stick to this type of diet longer than a completely low carb diet, it is best to have fewer of the higher carb days. You may want to opt for one no carb day, followed by two low carb days, followed by one higher carb day. Repeating this cycle for carb intake can allow you those “cheat days” you may need to help you stick to a prominently low carb diet. 

When you opt for carb cycling, your protein intake stays consistent throughout and is not limited, but many will opt for lower fat foods on the days that they allow a higher carb intake. Traditionally, carb cycling diets are based on eating smaller meals throughout the day instead of just a few larger ones. This helps aid digestion and keeps the metabolism at a high level, which prevents those higher carb days from causing unwanted weight gain or fat storage. Many carb cycling dieters will consume 6-8 small meals throughout the day, and they do so on low carb days as well as the higher carb days.

 If you decide to try carb cycling, you can find a wide selection of great-tasting low carb foods that will make those low carb days easier than ever by visiting us at Linda’s Diet Delites! 

Whether you are trying to get your children to follow a low sugar diet, or simply eat their vegetables more often, it can be a difficult endeavor. Anything that has the word “healthy” in it might immediately lead a child to believe they will hate it and even refuse to eat it. Many children don’t like change, so even switching noodles to a different type can be enough to cause them to not want to eat the healthy food you feed them. This doesn’t have to mean that getting children to eat in a healthier way is impossible, however. Read on for a few things you can do to encourage healthier eating in children.

Make healthy eating fun – 

Carrots, broccoli, and other sugar-free snacks for kids are boring and many kids simply hate the way they taste. Presenting these types of healthy foods in a unique and fun way, however, can lead them to actually want to try it. By organizing fruits or veggies in a unique way, it becomes more fun for kids to eat it – so much so that they won’t even realize you have taken the sugar out of their snack time! The pictures to the left and below show some great options and another fun idea is to do “ants on a log.” This healthy snack is made up of celery sticks filled with peanut butter. Placing raisins periodically on the peanut butter makes them appear to be ants walking on a log, which may entice a child who otherwise hates celery to actually eat the snack. 

 

Make a gradual change – 

If your child eats a lot of unhealthy sugar-filled foods, it’s not necessary the best idea to simply eliminate all sugar intake one day. Instead, you can gradually make the change by first replacing one unhealthy snack in your cabinet with a healthier option, or one sugar-filled drink a day with a healthier option of water or sugar-free juice. Over time, you can incorporate more sugar-free foods into their diet, or other types of healthy foods, until they have an overall healthier diet without even noticing it happened. 

When all else fails, count on trickery – 

There are many cookbooks available on the market that offer recipes for sneaking in healthy foods where kids least expect them. In addition, you can replace their unhealthy snacks with healthier versions. If they know you are offering a sugar-free chocolate instead of their favorite, they may balk at it. But if you put it in the same container as their favorite, they may never notice the difference.

Getting kids to eat healthy can be difficult. Finding foods that are healthy but actually taste good is one key step to success. Visit us online at Linda’s Diet Delites to find some great-tasting healthy options your kids are sure to love!

There are many factors to consider if you are debating between a food combining diet and a low carb diet. If you are changing your dietary habits due to a health issue such as diabetes, the food combining diet will not help control blood sugar levels, because carbs are not limited. There are also no substitutions allowed within a food combining diet. On a low carb diet, you can find low carb substitutions of your favorite foods and eat them in the place of the traditional, allowing you to eat the foods you love but lessening the number of carbs you consume. On the food combining diet, however, even the low carb varieties aren’t allowed to be eaten in combination with a protein.

When you decide to change your diet to achieve a healthy lifestyle, you will quickly learn that there are many different types of diets that offer healthy benefits. With so many to choose from, including a gluten free diet, a low sugar diet, and many more, it can be difficult to understand the differences to be able to make the best decision for you. This week, we compare the traditional low carb diet with the food combining diet. Read on to learn the differences and similarities between these two types of diets.  

Overview of a low carb diet:

A low carb diet traditionally sticks to a very basic plan. During the first week or two of a low carb diet, carbohydrates are strictly limited, which puts the body in a state of ketosis and allows it to use its own fat as fuel. Once this time period has passed, the carb allotment for the day is increased, but it is still a limited number each day. There is no set time that carbs are allowed, and the types of foods eaten with these limited carbs are not restricted in any way. With a traditional low carb diet, calories and fat are not typically factored into the diet, as the entire diet is based on counting carbs and keeping them to a set limited number per day. 

Overview of a food combining diet:

There are no limitations on the types of foods that can be eaten with a food combining diet. Instead, this diet works on the basis that the body can process certain types of foods more easily if they are not combined with other types. Proteins and carbohydrates are both allowed without limitation, but they are not allowed to be eaten together. The theory of this type of diet is that the body will process proteins more efficiently if starches aren’t eaten at the same time, and vice versa.  

Similarities between low carb diets and food combining diets:

While the principles of the two diets are very different, they are similar in the manner that they use the science of the body’s food processing capabilities to help achieve weight loss goals and better overall health. 

Choosing which type would work best for you:

For some, a combination of the two diets might be the best solution. Limiting when carbs are eaten as well as the number consumed in a day can help control blood glucose levels and help you achieve weight loss goals at the same time. 

Have you ever tried to start a low carb diet only to discover that you have a hard time letting go of some of the high carb foods you love? You are not alone. While it may seem like you simply have low willpower, there may actually be more to it. Many people feel as though they are addicted to bread and other high-carbohydrate foods, making it difficult to begin a low carb diet. Read on to learn why this is, and to learn a few tricks to conquering those cravings and achieving a healthier lifestyle with less carbs. 

Feel-good chemicals –

The same feel-good chemicals that are released by exercise and chocolate can also be released when you take in high carbohydrate foods. Although you may not be conscious of feeling better when you eat bread, that slight increase in chemicals will subside soon, resulting in a craving for more bread or other carbs. 

Energy-

Although the carbohydrates in bread will increase energy for only a short time, it does increase energy. When that wears off, you likely crave more bread or other high sugar/carbohydrate foods to achieve that energy level again. 

Comfort – 

When you make lifestyle changes that will enhance your health and potentially help you live longer, they become easy over time – the norm. But in the beginning, there may be temptations that are hard to overcome, causing days when you simply can’t seem to stick to your new healthy way of eating. As you embark on this journey, and until it does become easy for you, keep the following tips in mind to help you stick to your new healthy eating plan. 

Remind yourself of your goal – 

Whether you are beginning a low carb lifestyle to lose weight, you are starting a gluten free diet to keep Celiac disease under control, or you are starting any other healthy diet for any reason, you do have a reason. Remind yourself of this every time temptation arises. Keeping a note on your refrigerator with your goal written down, write your goal at the top of your next shopping list, set a reminder in your phone for meal times to go off and remind you of why you should make healthy decisions. Since it is easy for temptation to overpower our will in some cases, keeping your main goal at the forefront of your mind can help you stay focused and have the power you need to stick to your low carb or other lifestyle. 

Out of sight, out of mind – 

While this isn’t always the case, and you may very well have an evening where you are craving an eliminated food so much that you are willing to drive to the store and purchase it right that minute. But the majority of the time, those cravings appear because you know the bad-for-you food is in the cabinet or the refrigerator just waiting to be savored. If you don’t have easy access to it, it’s likely that you won’t crave it near as often. Substitute foods you typically have on hand for those that are similar but adhere to your diet, such as gluten free sweets or low carb crackers.

Budgeting can be the hardest part – 

If you have ever tried to live a healthier lifestyle, you likely know firsthand that those foods that are bad for you cost much less than foods that are good for you. Any low carb tortilla will cost much more than the traditional flour tortilla. The same is true for all low carb foods, sugar free foods, and gluten free foods in most cases. It is understandable that the healthier foods cost more for consumers – they cost more to manufacture. However, your local grocery store can often charge a much higher price for their health food options because they buy in smaller quantities. If you shop at a store that specializes in healthy foods, whether a physical location or an online store, you are sure to find low carb foods and other healthy foods at a lower cost. This can help you maintain your grocery budget (or close) while still allowing you to change your lifestyle for the better.

Eating healthy is one of the best decisions you can make, but it can be difficult to decide the best route to take. Changing a lifestyle and the types of food you eat will often affect not only every day in the future for you, but it typically impacts your family and those closest to you as well (particularly if you are the one who prepares the majority of meals at your home). Before you make this big decision, you will want to make sure you are picking something you can stick with. Read on for some thoughts to help you make the decision of which type of diet will work best for you. 

Try to stay away from diets that eliminate foods you love – 

With so many types of healthy lifestyles to choose from, you are sure to find one that will still allow you to eat some of your favorite foods. If you love eating meat, for example, deciding to become a vegetarian might not be the best route to take. By considering the types of foods you and your family eat most, and tailoring a healthy diet plan accordingly, you will have a greater opportunity for success. 

Try different substitutions before making a full commitment – 

For almost any type of diet, there are a variety of substitutions available that can make the change easier on everyone. However, it can often be through trial and error that you find substitutions that everyone likes. You may try three or four different types of low carb breads, for example, before finally settling on a brand that everyone agrees tastes good. By testing out different food substitutions in advance of making the complete dietary change, it will make it much easier to stick to the new plan. 

Determine the diet by considering your reasons – 

Although you will want to consider healthy diets that will be easier to stick to, and you want to pick one that allows you great-tasting healthy substitutions, there is another consideration that must be made as well – the goals you want to achieve. If you are just trying to obtain better overall health, the diet possibilities are almost endless. But if you have a specific goal in mind, such as lessening sugar and carb intake to avoid diabetes because it runs in your family, choosing a low carb, low sugar diet is obviously the best bet. 

As the new year approaches, you may be thinking about making changes. It is a common practice every year that people make resolutions to change something about their lifestyle on the first of a new year, and typically the top of this list for the majority of people is body-related. Whether you are resolving to get in better physical condition through exercise or diet, read on to learn why we make New Year’s resolutions and how you can achieve success with yours. 

Adhering to a low carb diet provides many benefits, but when you first begin this lifestyle, it can sometimes be difficult to adjust to the change. This is particularly true if other members of your household aren’t interested in pursuing this same diet. For most people, making two different meals each time the family eats is not an option, and it can be frustrating trying to feed everyone the foods they want while maintaining your own low carb diet. Read on to learn a few tips for incorporating low carb foods into meals in a way that won’t leave your family feeling as though they have been placed on an unwanted diet.