Making Sense of Carbohydrates

Your body converts carbohydrates into sugar, which gives you energy. That’s the good news. The bad news is that some carbohydrate foods turn into too much sugar too fast, with too many calories. You can identify which carbohydrates are good for you and which to avoid by checking their glycemic index and glycemic load.

Glycemic Index measures how fast the carbohydrates in a food turn into sugar in the body. Foods with a highglycemic index convert into sugar very quickly, with negative physical effects. Foods with a low-glycemic index turn into sugar gradually, helping maintain your body’s chemical balance. In general, foods with a low index are preferable.

Glycemic Load measures the amount of sugar a food actually releases in the body. Foods with a low-glycemic load usually have a low-glycemic index. They are good choices for your meal plan. Foods can have a high-glycemic index, yet still have a low-glycemic load. Other foods have both a high index and a high load. You should avoid high-load foods as a regular part of your meal plan.

When you choose carbohydrate foods, always check both their glycemic index and glycemic load. Detailed tables with this information are widely available.

Like carbohydrates, fats can have a positive or a negative effect. Good fats can lower your risk of heart disease. Good fats are found in olive oil, fish, olives, avocados and walnuts. But remember, even good fats have a lot of calories, so use sparingly!

Low-Glycemic Index *Low glycemic-load foods. Fruits and Vegetables
Apple*
Asparagus*
Broccoli*
Brussels Sprout*
Cauliflower*
Celery*
Cherry*
Cucumber*
Grapefruit*
Green Bean*
Green Pepper*
Kiwi*
Lettuce*
Mushroom*
Onion*
Orange*
Peach*
Plum*
Spinach*
Strawberry*
Tomato*
Zucchini*

Starches
Barley*
Black Bean*
Kidney Bean*
Lentil*
Pea*

Medium-Glycemic Index - Fruits and Vegetables
Apricot*
Grape*
Pineapple*
Watermelon

Starches
French Fries
Oatmeal
Pita Bread
Waffle

High-Glycemic Index - Fruits and Vegetables
Corn
Cranberry Juice
Orange Juice*
Raisin

Starches
Bagel
Bread (white)
Refined Cereal
Granola
Muffin
Pasta
Potato
Pretzel
Rice
Tortilla (flour)

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Achieve Better Health

Hello Everybody,
I just wanted to share this with you all, an old message from David Heber, M.D., Ph.D.. He inspires me to improve my health and to help others. :-)

My experience with thousands of patients over the past 25 years has taught me that a one-size weight-loss plan does not fit all. Individualized approaches to getting into shape work best–approaches in which people use programs customized to their own shapes and body composition, approaches that fit their lifestyles and their personalities.

My theories and philosophies of weight loss are reflected in the ShapeWorks™ program. A healthy diet is one in which you eat an amount of protein in your diet that is matched to the protein needs of your body. And it helps you build or maintain lean muscle, which burns calories and helps keep your metabolic rate up. You learn to watch the calories you burn at rest and how fast you can lose weight on the number of calories in your personalized weight-management program. You also learn what your target weight (based on the proper ratio of fat to lean) should be and see how it compares to what you think you should weigh.

If you tried to get all the protein you needed from foods such as meats, you would consume too many calories, because protein usually comes with extra fat calories in these foods. But by using a variety of delicious, protein-enriched meal-replacement shakes, you can easily obtain the protein your body requires to build or maintain lean muscle mass and feel full and satisfied. High-protein shakes, along with healthy meals and exercise, can help you realize easy and lasting weight loss. A healthy meal also is rich in colorful fruits and vegetables. This is because the substances that give fruits and vegetables their “color” (called phytonutrients) may provide a number of health benefits. In addition, this program guide also discusses the role of exercise in building lean body mass (muscle) and in reducing stress.

In my practice at UCLA, I have helped people learn about their individual bodies and, based on that, how to eat better and lose weight.* Today, I am proud to be the Chairman of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Boards for Herbalife International, one of the largest distributors of high-quality meal replacements in the world. Herbalife has embraced the ideas and the science that I have used in my practice. I hope this program helps you achieve your goals and your ideal weight.

David Heber, M.D., Ph.D.
Los Angeles, California
March 2004

*Dr. Heber’s title is for identification purposes only. The University of California does not endorse specific products or services as a matter of policy.

I will share some information with you all from this program guide in my upcoming posts. Thanks for visiting my blog and have a great weekend! :-)

Best in health,
Robin Baker
Proud Herbalife Independent Distributor (USA)

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Carbohydrates: A Rainbow of Foods

Colorful fruits and vegetables are the foundation of your daily menus. Full of vitamins and minerals, they help maintain your organs and immune system, keeping your body strong as the weight comes off.

ShapeWorks™ makes it easy to choose the right fruits and vegetables for your meal plan by organizing them into seven unique color groups. Both men and women should include at least one serving from each group every day.

Fruits and vegetables color groups: red/purple, red, orange, orange/yellow, yellow/green, green and white/green.

Simply eating more fruits and vegetables is not the answer– they must be the right fruits and vegetables. Starchy vegetables such as peas or lentils (200 to 250 calories per cup) are healthy, but they contain more calories than you may want. If you need to eat more to satisfy your hunger, add lowglycemic-load vegetables.

For example, spinach and asparagus are better choices than higher-calorie corn and peas. A cup of spinach topped with 1⁄2 cup of tomato sauce has only about 90 calories, but it gives you nutrients from two color groups.

Why Not Brown and Beige?
When considering which foods to enjoy sparingly, also use color as a guideline. Many brown and beige carbohydrates, like pasta, beans and potatoes, while healthy, also tend to be high in calories.

Color Counts:
2 cups of spinach = 80 calories
2 cups of rice or potatoes = 500 calories

Colorful foods provide nutrition from the family of chemicals called phytonutrients or “plant” nutrients. These substances contribute to your healthy-food program.

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