WHY ELIMINATE REFINED FOODS FROM YOUR DIET?

Most of us love refined foods but they are not good for our health or weight. Basically, refined foods are the sugary packaged foods most pantries are stocked with so why should we purge our pantries of them? Refined foods are highly processed and during that process most of the nutrients and fiber are stripped from them. When you eat fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc that are packed with nutrients and antioxidants you will feel better, be healthier, and be better able to control your weight!

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DIABETICS AND REFINED FLOURS AND SUGARS

If you are a diabetic you have no doubt been told to avoid refined flours and sugars as they will raise your blood sugar levels.  Here is a little information I came across on that subject.  Thought this might be helpful to someone out there to know you don't have to take my word for it.  This is from the professionals!

Mark Hyman, author of the book The Blood Sugar Solution, states that refined flours and sugar cause huge spikes in insulin and get absorbed quickly, which causes problems.  This causes a roller-coaster effect which then causes blood sugar to become unstable and insulin rushes to keep up.  This is not a good thing!

Jackie Mills, MS, RD, suggests looking at the whole meal instead of just individual ingredients. She suggests pairing carbohydrates with protein, fat, or fiber to help slow down the absorption process.  If you follow my blog, you know this is something I always recommend.  Sometimes it is not so much what you eat as how you combine the foods you eat.

 Avoid white bread, eat whole-grain breads, pastas, etc.

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