Low Carbs for Mothers
We've got two kids, ages 1 and 3,
and I'm about 20 pounds heavier today than I was before my first
pregnancy. I feel run-down and often a little blue, so I "feed my
sweet tooth" probably more than is good for me. I'm a little worried
about where all this is going . . . .
Honestly, you should be a little worried.
Sorry!
The average mother is about 10 pounds heavier than a
comparable woman without children, moms tend to eat high-carb quick
foods on the run, and mothers are at heightened risk for Type II
diabetes - all of which are
related.
Type II diabetes is a serious illness
that is rising dramatically. Essentially, it's a condition in which
the body has grown increasingly insensitive to the hormone, insulin,
which makes it harder and harder to get "fuel" into the cells where
it's needed, so the body produces more and more insulin, which just
makes the cells even more oblivious to it, in a vicious cycle.
When this happens, you feel run-down and
you're vulnerable to many of the nasty consequences of standard,
"juvenile" diabetes, including cardiovascular disease. And even if
you don't develop full-blown Type II diabetes, partway there is a
syndrome of insulin insensitivity whose problems include fatigue,
sugar cravings, and excess weight. So staying off the slippery slope
of insulin problems - or simply avoiding the poor nutrition of the
high-sugar, high-carb, "supersized" standard American diet which has
made us the most overweight nation in the world - are all smart for
a mother.
The key is the
low-carb diet that is so often in the news these days. It's the
diet we're designed for through millions of years of evolution.
During almost all that time, there was no consumption of grains,
milk products, or refined sugar. People very similar to us ate
mostly animal proteins, vegetables, and nuts. Basically, that's
the low carb diet. Here's how to do
it: Have protein with every meal. Make that
protein source - chicken, beef, fish, tofu,
cheese, almonds, rice and beans, etc. - the centerpiece of the
meal. Eat tons of
vegetables. Use starchy vegetables - like potatoes,
yams, sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, legumes, beans - as your major source of
carbohydrates. Consume grains in moderation, and as much
as possible, in their "whole" form (e.g., whole wheat, brown rice).
Minimize pasta, pizza, bread, bagels, etc.Eat no more than one or two pieces of fresh
fruit a day. Fruit does have a fair amount of carbohydrates, but it also has lots of
important nutrients.
Keep sugar low. Look at the food labels and
try to keep your sugar consumption below 25 grams a day, or as close
as possible. (There are about 45 grams of sugar in a Coke.
Oops.) Drink only moderate
amounts of wine or beer - or none at all.Eat healthy fats. Avoid the trans-fats
found in partially hydrogenated oils (margerine) and deep fried
foods. Consume low amounts of saturated fats (e.g., butter, cream,
fat in hamburger). Use virgin olive oil for
cooking.