Avoiding and Limiting Carbs...An Art in Itself

I know for a fact I eat too many carbs. I also know that someone with PCOS (that's me!) has a MUCH lower metabolism than most people. And because of the over production of hormones, it tricks the body into thinking you need more food. So how does one effectively eliminate or lower carbs and still feel satisfied after a meal?

A MAJOR faux pas in this country that no body cares to highlight is the suggested portions on the nutrition labels of packaged food are much higher than the USDA's recommendation. According the the USDA's food pyramid (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/grains-counts.html), a women from 31-50 should have 6oz. of grains a day. One ounce of carbs is considered a serving and is usually around 15grams of carbs. So if you have a serving of 8 crackers that is 24 grams of carbs according to the label on the box that they claim is a serving, you're over eating. That's actually almost TWO servings of crackers-not one like the box said. And no one wants to make this public...because if you eat more, you buy more! So start paying attention to HOW MANY grams are in a carbohydrate, not what a serving size consists of. Rule of thumb: 15grams of carbs=1 serving. The USDA recommends 300grams of carbs a day. I'm limiting myself to 100.


Step 1 is to pay more attention to my body. Step 2 is mastering carbs. This week I focused on hearty soups and chili for lunch and dinner with a small serving of bread on the side. I can't see the joy in eating a sandwich with one piece of bread-that's just silly and unnatural to me. Wednesday night I made a big pot of White Bean and Escarole Soup (recipe to follow in separate blog). It's fed me pretty much the rest of the week and I never felt deprived. It actually made me feel proud of myself for limiting my carbs.


A couple other sneaky carb busting tricks to save you from the bulge:

• replace mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower or turnips
• smoothies for breakfast
• lettuce wraps
• wine instead of beer
• tacos with smaller flour tortilla and taco salad with all the leftovers the next day
• chili and soup as whole meals
• salads loaded with cheese, nuts and avocados will make you feel fuller

Does anyone else have tricks to limit carbs? I'd love to hear them! And do you know where you stand on the food pyramid? I don't agree with it 100%, but there are some parts of that guide that are worthwhile. Check out the website and see for yourself:

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/