Eight ways to cut carbs

Recently I succumbed to a horrible case of bloat. We’re talking up-one-size-of-clothing bloat. I was eating reasonable amounts of food and really being careful not to overindulge in my two vices, wine and chocolate. Heck, I even eat veggies — lots of them! So I couldn’t figure out why I always felt — and looked — so bloated.

It turns out I was inadvertently overindulging… in grain-based carbs. Yep, I was carbo-loading and not running marathons. It was simply not working for me. In trying to lose a few pounds, I started eating more vegetarian meals, and this led to more carbs. I’d eat brown rice, quinoa, brown rice pasta, lots of baked goods with spelt flour — focaccia, pizza dough, muffins — to make up for the lack of meat.

For some bodies, this would work, but clearly my body was rejecting my lack of animal protein and not embracing the grains I increased in my diet. My solution? To cut carbs, of course. It was easier than I thought….

When making a pasta dish, use half the amount of pasta you’d normally use and increase the amount of “stuff.”
Instead of a whole English muffin (or your carb of choice) for breakfast, try eating half and an egg, with a fruit salad or fresh berries.
Lose the lunchtime sandwich; instead, eat your sandwich fillings on top of a salad instead.
Don’t reach for that granola bar for snack. Try trail mix with an apple or yogurt with fresh berries.
If you like crackers with nut butter, try dipping snap peas, celery or banana chunks instead.
If chips and guacamole are your poison, try using carrot discs as your “chips.”
I’ve learned that potatoes digest like a vegetable so they won’t be as apt to cause that bloat. I can eat and enjoy them several times a week with no repercussions.
Cook two veggies with your meat, and always serve a salad. Grilled salmon, roasted broccoli and butternut squash with a mesclun salad is a perfect dinner, and carb-less!

I’m sure if you look at your diet, you’ll be able to find tricks like these that work for you. Hopefully, you’ll feel less bloated and your clothes will fit you better — a fabulous side-effect of eating healthy!

Photo Credit: adactio / Flickr