First of all, since we’re talking about the Best Carbs for HCG Diet maintenance, I need to let you know that we’re going to talk about more than just carbs and starches. Maintaining your weight on Phase 4 of the hCG diet is serious business and involves many factors. You’ve worked so hard and come so far and I’m sure you don’t want to screw it up. Right?
This article will help you understand not only which are the best starches and carbs you can eat on HCG Diet Maintenance but also the right ratio and amount you can eat them and still successfully maintain your weight. We’ll touch briefly on the worst of the worst too but we’ll cover the worst carbs for HCG Diet maintenance later on down the line.
So what are the best carbs for HCG Diet Maintenance? Well, in truth, continuing a habit of choosing lower carb foods and avoiding or limiting sugar intake is truly the best way to maintain your weight. In the real world however, occasionally we like our carbs, bread, and starch and on Phase 4, known as HCG Diet Maintenance … you can have them!
The secret to choosing the best carbs for HCG Diet Maintenance is to choose the RIGHT kind of carbs and in the right ratio and portion size in relation to other foods and always make sure that you are getting lots of fresh vegetables and moderate fruit servings every day. With the right balance and the right combination of foods, maintaining your weight becomes nearly effortless and natural. Keep in mind though, starchy carbs, even gluten free or organic ones can still cause weight gain on HCG Diet Maintenance if they are eaten in excess.
The Carb to Protein Ratio for HCG Diet Maintenance (HCG Phase 4)
Eating your starchy carbohydrates in the right ratio and in balance with other foods in your diet can make a tremendous difference in your ability to maintain your weight. I generally advise my readers and clients to always pair a starchy carbohydrate serving with a protein and healthy fats at a ratio of 1:1 and try to add a salad filled with leafy green and colorful non-starchy vegetables or fruit serving to most if not every meal. The reason this ratio is significant is that proteins and fats help slow down the breakdown of and release of carbohydrates (in the form of glucose) in the body.
Best Carbs HCG Diet Maintenance List
1. Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh, organic, fruits and vegetables are at the very top of the list. The absolute best carbs to eat on HCG Maintenance are fruits and vegetables. Yes, I know many of you tend to think of bread or rice as “carbs” but the truth is that fruit and vegetables are the most nutrient dense and powerful carbs you can eat. Eating a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day is one of the best ways to truly feed your body and maintain your weight. The more colorful they are, the more nutrients and natural antioxidants they have.
When your body is receiving the highest quality nutrition and the vitamins and building blocks it needs, weight maintenance becomes easier. Keep in mind, some folks still need to be very careful and moderate when eating fruits because of the natural fruit sugar but including some fruit and moderate starchy vegetables along with leafy greens is one powerful secret to maintaining weight on Phase 4 Maintenance.
2. Organic, non-GMO, Whole Food
Choosing whole food that is unprocessed, organic or organically grown and non-GMO is a good place to start when you evaluate the foods you are adding to your shopping cart. Unprocessed food is in its most natural state and contains all the fiber and nutrients. Nature has packaged everything you need for good health in whole unprocessed food and its only in the refining process when the nutrients and fiber are removed that they become unhealthy for you. It’s also important to avoid foods that are heavily sprayed with chemicals and GMO (Genetically modified). Eating organic or organically grown foods is one of the best ways to ensure you are avoiding toxins and substances that don’t promote best health or aren’t efficiently utilized by your body.
3. Gluten Free
One secret to better HCG Diet maintenance is to consider cooking with gluten free products. Thankfully, most of us out there don’t suffer with the discomfort and distress of actual gluten intolerance such as with Celiac disease but more and more of us are learning that we have a sensitivity to gluten. Limiting or completely eliminating gluten in our diet can be one of those choices we make that helps us maintain our weight more easily. I have personally found this to be true. I have found that I can eat a moderate serving of gluten free pasta and have no problem maintaining my weight when eating the same size serving of wheat pasta or a half a bagel makes me puff up like a blow fish. If you think you might be gluten sensitive, try simply substituting a gluten free product in place of a wheat product and see how you feel. Listen to your body. This simple change may very well make the difference for you too in maintaining your weight.
4. High Fiber Food
Low carb dieters and health professionals have known for years how important fiber is for helping people maintain weight. The fact is that most people simply don’t get enough fiber in their everyday diet. Adding fiber helps naturally decrease the “net carbs” for many of your favorite starchy and high carbohydrate foods. You can add more fiber to your diet in several ways. You can take a supplement every day such as psyllium powder (Make sure to drink plenty of water when you take fiber supplements), eat more raw fruits and vegetables, and make an effort to buy breads, pastas, and other traditionally high carb foods that contain higher amounts of fiber that help to balance the “net carbs” for that food.
5. Brown Rice, Corn, and Potatoes
I’ve lumped these together because they are all common starchy foods. In their refined and processed state, these foods get moved to the Worst Carbs list but in their whole food, unprocessed state, they actually have many healthful properties when eaten in moderation and they are gluten free! Brown rice has loads of fiber, is a good source of B vitamins, magnesium, and trace minerals. Sweet corn also has lots of fiber and is a good source of lutein, an essential phytonutrient for good eyesight. Potatoes are loaded with fiber, minerals, B vitamins, and are a good source of potassium. Now that you are on HCG maintenance, you can include moderate servings of these best carbs for HCG Diet maintenance.
6. Ancient Grains
Ancient grains made the list of the best carbs for HCG Diet maintenance because they are often lower in gluten or gluten free and more easily assimilated by the body than wheat products. Quinoa is one of my favorite rice or pasta alternatives in many of my recipes. Quinoa has higher protein content compared with other grains and is considered a complete protein containing essential amino acids. It’s also a good source of fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, calcium, and potassium. You can also experiment with flours made from ancient grains like kamut, spelt, amaranth, millet, and teff. As with all grains and starchy carbs, remember to eat them in moderation on HCG Diet maintenance and combine them in your meals with an equal amount of protein.
7. Nuts
Nuts are typically a combination starch, meaning they have a balance of protein, fat, and starch or carbohydrate. Nuts are one of the best carbs for HCG Diet Maintenance because they often are a rich source of healthy omega 3 fatty acids, contain vitamins and minerals, and are naturally in balance with protein. Eatings nuts like almonds and walnuts raw in salads or as a snack helps to preserve the integrity of the fats, vitamins, and minerals. If you’re in the mood for baked goods, cookies, or bread, you can often substitute nut flours like coconut flour and almond flour in many recipes without the impact or carb load that other similar foods have.
8. Honey
Honey is the only sugar that made our list of the best carbs for HCG Diet maintenance. Raw, natural, unfiltered honey is actually a superfood and can be eaten in small or moderate amounts on Phase 4 Maintenance. You can also have low carb, natural sweeteners like Stevia, Xylitol, Erythritol, and lower glycemic sweeteners like coconut sugar in moderate amounts.
A brief note on the Worst Carbs for HCG Diet maintenance. Make sure to avoid overly processed food, refined sugar in all its forms, and remember to avoid eating any starchy carbs to excess.
No comments yet.