Читать книгу The Viva Mayr Diet: 14 days to a flatter stomach and a younger you - Dr Stossier Harald - Страница 38

‘We have been told to eat more carbohydrates so that we produce energy,’ says Dr Stossier. ‘But really these guidelines are misguided. If we eat a lot of carbohydrates, the pancreas needs to produce a great deal of insulin to bring them into our cells. Insulin is required to metabolise carbs, and to use the energy with which they can provide us. So basically, when you eat a lot of carbs, your body converts them into sugars. In order to control your blood-sugar level, your body produces the hormone insulin. But if there is insulin in our bodies, it tell us, ‘there is energy – we have enough, so use it’. So our body turns any excess energy from the carbs into fat, which is effectively a ‘store’ of energy for later use. It’s not a great situation. As long as insulin levels remain high in the body, we will also store the other components of food, such as protein or fat. This has a massive influence on our weight, and affects the way that we should exercise as well (see here).

Dr Stossier suggests that we should eat about the same amount of protein but increase our intake of the right kinds of fats (making sure we make the right choices between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids; more on that later) and cut down the carbs, as well as the amount we eat overall. ‘Some people eat up to 3,700 calories or more a day,’ says Dr Stossier. ‘This would be ideal for an active sportsman training for a competition, but it is way too much for most normally active people. There is no mystery to losing weight; cut down on carbohydrates and increase your intake of unsaturated fatty acids.’

If you think about the fact that a Krispy Kreme Caramel Kreme Crunch doughnut, or its cousin the Apple Fritter, each contains almost 400 calories a pop, you’ll see how easy it is for the calories to add up. After all, who can stop at one when they sell them in handy boxes of a dozen?

The fact is that we do all eat way too much. I know I do. There is no reason at all to eat a huge breakfast and three-course lunch, and then repeat the ritual in the evening. We will go into eating in a later chapter, but it’s worth noting now that since I met Dr Stossier, I sometimes skip dinner altogether and make do with a snack like some oatcakes and cream cheese. And you know what? I don’t die of starvation during the night …

Not surprisingly, Dr Stossier recommends we avoid the likes of the Caramel Kreme Crunch and try to stick to organic food (see here). I suddenly feel quite smug about my organic shortbread biscuits.

Dr Stossier doesn’t like to break our diet down into percentages. He believes that if we focus on fresh fruit and vegetables (some of them raw, and at the right time), and good-quality proteins and fats, we really won’t be hungry enough to fill ourselves with carbohydrates – and, in particular, the unhealthy types, such as those made with white flour and lots of sugar. When you are eating the Viva Mayr way, it’s important simply to cut down on carbs by taking much smaller portions, and choosing wholegrain varieties which fill you up.