Makeover 5: The Refined Carbos Rejection

I decided on a slight detour for this week's entry.

Instead of focusing on harmful food ingredients which are potentially cancerous, can cause anal leakage or hearts to explode, I'm centering on one of the world's greatest problems facing mankind:

Losing weight.

Well, at least for yours truly and a few other helpless victims of McDonaldization, shedding those extra pounds is an increasingly tall order in an increasingly yummy world. I just had do justice for me and my fellow comrades. And my relentless sniffing on the Net uncovered one of the greatest evils facing dieters: refined carbohydrates.

Breads, cereals and potatoes form the basic group in most diets. Containing starchy carbohydrates, most of them start off as grains. Refined carbos refer to foods where the high fibre bits have been removed by machinery. This is usually done so that the bread or cereal you're eating will taste softer and better, and have a longer shelf-life.

However (this word shouldn't come as a surprise by now), refined carbos cause a sudden increase in blood sugar. And if the sugar is not used by the body quickly, it is stored as fat. That's bad news for us folks wanting to not put on extra weight.

The good news is, there is an expanding variety of foods containing unrefined carbohydrates. These foods contain the whole grain, so they're higher in fibre content, and makes us feel fuller and not always getting the urge to grab that snack between meals.

And more good news. Unrefined carbs have been found to reduced chances of getting chronic disease and age-related mascular degeneration. Not that people who want to lose weight will have lots of muscle to degenerate, but well, that's besides the point.

Anyway, here's a list of 3 excellent alternatives to the refined carbohydrates foods we're so used to all these while.

Instead of white bread, go for......

Gardenia Fine Grain Wholemeal Bread


This wholemeal sandwich loaf is made with 50% wholemeal flour. So it still contains the softness of your usual white bread, while still locking in the goodness of unrefined carbs.

Instead of artificially flavoured and coloured cereals, go for......

Post Frosted Shredded Wheat


Previously, I tried the original one. But it was a tad too bland for my liking, and this frosted variation adds that bit of sugary taste which is just nice. 100% natural whole-grain wheat, so it comes with a healthy amount of fibre to keep those hunger pangs at bay.

Instead of normal pasta, go for......

San Remo Wholemeal Pasta

(picture for illustrative purposes only)

Some weightwatchers have said that wholemeal pasta, not only being healthier, tastes better than regular white flour pasta. And the best thing is, it comes at the same price as the usual varieties! Refined carbs have never come in a sweeter package.

Other than the 3 types of foods listed here, there is a myriad of alternatives for other carbo foods like rice and noodles. Take a trip down to the supermarket and shop around. The switch from one refined carbo food to an unrefined one can make a world of difference to your dieting plans.