It turns out your Mom was right when she said, “Eat your vegetables.” Many of us who used to scowl and push these around our plates are now choosing to eat more kinds of vegetables — in much larger quantities — than Mom would have ever dreamed possible.

Some of us got on board from a desire to lose weight. We went on diets that called themselves “low carb,” which usually ended up closer to being “no carb.” We pushed our bodies into “ketosis,” lost some weight, began to CRAVE sugar and other carbohydrates, and ended up regaining all or most of the weight we’d lost.1

We then progressed to trying to eat carbohydrates that were lower on the glycemic index, and didn’t cause dramatic spikes in our blood glucose levels.2 That’s because we learned that high glycemic index carbs can push our bodies into a negative metabolic spiral that increases insulin resistance and ends in type-2 diabetes. And some of us found, that no matter what carbohydrates we chose and how rigorously we restricted our intake, we couldn’t seem to lose weight.

At the LaValle Metabolic Institute (LMI) we’ve successfully treated hundreds of people for high blood sugar, type-2 diabetes, and weight issues. We found that the glycemic index does matter, and so does glycemic load. We advise our patients against eating foods that can elevate blood sugar quickly and then keep it elevated for extended periods of time after eating. Or if they do eat these foods, to make sure they are in very limited quantities.

Being in ketosis (converting fat into energy when glucose isn’t available) turns out not to especially matter. As long as a food is relatively low in carbohydrates and doesn’t create spikes in your blood sugar, you can eat a lot of it. What seems to matter the most is the “nutrient density” — the number of nutrients you get from a food compared to the number of calories it contains. Do the carbs you eat actually supply the vital nutrients needed to reduce oxidative stress? Oxidative stress caused by various inflammatory substances can damage every cell in your body — most especially your insulin receptors.

It turns out that vegetables are the carbohydrate key to good health. Non-starchy vegetables are the lowest possible glycemic impact carbs you can find. They are “nutrient dense” — absolutely loaded with all the different kinds of nutritional support your body needs. They contain tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber — all wrapped up in a super low-calorie package.

Vegetables are also some of our best sources of antioxidants. They contain enough carbohydrates to keep us out of ketosis. But they’re also very low on the glycemic index and low in glycemic load, which makes them the “perfect” source of carbohydrates. Low carb diets that include lots of vegetables are the best strategy for healthy weight loss/maintenance. When those of our patients who were having trouble losing weight on their low-carb diet added regular servings of vegetables, they pulled out of insulin resistance, and began to lose weight.

So Mom and I both agree — eat your vegetables. Your smaller waistline and your healthier body will both say “thank you.”

References

1. Boden G. et al. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2005, 142;403:411.
2. Liu, S Archives of Internal Medicine, 2006;166:1438-1439.

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine, LaValle has authored 13 books, including his latest, Cracking the Metabolic Code. For more information, click here. ]

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