Bringing Carrots Back To The Table

It's hard to believe any diet would encourage a person to exclude certain vegetables including nutrient-rich carrots. But many low-carbohydrate diets discourage people from eating starchy carbohydrates. People who are on the South Beach Diet give up carrots as well as beets during the strict first phase, which lasts two weeks. During the second phase, dieters are allowed to eat carrots, potatoes, bananas, pineapple and watermelon in moderation.

Some people started limiting their consumption of carrots based on the reported glycemic index or GI of carrots. The GI is a way of measuring how quickly a person digests carbohydrates, but is not always reliable.

Originally, carrots were said to have a GI of 92, which is extremely high. But researchers carrots now say carrots have been assessed to have a GI as low as 16 for raw and 49 for peeled, boiled carrots. If you are diabetic and worried about whether carrots will cause your blood sugar to rise; then, just make sure to eat your carrots with roast beef or another source of protein to lower the overall GI of the meal.

How to buy and prepare the perfect carrot

If you can grow your own carrots, that's always ideal. Otherwise, search for organically-grown carrots. Look for carrots which still have their green tops. Don't buy carrots that have splits as that's a sign of aged carrots. Once you purchase or harvest the perfect carrot, you can keep them in your refrigerator for a few weeks.

Carrots are easy to prepare. Simply steam carrots for 9 to 11 minutes to retain all of the nutrients. Avoid microwaving carrots as it may compromise the nutrient value of the vegetable. Use dill or mint to flavor the carrot as a substitute for using butter or fat.

Nature's best diet food

A Carrot contains a number of vitamins including D, C, E and B. They are rich in potassium and calcium pectate, which can lower cholesterol. Carrots, which are root vegetables, are made up of 87 percent water.

Although it's unusual that a vegetable could be more nutritious when cooked, rather than eaten raw, a carrot is one of those exceptions to the rule. Carrots have thick cellular walls which are broken down when cooked to release nutrients. A carrot has 30 calories per 100 gram serving, .7 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbohydrates, .5 grams of fat and 2.4 grams of fiber.

Carrots have an alkalizing effect on the body, which is critical for weight loss and good health. Cancer cells can't survive in an alkaline environment. Most experts recommend 20 percent of your diet should come from acid-forming foods and 80 percent from alkaline foods.

Get juicing with carrots

Many people choose to go on a juice fast when they want to jump-start their weight loss or detoxify their bodies. Carrot juice is the perfect base for a vegetable juice fast with 20,000 mg. of vitamin A. You can stay on a juice fast for a day or for an entire week, but talk to your health care professional before embarking on any fast.

Finally, when you select carrots for juicing, look for the bright orange ones. Your carrot juice will taste sweeter if you select brighter colored carrots.

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