THE EASIEST AND and most effective way to increase your fat loss efforts is to eat fewer carbohydrates.

Now, before we get into a debate about the merits of good carbohydrates and citing the health risks of diet plans like ‘The Atkins’ diet, we want to make it crystal clear that we do not advocate extreme low-carb Atkins-style plans.

Instead, we at SMART Training suggest substituting heavy starchy carbohydrates with lower GI’s or other vegetable counterparts.

In addition to the fat loss benefit you should see from reducing your carbohydrate intake, you will also be increasing your vitamins, minerals and nutrients intake by adding more nutrient rich foods to your diet.

The reason that we should try to reduce heavy carbs from our diets is that they increase fat storage due to the fact that they spike our blood sugar levels.

We suggest trying to avoid breads, white pastas and gluten-based carbs and sticking to things like sweet potatoes, whole grains and other non-wheat based carbs as much as possible.

The reason is most of us don’t handle gluten or wheat very well, and it can cause some inflammation, which can cause bloating and fat storage along with other health problems.

Wholegrain Benefits:

• High in fibre, helping us maintain a healthy GI tract

• Slow to digest, helping us control blood sugar

• Loaded with vitamins and minerals

• They help us control our appetite

Simple Substitute Examples:

• Lettuce wraps instead of tortilla wraps

• Try roast Turnips instead of roast potatoes

• Stuffed mushrooms or peppers with a bolognaise or chilli mince and leave out the white rice

• Try mashing cauliflower as a substitute to mashed potatoes.

• Season and bake sliced carrots as an alternative to chips.

– Jonny Bruton is an Irish hockey international and owner of Smart Training Dublin.

Good habits mean consistent gains in SMART Training philosophy