Think again
October 2, 2023
Maybe when you start reflecting back on your diet history, you picked up on an attraction to foods that are loaded with sugar, low in fiber maybe high in fat. This is not uncommon.
Sweet and refined are wonderful qualities in a human being. Not the case with carbs. And while we should all be striving to be better people, for obvious reasons, carbs aren’t capable of such change on their own.
Change requires a human touch. So use your ability to make better choices in your consumption of carbohydrates.
Are you sensing a teaching moment coming on? Here we go.
The human body needs carbohydrates. There is no way around that. The TYPE you consume is up to you.
As you know there are healthy carbs that we should be enjoying vs. those our taste buds tend to crave in abundance. These two types of carbs have been categorized as good and bad.
But why do we need carbohydrates?
-The body uses glucose for energy
-Of the macronutrients, (carbohydrates, proteins, fats ), carbohydrates breakdown into glucose the fastest
-this is the primary job of carbohydrates
-it is the most efficient pathway for immediate energy necessary for the body to function properly
-simply put,
glucose = energy
Still with me?
I know you’ve heard that you should be consuming foods that are higher in fiber. The bad carbs are the ones that are “refined” as most of the fiber, if not all, has been removed and extra sugar has probably been added. Cakes, cookies, donuts, white bread may be hard to resist, but if you’re looking to improve nutritional fitness, consider adding these bad carbs to your do not disturb list, as they can detour your journey to wellness. They tend to be lower in fiber, higher in refined sugar and frequently higher in fat. The energy boost is short lived often followed by extreme fatigue as your blood sugar plummets. They also have very poor nutritional value.
Good carbs are higher in fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grains), causing a slower breakdown into glucose, avoiding a high spike and rapid drop in energy.
Combine this with a super protein source and you are cruising!Necessary nutrients are provided and a sense of satiety (or fullness) occurs allowing you to control your caloric intake better. This is especially important if you are trying to reduce weight. The theory being that a sense of fullness will lessen your appetite and help you manage your portion sizes more efficiently.
There are studies praising benefits of low carb diets. But how low do you have to go? You will see weight loss fairly quickly and possible cardiac benefits due to the lower fat intake. So while you are basking in the glow of what appears to be healthy and safe weight loss, consider this. The body will always fight to protect itself. When the body’s storage system of energy is used up (this will happen when the body senses it is not getting enough glucose to function), you may see a shift in the above mentioned benefits. Your body will start filling up those storage spaces again and you may see a rebound weight gain. (Refer back to my warnings about yo-yo effects in a previous blog).
I am oversimplifying a complex biochemical mechanism, but I think the point is clear. The true benefits of restructuring your nutritional regimen and giving it a real workout,
will be finding the balance necessary for your body to function utilizing carbohydrates, proteins and fats all doing their own job. If a diet seems too extreme, raise those flags! Please consider all angles of risks and benefits.
My goal is for you to develop a healthy lifestyle by understanding the role nutrition plays.
Slow, steady and smart choices will always help pave the way toward optimal nutritional health.
