Posts Tagged ‘carbs’

There is so much  misinformation  floating around about carbohydrates that it’s hard to know what to believe.

Some push the idea of a low carb diet, some mention “good carbs” and “bad carbs”, and some people act as if carbs were poisonous!  Today I’d like to talk about what carbohydrates are and what they do for your body.

There are 2 kinds of carbohydrates, simple and complex.  Simple carbs have a simple molecular composition, are easily and quickly digested and enter your bloodstream as glucose.  Complex carbohydrates have a molecular structure that takes longer to digest but they also eventually enter your bloodstream as glucose.  The end product, glucose, is the same for both types of carbs.

Your body needs glucose for energy.  People who are serious about strength training know that you need protein to build muscle and carbs to power them.

Problems can occur when you eat too many simple carbohydrates (candy, soda, etc.).  They are rapidly digested and quickly raise your blood sugar level.  To compensate, your body releases a bunch of insulin to get rid of the sugar.  But this causes your blood sugar to quickly lower, resulting in low blood sugar levels, low energy, and hunger.  Then you grab a candy bar, which causes your sugar levels to spike, and so on and so on and so on.

This is why so many people mistakenly believe that carbs cause weight gain.  In reality, they are trying to feed their bodies with the wrong fuel, which causes a chemical reaction that leaves them hungrier and more prone to overeating!

The better choice is to use complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole grain cereals, and vegetables.  These are digested more slowly and release glucose at an even rate so that your sugar/insulin ratio remains balanced.  There are no excessive highs or lows.

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Myth or Fact?

Have you ever noticed that, if something is said often enough, people tend to accept it as true?  Let’s talk about 5 of these diet myths which need to be purged from your knowledge base – they are simply not true!  Some of them might even be sabotaging your health, fitness, or weight loss goals.

• Myth #1:  Carbs are bad for you. Fact:  This myth is only partially true.  It should be amended to say that “white carbs” are not good for you.  These include foods like white rice, white bread, and sugar.  Whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat products are a vital part of a healthy diet.  In fact, the Department of Health recommends that 50% of our daily calories (energy) should come from carbs.
• Myth #2:  Vegetarians can’t build muscle. Fact:  You can build muscle on a vegetarian diet as long as you include protein.  Animal protein is not the only kind of protein.  Good vegetarian sources of protein include beans, nuts, and dairy products.  Optimally, 15% of your daily calories should come from protein.
• Myth #3:  Low fat = low calorie. Fact:  Many products labeled low fat are very high in calories because of high sugar content.  Remember, fat does not make you fat; eating more calories than you burn causes you to gain weight.  Fat is actually a necessary part of a healthy diet.  It should make up 35% of your daily calorie intake.
• Myth #4:  Low fat milk has less calcium than whole milk. Fact:  Milk’s calcium is in the watery part of the milk.  It is not in the creamy part which is skimmed off to make skim or low fat milk.
• Myth #5:  Eating past 8:00 at night causes you to gain weight. Fact:  Once again, weight gain is directly related to the total number of calories you eat during the day, not the time of day you eat them.  Although some people may not be able to sleep well after eating a late meal or snack due to heartburn, etc., it will not cause them to gain weight as long as they have not exceeded their daily calorie needs.

What other diet myths can you think of? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.