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Don't avoid carbs!

Posted by on 20 January 2010 | 0 Comments

Carbohydrates provide your body with glucose which is necessary for all cellular processes and they are your body's primary source for immediate energy. Excess glucose can be immediately used for energy with some stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles short term. When this storage limit is reached, the excess carbohydrates are converted to fat. Carbohydrates also provide essential vitamins and minerals which help to prevent cancer, heart disease, and other chronic illness. The key is the source of the carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates provide your body with instant energy, but it is not long-lasting. These carbohydrates include simple sugars and starches and are considered to have low nutrient density. They cause a surge of insulin which causes your blood sugar levels to drop. This drop in blood sugar can trigger the brain to issue hunger signals and therefore cause you to overeat. Complex carbohydrates are considered to be high nutrient density foods and are released into your bloodstream more slowly and take longer to digest, so they contribute to a sense of fullness. They also do not trigger a rapid release of insulin. Examples of complex carbs are: vegetables, most fruits, and high-fiber, whole-grain breads. Fiber is critical for intestinal health and weight loss. The more active you are, the more carbohydrate you need. For example, marathon runners or long distance cyclists might eat the equivalent of up to 50 slices of bread a day, such is the demand of these endurance sports. Carbs are the main fuel for most exercise activities, although fat plays an important role as well. Naturally, if you don't do much exercise, don't have a physically active job or just can't do anything physically active, then your carb requirements are much less. One important point to remember is that unless you're an elite athlete doing several hours of training each day at high intensity, you mostly want to stick to high-fiber, low-GI types of carbohydrate in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Eating lots of refined carbs and sugars is one of the reasons that people on low-fat diets have failed to lose weight or improve health over the years. Athletes have a little more choice because of the rapid metabolism of these refined foods in fueling their activity. Is it true that you can't eat carbs after 4pm? This is an urban myth. Your body does not have a trigger that states "Oops it's 4pm I have to convert those carbs into fat now!". Typically we are less active at night so it makes sense to keep your carbohydrate intake down if you are just going to go home and sit and watch the television. However if you exercise at night then you may need the fuel replacement that carbohydrate provides. So don't be afraid of carbohydrates, they provide valuable antioxidants and fiber and vitamins and minerals: Just make sure you get a good balance of whole foods and refined foods in the right quantities for your activity.