The “Killer” Diet – Part 4 – Carbs
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
There is a lot of misinformation about carbohydrates. Many of us have fallen victim to the carb-free revolution and then wondered why we ended up back at square one. It’s a matter of understanding the differences between good carbs and bad carbs.
THE GOOD
These are the carbs we hear very little about… the ones that do the body good. Unfortunately, people hear about the evils of “carbohydrates” and automatically think all carbohydrates are evil. That’s simply not the case. Pictured to the left are examples of good sources of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are converted to glycogen which is needed for many things including…
- Immediate energy requirements
- Functioning of the brain, kidneys, heart and central nervous system and healthy thyroid function
- Glycogen causes insulin production which transports amino acids (protein) into your muscles for repair and growth
Some will argue that the body can produce glucose by breaking down muscle which is true. The process is called gluconeogenesis and apart from it being a very inefficient means of producing glycogen, it also… BREAKS DOWN MUSCLE! The same muscle that helps you to burn more calories each and every day.
Others will argue that the body can use ketones for energy which are produced when breaking down fat. Also true however, your muscles get first “dibs” on those keytones… so you’re brain will have to wait (and suffer). Understand that gluconeogenesis is a system designed through evolution for times of severe starvation and is a matter of give and take… you get something at the cost of something else.
THE BAD
These are the carbs you should avoid and there’s a very good reason. Now, we’re all aware that these bad carbs (also known as simple carbs) cause a spike in your insulin production. Insulin is good but not when it spikes. The resulting spike causes your body to create fat but do you know why? There are two enzymes called HSL and LPL and they play a key role.
LPL lives on the outside of fats cells and is responsible for pushing fat into the fat cell. HSL lives inside the fat cells is responsible for pushing fat out of the fat cell. Too much insulin causes a rapid expression of LPL and voila, your fat cells fill up (1). Good carbs (also known as complex carbs) are laden with fibre which causes a “time released” breakdown and therefore NO insulin spike… so once again, understand that there is a difference between good and bad carbs.
Now when I say avoid bad carbs, let’s be realistic. I know we all enjoy them so what I’m saying is that perhaps we can still enjoy them if we just learn to employ some self-control. Self control doesn’t mean eating only 10 cookies a day versus 20. It means having it on occasion and in small amounts. There is one benefit to these carbs (and also starchy carbs)… they can actually help to curb your appetite (2).
When you stop eating carbohydrates, your brain stops regulating serotonin, a chemical that elevates mood and suppresses appetite. And only carbohydrate consumption naturally stimulates production of serotonin. The effect of serotonin on your appetite is to make you feel full before your stomach is stretched.
Now, the brain only makes serotonin after consuming sweet or starchy carbs (starchy carbs are part of the healthy carb family) but here’s the kicker… they must be consumed with very little or no protein at all. So I guess the kids had it right all along… from now on we’ll be having desert before dinner!
THE UGLY
So, we’ve looked at Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates and we need to accept that we can’t avoid any of them so we might as well enjoy them. The ugly truth is that you can try your best to justify processed foods as convenient, inexpensive and tasty, but you know deep within yourself that it’s not right. You know the truth but like so many others, you’ve become accustomed to living a lifestyle of convenience and creating a healthy lifestyle seems like such a burden. It doesn’t have to be. The key is to find the foods that offer the most nutrition in the fewest calories… then explore ways to prepare them. Indulge on occasion but be honest with yourself.
No matter how promising that new “diet” is that you just heard about, if it doesn’t satisfy your body’s requirements for proteins, fats and carbs, you will suffer… and sometimes irrevocably. I hope you enjoyed my four part look at Macronutrients. In future posts, we’ll look more in depth at the different kinds of fats, training that boosts your growth hormone and a lifestyle that can not only lead to dramatic changes in your body composition but also in your overall health.
Stick with me and soon you too will become, ONE HEALTHY BUGGER!
REFERENCES
1. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 1997;17:2287-2292
2. Wurtman, R. J. & J. J. Wurtman: Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving, obesity and depression. Obes. Res. 1995, 3 (Suppl 4),477S–480S.
