Carb Crazed

Low Carb diets have become as popular as apple piecarbohydrates on a daily basis can drive sugar levels
(although apple pie wouldn't be allowed!). Everywhereup quickly. However, the fiber in whole grains slows
you go the message is "low carb, decrease yourthe rise in blood sugar and therefore the insulin
carbs, or no carbs". Unfortunately this messageresponse.
oversimplifies many of the healthy eating habits thatIn fact, eating small amounts of whole, complex
nutrition experts have been teaching. The truth is,carbohydrates throughout the day can keep blood
there are no quick fixes or easy answers when itsugars at a more even level preventing insulin rises
comes to healthy eating, and one size never fits all.and weight gain. Research shows that people whose
The idea that carbohydrates are bad or unhealthy isdiets are high in whole grains and fiber decrease their
a misunderstood message that has taken over ourrisk of diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease.
thoughts on good nutrition. Low carbohydratePortion Control:
promoters push the theory that carbohydrates areThe flip side of the coin is that most people consume
to blame for the nation's obesity problems. The truthextremely large portion sizes of carbohydrates,
is overeating and general lack of exercise are mostlyeating more refined carbohydrates than the healthy
to blame for the obesity epidemic. Think about it thiscomplex carbohydrates, which can lead to weight
way, if the theory was true that carbohydratesgain. The answer, however, is not to give up all
cause weight gain then every person includingcarbohydrates. It is not all or nothing as we learned
famous athletes who eat carbs regularly would befrom the low fat craze. We need to learn how to
obese. It just doesn't add up.balance our diets to provide enough energy and
The Truth About Carbs:nutrients that we get from all of our food groups
Proponents of low carb diets claim that when carbsthroughout the day. By removing all carbohydrates
raise blood sugar and insulin levels, the process canfrom your diet you are setting yourself up for
make our bodies store fat more readily. This is true,potential health problems not to mention bad breath
but did you know that all carbs are not created(side effect of ketosis), hypoglycemia (low blood
equal?sugar), and low energy levels.
There are different kinds of carbohydrates: simpleVery low carbohydrate diets would not be of
and complex as well as low glycemic and highconcern to health professionals and nutrition experts
glycemic. This is where most people fail toif they weren't so significantly low in important
understand better carbohydrate choices. There arenutrients and so high in saturated fats. Recent studies
no bad food choices just those foods that should behave found that low carbohydrate diets are deficient
eaten daily and those that should be eaten once inin as many as 19 vitamins and minerals and as many
awhile.as 11 micronutrients. According to Dr. Bruce Ames, a
Fruits and Vegetables:professor of molecular and cell biology at the
While it is true that fruits and vegetables are madeUniversity of California, Berkley; vitamin and mineral
up primarily of carbohydrates, the majority of themdeficiencies such as these can lead to DNA damage
have a low glycemic index (glycemic Index is athat can cause you to age prematurely and could
measure of how quickly a food increases the bloodlead to cancer and degenerative diseases such as
sugar). This is because fruits and vegetables containAlzheimer's and Parkinson's. There is further evidence
fiber which naturally keeps blood sugars level. Fruitsthat these diets can lead to other diseases such as
and vegetables are also the most important foodheart disease, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis.
groups in our fight against chronic diseases. They areIt is important to remember that these diets were
loaded in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anddeveloped for weight loss and not healthy eating
phytochemicals which act like our own personalguidelines.
arsenal against chronic diseases. In fact, the AmericanBottom Line:
Institute for Cancer Research has compiled overChoose small amounts (½ cup to 1 cup) of
4000 studies and has concluded that eating 5whole grains with each meal. Choose a variety of
servings of fruits and vegetables per day canfruits and vegetables throughout the day and you will
decrease our cancer risk by 20%. Eliminating fruitsbe able to manage your weight and your health at
and vegetables from your diet can lead to potentiallythe same time! People who have achieved lifelong
serious health problems such as heart disease andweight loss have done so by making lifestyle changes
cancer.such as eating a balanced diet and increasing their
Whole Grains- The Important Difference:daily activity, not by following fad diets.
Both whole grains and refined grains (sugar, whiteMost importantly, don't depend on fad diets to give
bread, pasta, etc) are high in carbohydrate but wholeyou nutrition advice. They generally look at a small
grains, found in foods like oats, barley, brown ricepiece of the puzzle instead of looking at the whole
and whole wheat breads and cereals, contain all partspicture. There is no need to increase your health risk
of the plant kernel thus keeping their important fiberto lose weight. Choose to eat a balanced diet and
content intact. Refined grains are stripped of theseincrease your activity so you can lose weight and
nutritious components during the milling process. Yes,maintain optimal health at the same time.
it is true that eating large amounts of refined