Healthy Carbohydrates
We eat for a variety of reasons, including social reasons and biological necessity. Our bodies need two things from the food we eat; essential nutrients and fuel. We cannot make essential nutrients and therefore we must get them from our diet. Essential nutrients include vitamins and minerals, essential amino acids from protein, and essential fatty acids from good fat. Our cells have two sources of fuel, sugar and fat. Our cells need some sugar, but we can make the sugar we need from protein and fat. We do not need starch and sugar in our diet, and we can be perfectly healthy without them.
Carbohydrate refers to a wide variety of food that includes vegetables, fruits, all grains, pasta, cereals, rice, potatoes, candy, cake, soda and juice. Some carbohydrates are health-friendly and some are not.
Carbohydrates have been classified as simple and complex. This is an old classification and it is not very helpful. Most of the so-called complex carbohydrates turn into the simple sugar glucose within minutes of being eaten. The glycemic index is a table that shows how quickly foods turn into glucose in your blood stream. It has become a popular tool for people who are working to stabilize their blood sugar. (Read Manage Your Blood Sugar, and The Glycemic Index for more information)
A more useful classification of carbohydrates is as either high-fiber or low-fiber. High-fiber carbohydrates are found mainly in nuts and vegetables. Fiber can not be broken down into sugar, so it doesn’t raise your levels of insulin and leptin and it also provides fuel for healthy bacteria in our intestines that are beneficial for our health. Low-fiber carbohydrate on the other hand is turned into sugar that may push your health in the wrong direction. (Read Fat-Burner or Sugar-Burner in order to learn more about insulin and leptin)
Grains
Grains are not necessary for your health! Our early ancestors survived for millions of years without them. They have become a mainstay of the modern diet primarily because they are inexpensive to manufacture, ship and store, whereas fresh vegetables spoil in a short time. We eat grains because we have become used to them and because we like them, not because we need them.
If we eat grains every day, it exposes us to potential long-term health problems. When we eat grains, they turn quickly into sugar and send our leptin and insulin levels soaring. This can eventually create a hormonal roller coaster that is the root cause of many addictions and cravings and a wide range of other health problems. Remember that within a short time of eating them, a bowl of cereal has become a bowl of sugar, a slice of toast has become a slice of sugar, and a potato has become a big lump of sugar. Fat-Burner or Sugar-Burner and Manage Your Blood Sugar for more information about the health consequences a diet high in non-fiber carbohydrates.
Non-Starchy Vegetables
Pile your plate high with non-starchy vegetables. There are a great many to choose from and they are good for your health. They are full of fiber, and they provide plentiful vitamins and minerals. If you do not like vegetables now, this usually changes after a few weeks of changing your diet when your hormones are more balanced and your taste buds spring back to life.
Fruit
Fruit contains some fiber, as well as vitamins, but it is also high in fructose, a type of sugar that is harmful. Eat only a limited amount of fruit and eat the varieties that have a lower glycemic index. Berries, especially blueberries, are some of the best forms of fruit. Don’t load up on fruit when you reduce the sugar and starch in your diet.
Artificial Sweeteners
Do not use artificial sweeteners. They are made from chemicals that frequently cause health problems, they perpetuate cravings for sweets and they desensitize your taste buds. If you do use an artificial sweetener, stevia is one of the best choices.
