Are all Carbs Equal?Written by Chrissie Mayes
ARE ALL CARBS EQUAL?We are getting low carbs trust down our throats right now – literally. Everywhere we look these fads are being thrown at us. Then there will be a major health scare and everyone will back off for a bit, only for someone else to pick up gauntlet. So let’s put record straight. You can not cut out a major food group to such ridiculous amounts! There should be no such thing as a no/low carb diet. In principle, theory works. You lose weight (whether you do it healthily and keep it off is not for me to say). Eating good quality proteins definitely keeps hunger at bay. However, if you are a normal individual cravings will start to kick in for those forbidden carbs and whole thing goes down pan. So why don’t we change concept slightly? Instead of concentrating on low carbs why don’t we start thinking about GOOD carbs? Because of course all fruit and veg are carbohydrates and everyone knows you have to eat plenty of this group for vitamins and minerals, right? So consider changing tact. Miss off all heavy, sugar laden carbohydrates like bread, pasta, potatoes etc and pile on veg! Don’t stint, don’t worry about carbs – they are good for you! Have a salad on side tossed in a light dressing and three to four portions of non starchy veg with your chicken or fish. Have an apple to satisfy your sweet tooth. Fruit contain fructose, which has a different make up to other sugars and glucoses. When glucose hits your body levels in your blood rise rapidly. The body has to deal with this surge by releasing insulin to clear blood and direct this energy source to right place – that not required for muscle energy is shoved along to liver to be stored for future use and remainder gets stored in your fat cells. (ie, you get fat!) You are left with insulin in your blood which causes a huge drop in blood sugar. So how does body react? It wants more sugar to counterbalance! Fructose is metabolised direct in blood stream, does not cause a surge of insulin and hence blood sugar remains stable. In other words, you won’t get an addictive craving for more, like you do with that pack of biccies! It is difficult to overeat on apples, isn’t it? You don’t often fancy eating whole bag, do you?
| | Change in Diet May Cause a Change in Your Sense of TimeWritten by Jonni Good
I know this sounds a bit crazy, but I've never before heard anyone mention this particular benefit of giving up sugar and other refined carbs: My sense of time has changed.I was sitting at my desk this afternoon, working hard on a letter I was writing to one of our clients, and I realized with a start that it was time to go home. In past, when I regularly snacked on sweet and salty treats, I was never surprized by time. I always knew exactly how many minutes were left before my next break, before time to go home, before it was time for dinner, and how long it would be before my bedtime snack. This is undoubtedly something that people with "real" addictions notice when they give up their habits. When you finally break free, (and this could take several months or even years after your last drink or fix), you notice one day that your mind isn't occupied by your cravings. Other things, more important things, more interesting things, are filling your thoughts.
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