This is ME simply talking and letting my brain flow with what I've learned in my Journey, ideas that I've experimented with, what others have taught me (especially as I suffer from Insulin Resistance)educational books I have read and what I've learned in college as part of my continuing education. Actually I've talked in random about Sugar on Facebook and this is my First Real Blog Entry to keep it Simple for my Followers with holistic ways of thinking toward greater health, healthier body wellness management and weight loss.
Quantity & Quality
All people need carbohydrates. It's the source of fuel for our muscles and referred to as "Glycogen". It's the Go to source of energy for all body functions. (did you know our brain fuels from sugar only!! ) It's a Myth for any "Diet" or "lifestyle" to exist without it. No matter if you are paleo or atkins there is NO escaping carbohydrates in food and the real need for people to need it for energy. Those that exist on extremely low or no carbohydrates often are at risk for coronary heart disease ( I say often because scientific data shows that many that cut carbs eat more protein and fat from animal by products and the saturated fat, increases cholesterol) It takes several weeks if not months to train a body to learn to metabolize fat and protein as it's main fuel source. There are by product affects that take place when your body has to metabolize protein (and can cause un wanted bad breath and ammonia like smell to your sweat). Grains offer proteins and necessary vitamins and minerals into our diet. Grains can be a good source of fiber and help reduce cholesterol.
So if we all need sugar to survive with the most energy then what is the real problem?
There is Quality & Quantity of Carbohydrates that impacts our health and weight.
Our body responds to carbohydrates by providing insulin into the blood stream to manage the sugar to keep our blood sugar stable. If you eat too much sugar at once your body responds as it's built to do and it takes away the sugar (when it doesn't then you are resistant or you have diabetes). I'm trying to keep this really simply put for you. So Quantity is important and refined sugars offers a large quantity of excess glucose which moves into cells lining the arteries causing inflammation which thickens and stiffens them (Surprise even THIN People have heart disease, even Runners get heart disease and this could be a factor why some do!)
Refined sugars enter the blood stream immediately with no process of breaking down the chains for energy much like complex carbohydrates. Excess glucose makes free radicals causing cell death. (Refined short sugar chain, Complex long sugar chain) That's what a lot of processed foods have is refined sugar; high fructose corn syrups, sugar alcohols. High insulin raises blood pressure and blood fasts and lowers good cholesterol. Refined sugars are high on the Glycemic Index.
Reduce Your Blood Sugar Spikes! How Connie!!! Learn the Glycemic Index! Ok you don't have to study them or anything and actually next week I'll take some extra time to go over this information in regards to RUNNING & FITNESS! For Now I'll just share that all foods have a Glycemic index and depending on how much you have will have a Glycemic Load and learning and managing your blood sugar even if you don't have diabetes or insulin resistance can improve your insulin sensitivity, improve your cholesterol, allow you to feel more full after eating, reduce your hunger in between meals, increase your rate of weight loss and reduce your waist fat.
Low glycemic index foods help manage hunger, low glycemic foods spend more time in your guts and takes longer time traveling to lower intestines and triggers natural appetite suppressants.
I Beg anyone that has Diabetes to take this seriously. I ask that you use your insurance and seek out professional diabetes instructor or dietitian to help give you great pointers in managing your disease. For many of you; reversing the disease is possible! You can control your blood sugar, lose weight become more sensitive to sugar and get off of medications! Don't lose that hope you can do this! To all those that are suffering with poly cystic ovarian syndrome it's possible to regain control over the insulin resistance and lose weight!
Here is the Glycemic Index
To Keep it simple for you these are some easy lifestyle changes I made with Sugar
- Choose Whole Grains (unrefined is best that way your body has to work to break it down)
- Avoid Refined Sugars
- Go with portion sizes that fit in the palm of your hand (or 4-6 oz of any carbohydrates at any given time)
- Avoid more than 1-2 carbohydrates in each meal. For example 1/4 cup of wild rice and 1/4 cup of cooked carrots
- Count Carbohydrates and avoid going more than 30 g of carbohydrates at each meal
- Don't fear fruit- it bears great antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber and water
- Eat around 40% of your intake as carbohydrates and this MAY CHANGE for all sorts of people you may fall and feel best at 50 % your daily intake from carbohydrates, you may be best at 35% or 65% and this is where Calorie Counting on Apps is great tool because they will offer you daily percentages so you can learn what your body likes for weight loss and what it likes for energy!
As a runner I can't express my growing concern that others are out there advocating these tough diets (extremist lifestyles) there is NO reason to fear sugar. It's about managing your sugar. I won't argue that your body won't adapt, I won't argue that there are some really amazing athletes and endurance runners out there that blog and facebook all about paleo and atkins diets but they are a small minority trying to infiltrate society into thinking this is and should be more mainstream. I honor the notion that these diets are needed for those that suffer intestinal distress and found ways to adapt to what works for them. There are celiacs and those that have gluten intolerance's that have found that way of eating good for them! (although I will say that I also experimented and went Gluten Free for two weeks and still managed to keep my intake of carbs around 50% my daily intake!) The choice to eat that way should not be one of competitive nature, to imagine that you'll get some sort of edge of over competition. I went ketonic for a few weeks over this past summer in my attempts to play around with Paleo diet. All I found was extreme fatigue, poops that looked like fatty liquid toothpaste, my running went into the toilet as after week 3 anything past 4 miles felt worse than a Marathon. No matter how much vegetables and fiber I ate, no matter how clean and lowfat I ate, no matter how clean I was I just could not feel any good from that way of eating. Let me share that it took only a week back to normal balanced eating that I felt MY Best!
Here's my Tips to Balanced Eating Lifestyle
- Choose nutritious options for your carbohydrates
- Limit your alcohol
- Limit your salt intake (I aim for 1500mg daily) & more if I did a longer run
- Eat lots of mono and poly saturated fats (such as olive oil)
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day
- Eat Fish at least once weekly
- Eat lean proteins daily (I aim for .75-1g per my body weight each day- but when I was cutting calories it was more about .5- 7.5 g per body weight)
- Get in plenty of fiber
Just trust that our body's are marvelous machines and it's built to do exactly what it supposed to ensure stability for all core body functions for organ safety. If you are finding you are gaining weight and it's not been identified as a health factor (such as diabetes, insulin resistance, thyroid, sleep apnea) there are other factors such as lack of sleep, extreme stress etc. That if it comes down to foods that taking an active role in monitoring your carbohydrate quantity and quality be a step in that healthy direction.
I just want to add one more in your tips, please avoid fructose because it can also cause insulin resistance. It is dangerous than other sweetener because it damage your liver.
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