Kicking Carbs to the Curb?

There is endless debate about how best to shed that holiday weight or which foods we should avoid to get back into our favourite jeans. More often than not carbs take the blame.

But before we declare carbs as ‘the enemy’ we should understand what they are and what they do in our bodies.

There are 2 main types of carbohydrates.

Simple carbohydrates are either monosaccharide (only one sugar molecule) like glucose, fructose and galactose or disaccharide (two sugar molecules). Disaccharides include lactose (found in milk), maltose and sucrose (what we know as sugar). These simple carbs are easily and speedily digested and are the ones associated with health problems.

Complex carbohydrates are a chain of the sugar molecules we’ve mentioned but, because this chain is longer, it takes longer to digest. They also include fibre - the carbs that are resistant to digestion. All of these factors mean that complex carbs don’t cause the same response in your body as the simple sugars and are in fact associated with various health benefits.

What happens to carbs in the body?

To understand these problems and benefits we need to look at what happens once you’ve swallowed. In your stomach and small intestine all carbohydrates (simple and complex) are broken down into the 3 monosaccharides (glucose, fructose and galactose) and taken into your blood stream. Galactose and fructose move straight to the liver where galactose is quickly converted into glucose and fructose is converted to glycogen (the storage form of glucose). The glucose enters the blood stream and is used in this form. This glucose in your blood stream is what we know as blood sugar. The more complex the carb the slower the glucose enters your blood stream, which means the peak in your blood sugar is more gradual with complex carbs. With simple carbs this process happens quickly, causing spikes in blood sugar. And we’re all familiar with the energy dip that follows. But why does it happen?

Blood sugar and insulin

Your body loves balance. So these spikes in blood sugar are a problem that needs to resolved. Your body’s solution to this is the hormone insulin. Insulin tells the blood sugar to get into your cells for storage and results in a corresponding dip in blood sugar. If you had a slow rise in blood sugar (like for complex carbs or fats and proteins) the rise in insulin is slow and so is the drop in blood sugar. The opposite would be true for simple carbs, which explains the sharp dip.

Health risks

These peaks in blood sugar have more serious consequences than you feeling the need for a nap. The high levels of insulin spark off other reactions in your body like making fats in your blood called triglycerides which are a risk factor for heart disease - they cause your cells to become resistant to insulin (almost as if insulin is becoming ‘too familiar’ to your cells). Insulin resistance is the first step to developing diabetes.

Which carbs to choose?

Before you cut out all carbs have another look at which carbs are causing these problems. The simple ones - sugars, white breads, refined carbs, baked goods. All those things you already had the inkling weren’t so good for you in the first place. The complex carbs - vegetables, whole grains and whole wheat products are causing slow rises and slow dips, at a speed your body can handle. In fact these kinds of carbs, because of their high fibre, are linked to reducing risk for colon cancer and diabetes, reducing cholesterol levels and improving gut health.

Fruit choices.

Because fruit has fructose - a simple sugar – we worry if fruit causes these spikes too. Yes, too much fruit will cause a blood sugar spike, and people suffering from diabetes in particular need to manage their intake and portions of fruit. But fruit isn’t only fructose - there’s a whole lot of fibre in there too which helps to slow down digestion and prevent those spikes.

Shopping for carbs

Next time you are planning your shop (rather than impulse buying) don’t just avoid all the carb products. Identify which ones are going to be good for your health and added those to your meal plan and shopping list.

Need guidance?

For advice on carbohydrate choices, meal planning, general healthy living, weight management, or managing your blood glucose levels with diabetes- book a session online or give me a call to set up a consultation.