ALL ABOUT CARBS!

Today I’m talking all about CARBS aka Carbohydrates.

Each gram of carb provides 4 calories of energy and can attract about 2.7g water. More carbs = more water weight, but that isn’t always bad since it makes you stronger.

Many people are curious about sugar, and what that means to them. I know often times SUGAR gets a bad wrap - so let me break it down for you!

Carbs broken down into the most simple form = sugar

But what about FRUIT? Is that a good or bad carb?

(Insulin: sugar controlling hormone)

Some studies suggest that fruit (aka fructose) ingestion leads to insulin resistance (inability to use energy so it gets stored as fat), elevated blood cholesterol levels and increased fat gain, especially in the abdominal area.

WHY: Fructose lowers the amount of insulin released in response to meals. This in turn lowers the circulating levels of the hormone leptin, which is responsible for increasing feelings of fullness and raises the hunger-promoting hormone ghrelin.

This scenario can lead to excess calorie consumption, which can cause fat gain. What does this mean? Fruit doesn’t necessarily make you fat, it just makes you hungry again quickly, but it still has tons of vitamins and fiber. But what about SIMPLE CARBS? Are they good or bad?

Starchy foods like white bread, white rice, potato products, crackers and cookies digest quickly into glucose, raise insulin levels, program the body for excessive weight gain and increase risk for chronic disease. Highly processed rice cereal and table sugar may taste different, but below the neck they both cause metabolic problems.

And what about COMPLEX CARBS

These are your SLOW digesting carbs that are made of multiple sugar and fiber molecules. They provide long lasting energy, are slowly converted to fat rather than fast digesting carbs and help you stay full! Examples are brown rice, whole grain bread, oatmeal, whole wheat noodles, beans, veggies.

So what the heck do you need?

A mixture of all 3! Our body can quickly and slowly use energy all of the time. Stay active and you can eat more carbs without gaining weight! I recommend eating MOSTLY COMPLEX carbs and some fruit! Avoid fast digesting and pure sugar when possible.

THREE WAYS OUR BODIES USE SUGAR:

1. It can burn the glucose (sugar) immediately for energy if blood glucose levels are not at a stable level of 20 grams blood borne glucose circulating per hour. So if you just got done working out and your blood sugar is low, it is quickly burned.

2. If it is not needed for energy immediately, then it is converted into glycogen in the liver or muscles. The liver can store approximately 100 grams of glycogen. The muscles have the capacity to store between 250-400 grams of glycogen, depending on the amount of muscle you have and if it is depleted or not. Liver glycogen supplies energy for the entire body. Muscle glycogen only supplies energy to muscles.

3. If the body has an excess of glucose, and all of the glycogen stores are full, the surplus glucose is converted to fat by the liver and stored as adipose tissue (body fat) around the body.

I hope that gives you a better idea of how the body converts carbohydrates to sugars, then sugars to fat or energy. Knowing this helps me avoid over eating because I know the scientific biological effect.

If you need any assistance on your diet or training I am HAPPY to help! Just email me at PETERSL93@YAHOO.COM or Contact me via this website!

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Best health and wishes!

Leah Peters

leahpetersfitness.com