Introduction
There are only 3 sources of nutrients that count for calories: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. In this first part, I’ll review how this macronutrient—carbohydrate, can help perk up your health by lowering blood sugar and cholesterol (LDL); and regulate bowel function (poop elimination).
You’ll learn which carbs to decrease and which to increase to promote good digestive health while boosting more energy.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy and the primary fuel for the brain. It’s also the largest group of macronutrients found in many foods and drinks. Carbs also provide fiber to help stimulate good digestive health. More on the significance of fiber in a bit. There are two forms of carbohydrates—simple and complex.
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates are simple sugars (such as glucose, fructose, dextrose, etc.) found in fruit juice, most processed foods, and anything with added refined sugar, such as soda and candy.
Simple carbohydrates provide instant energy as they enter the bloodstream almost immediately. Once in the bloodstream, there’s a quick rise in blood glucose. While you’re guaranteed instant energy, that quick rise in blood sugar, unfortunately, doesn’t last long. That’s because blood glucose stimulates the pancreas to secrete a vast amount of insulin. Insulin helps move glucose into cells in order to help your blood glucose levels to return to a normal level. Some of the glucose in the cells is used up immediately and the excess glucose is stored as glycogen in muscle, liver, and fat cells for a certain amount of time until it’s eventually converted to fat. The excess glucose comes from overeating beyond what your body needed at that moment. While you do need some glycogen—a reserve form of glucose for energy—you just don’t need so much of it that the body finds it necessary to convert it to fat.
Glucose
Glucose in muscles – used for physical activity in a limited amount, not for long-term needs. Exercise helps lower blood glucose.
Glucose in the liver – used if the glucose in your blood is too low.
Glucose stored as fat – long-term energy reserves when glucose is converted to a type of fat called triglycerides. Triglycerides are a good health indicator when you have blood work done.
The storage of glucose as fat over a long period of time can increase your risk for diabetes and heart disease. You can now understand why your objective is to keep the levels in a safe range. Alarmingly, the standard American diet, in general, tends to go heavy on simple carbohydrates leading to 1.5 million Americans being diagnosed with diabetes every year!1 Even worse, it’s estimated that over 7.3 million American adults go undiagnosed for diabetes. In 2015, 88 million Americans over 18 years of age were prediabetic.1 According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and is underreported as a cause of death.1
- Reference: Statics about Diabetes https://www.diabetes.org/resources/statistics/statistics-about-diabetes (accessed 9/27/20)
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are a healthier source of energy for the body than simple carbohydrates. They’re typically the main source of fiber in your diet and can be found in nearly all plant-based foods and whole grains such as whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta, and starchy vegetables, like potatoes, green peas, and lima beans, to name a few. The digestion of these carbohydrates causes a slower release of insulin and less excess storage of glycogen that can be turned into fat due to the fiber content found in these foods.
Fiber
Fiber is a form of carbohydrate that can’t be broken down into glucose (blood sugar) and passes through the body undigested. It helps regulate glucose because it doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar like simple carbohydrates. This is because your body is not absorbing it. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fiber comes from certain grains (oat bran, barley) and plant-based foods (nuts, seeds, beans, and some fruits and vegetables). In the gastrointestinal tract (GI), it forms a gel-like substance by retaining water as it’s dissolvable. It slows down digestion and in turn lowers blood glucose.
Insoluble fiber comes from vegetables and whole grains adding bulk to the stool. It passes more quickly in the stomach and GI tract.
Soluble vs insoluble
If you add water to a peeled apple and mash it up, it will turn mushy, it’s soluble. If you add water to the apple with the skin, the skin acts as a barrier. The skin of the apple is insoluble.
You need both types of fiber to keep the bowels regular and help lower glucose and cholesterol.
Choosing fiber-rich foods with little to no processing, whether it be fruits, veggies, or whole grains will satisfy the appetite without usually causing spikes in blood sugar. A sudden spike in blood sugar depends on how quickly sugar is absorbed from the digestive tract. The higher the fiber, the less likely a spike will occur.
How much fiber are you consuming?
Most Americans don’t typically get enough fiber in their diet. The goal for fiber is 20 to 35 grams per day, depending on your age and gender. I would challenge you to track your fiber intake for 3 days (including one weekend or non-working day) to determine just how much fiber you normally consume. The reason for including one weekend day is that we usually eat differently over the weekend, compared to our regular working days. On the weekend there typically isn’t as much structure around meal planning. This is an area that could easily be improved to enhance health. A quick search on the internet can help you find a calculator to determine how much fiber you need like this calculator.
Fiber goal
Strive for approximately 25 grams daily. Keep in mind, when you start to increase fiber, you’ll need to increase your water intake, or you may experience constipation. If you find fiber is low in your diet, slowly add a gram or two more per day to reach your goal. Most apps track your fiber intake but check out this fiber calculator if you want an idea of how many grams of fiber are in your diet.
What foods are considered carbohydrates?
It’s important to remember that “low carb” does not mean “no carb” and to understand which foods are considered carbohydrates, since we tend to think they’re mainly foods made from grains such as bread, pasta, crackers, etc. In fact, they also include fruits, dairy, and starchy vegetables.
Carbohydrate Rich Foods (not an inclusive list)
All fruits – raw, canned, frozen, or dried
Whole grains: whole-wheat breads, brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain cereals, barley
Milk and yogurt (a natural source of carbohydrates in the form of lactose—milk sugar)
Beans and legumes
Starchy vegetables, raw, frozen, or canned: potatoes, peas, corn, winter squash (acorn and butternut)
Simple Carbohydrates containing refined sugars (not an inclusive list):
Candy
Desserts containing sugar
Cookies, pies, cake, etc.
Sugary juices and drinks
Sugary snacks
Other Simple Carbohydrates: white flour, honey, and syrups including high-fructose corn syrup
Healthy carbohydrates such as beans, legumes, whole grains, milk, vegetables, and fruit are often avoided because they’re thought to be fattening. These choices aren’t fattening. It’s the recipes that include these foods, along with the higher-calorie ingredients like butter, sour cream, and sauces that make them rich in calories plus overeating the servings.
How many grams of carbohydrates do I need?
In my last post, Calories and Basic Nutrition, I discussed calories and macronutrients. The proportion of each macro will vary for everyone based on age, activity level, gender, medications, and personal goals. The quality of your food choices is more important than the goal percentage of calories for each macro because there isn’t a standard amount.
That said, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it’s recommended that 45-65% of your caloric intake comes from carbohydrates. Remember, these are guidelines and will vary for each individual. To get an idea of how much you’re eating in the way of carbs, track your intake by measuring your food and recording it, either by using an app or writing it down. According to the Dietary Guidelines, the goal is no less than 130 grams total in a day. This is roughly eight to nine (15-gram servings) a day but will differ for everyone.
Low-Carb Diets
For those of you following a low-carb diet or limiting your intake, you may be experiencing the following, however, this is not to imply these symptoms are directly from a lack of complex carbohydrates:
Fatigue
Muscle cramps
Elevated cholesterol
Fatigue can result from a lack of carbohydrates, which is observed in people who fast, most likely interfering with daily activities. Remember the glucose I talked about earlier? Without carbs as your primary fuel, your body will break down fat for energy. This process is called ketosis and a major side-effect is a general weakness, fatigue, headaches, and even bad breath.
Muscle cramps can result from missing some of the minerals found in carbohydrates, potentially causing electrolyte imbalances. Electrolytes are elements that carry electrical signals between the cells. Without sufficient electrolytes, the messages between cells get disrupted, causing involuntary muscle contraction—what we typically call, “a Charlie horse” Ouch!
Elevated cholesterol levels can increase for some people initially when starting a low-carb, high-fat diet, such as the keto diet. For some individuals, a short-term increase in low-density lipoprotein, commonly referred to as LDL, may occur after rapid weight loss. If you’ve been diagnosed with increased cholesterol, consider talking to your doctor about the possible reasons, before taking any medication. Discuss your diet, lifestyle, and the likelihood of other medications that may be causing the increase. It may take approximately 3-6 months to regulate your cholesterol levels when making changes in your diet and lifestyle.
Shopping Tip
When shopping for whole grains, such as cereals, bread, and pasta, for a good source of fiber. Any food product with less than 3 grams of fiber isn’t the best choice.
The best form of fiber is found in whole foods such as fruits and vegetables and not in a supplement if possible.
Diabetes Tip
For those familiar with the food label and shopping for the lowest sugar content, always look at the total grams of carbohydrates and not just the grams of sugar. Total grams of carbohydrates will include sugar, starch, and fiber. Diabetics should be counting their total carbs.
Conclusion
Decreasing simple carbohydrates will help regulate your blood sugar and cut down on an overload of sugar in your diet.
Increasing complex carbs will also help to regulate your blood sugar by choosing fiber-rich foods that increase your dietary fiber. Adequate fiber in your diet will help increase your energy, lower LDL cholesterol, and keep you regular!
Remember to increase your water as you increase your fiber, slowly.
For optimal health, choose plant-based foods and whole grains when selecting complex carbs.
“Healthy habits are learned in the same way unhealthy ones – through practice.” ~ Wayne Dyer
Habits can be learned and unlearned!
In optimal health,
Lisa