23May/120
Targeting Healthy Habits in 2012
Health Target: Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate Confusion
Carbs. A group of foods that go by the same name but look very different. Bread, pasta, sugar, potato, fruits, juices, vegetables, beans. All are members of the carbohydrate family and made up of the same basic building blocks, yet have profoundly different effects on the body. They also seem to cause considerable confusion in people who are eating to gain muscle and lose fat (is that you?).
Why? Does 20 grams of carbs from say, oatmeal have the same effect as 20 grams from blueberries? What about 250 calories of oatmeal vs. 250 from blueberries?
The answer to this is a resounding “NO!”. Several factors explain this phenomenon:
-Consuming a bowl of ‘healthy’ carbs at breakfast can elevate your body’s hunger hormone, a little monster called ghrelin. Ghrelin is secreted by the stomach and sends the signal to your brain to eat more.
-Sugar (glucose) levels and insulin responses vary considerably depending on the type and amount of carbs consumed. The faster/higher the food increases blood sugar, the more storage hormone (insulin) is pumped into our bodies. Constantly elevated insulin levels make burning fat difficult and storing it easy.
Take home message: Eat ‘slow’, low GI (glycemic index) carbs and balance your plate with protein and a little bit of good fat. More on good fats in the next blog.
Tracy L. Baginski, CCN
