Good vs. Bad Sugar

If you are struggling to lose weight, or stuck in a yo-yo diet, there’s a high likelihood that you are consuming too much food, especially sugar.

Most of us have heard the dangers of eating processed carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice and pasta. These foods boost your insulin level immediately after ingestion, which signal the body to store the excess sugar as fat. Now, ALL types of foods are absorbed by our bodies with this same principle (ie. increased insulin leading to digestion & energy storage), so what’s the so bad about processed carbohydrates?

The answer is that these foods, which are made up of mostly pure forms of sugar and nothing else (no fibre, no fat, no protein), will spike the insulin level the fastest. Imagine flooring the gas pedal, every time you eat, over and over again. Eventually you’ll wear out your engine. The body becomes less responsive to push of the gas pedal (ie. insulin), and you need more and more of it just to get the same result, before it breaks down altogether.

In essence, it’s the chronic elevated levels of insulin that starts the pathway to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Eating empty carbs on a consistent basis is the fastest way to go down this path.

The solution, therefore, is to reduce the quantity of simple sugars that we consume, and replace them with complex carbohydrates (ie. sugars with fibre, protein & fat).

Some examples are:

• Beans
• Oats
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Kamut
• Sweet potato

You can still enjoy that slice of fresh bread, or spaghetti bolognese on occasion, just not every day. Think of it as a treat. Moderation is the key here.

While you are at it, why not take it one step further by combining eating less carbs with having more fat. That’s right! Fat is far more filling than carbs (think butter, nuts, seeds), taste great, and has the least effect on insulin. It is the easiest way to combat overeating.

Bottom line, be conscious of your daily carbs intake. Make most of them of the complex type, while incorporating more healthy fats into your diet. You’ll be well on your way to a slimmer, healthier self!