Can I Eat CARBS??
I talk to women all the time about their diets…what ARE they eating, what SHOULD they be eating…in what proportion. I read this article the other day on cnn.com – http://cnn.it/2hMiTph about “cravings for carbs”.
While I am not a nutritionist, and am always clear about that fact, I am a Fitness Nutrition Specialist (American Council on Exercise). I will not create a meal plan for you but I can help decipher the (tons and tons and tons of) information that is out there.
Diet fads go in cycles, right? Think back. In my lifetime I have so far seen the low-sodium, low-fat, low-carb, gluten-free and dairy-free varieties of diets…all promising better health, and of course, the almighty grail – WEIGHT LOSS.
My problem with ALL of them, as I have said before, is that VERY FEW of the “elimination diets” are sustainable. I mean, for me anyway, I have to question whether a life without pasta is worth living .
Below I take a closer look at a few quotes from the article and provide my input.
ARTICLE: “The truth is, despite the popularity of low-carb diets, which often send the message that we should drastically cut back on this food group, carbohydrates are some of the most important things we consume. They are key to regulating blood sugar and providing energy throughout our bodies. Without them, our bodies will rely on protein, breaking it down for energy instead of using it in its preferred role of growing and maintaining tissues.”
ME: I couldn’t have said it better myself!!!! Carbs are essential. Without them you are breaking down protein for energy. Why is that an issue? MUSCLE is made from protein. So while you will see the number on the scale go down, you will also LOSE MUSCLE – the metabolic powerhouse that burns calories better than any tissue in your body. Translation: you DON’T want that.
ARTICLE: “Highly processed carbs — white bread, sugary cereal, white rice, regular pasta and bagels, for example — produce rapid rises and drops in blood sugar, which can lead to weight gain. They also can lead to something called metabolic syndrome, which is associated with an increased risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is “the combination of high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol, insulin resistance and obesity,” explained Dr. David Ludwig, professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “And processed carbs are the main dietary drivers.” Studies show that “processed carbs top the list for weight gain and diabetes risk,” he said. The tricky part is that the more processed, refined carbs we eat, the more we crave. And so it seems almost impossible to get off the carb-craving hamster wheel.
In essence, when fat cells get too much energy, there’s not enough to fuel the brain, which is constantly monitoring the calories in your blood. “When (the brain) sees calories are dropping, it triggers hunger and cravings,” Ludwig said.
And it all relates back to that initial insulin response. “Insulin is the Miracle-Gro for fat cells,” he said. “When fat cells grow, we get hungry.” And so the cycle repeats, eventually causing weight gain.”
ME: The article explains the role of INSULIN…as I am trying to SUMMARIZE and not REWRITE the article here, if you are interested in the science, please refer back to the article. The point here is that eating highly processed carbs makes you crave more carbs – scientifically – NOT because of the TASTE of them.
ARTICLE: “And so there’s nothing wrong with a pasta meal (though whole grain is preferred) or even a sandwich on whole-wheat bread for lunch every day. Simply, the problem is not that we consume carbs; it’s that we often consume the wrong kinds of carbs — and very large portions of them.”
ME: Portion control is the key. You will NOT succeed at lowering your risk for diabetes and heart disease OR at losing weigh, without it. I don’t know another way to say it. Do not eliminate foods that you love. Start here: track your food – at LEAST for the short-term – to give you a sense of how much you eat of each macronutrient (proteins, fats, carbohydrates). How much added sugar is in your day? How much water are you drinking? If you have questions about what you see after a week, get in touch with me…I’d be happy to go over the information with you.
ARTICLE: “Nutrition experts say that breaking carb cravings is not about getting rid of carbs entirely but rather cutting back on highly processed fast-acting carbs and eating more high-quality ones that are high in fiber and low in added sugars, such as beans, whole grains, fruit and vegetables.”
ME: This is NOT new information. So how do we implement it? The article concludes with a plan to help relieve you of the carb cravings. Out of all the information I have read over the years, this plan makes a lot of sense to me. YES, you are cutting out highly processed carbs for a full week. Not all carbs. One change I would suggest is while it says to cut out potatoes for that first week; I would suggest that sweet potatoes are okay (NOT sweet potato fries, however, let’s be smart here, people J).
I encourage you to read the full article. If you have questions about how to implement this plan, let’s discuss it. I would be happy to hop on a call and troubleshoot some of your “nutrition landmines”.
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