So often I'll hear people complaining about carbohydrates. More often than not, individuals are looking to reduce the number of refined carbohydrates in their diets, but are having great difficulty doing so. But why are carbohydrates so incredibly addictive? And how can we balance our blood sugar to feel energized, calm, and lighter?
The Impact of Processed Foods.
All refined white carbohydrates are swiftly converted into blood sugar as soon as they enter the bloodstream. When you are consuming carbohydrates like white pasta, bread, rice and sugar in absence of micronutrients, metabolic chaos happens in your body. Unfortunately, when we eat food that are high in calories and low in micronutrients (think refined carbs, non grass fed meat), toxic metabolites increase in your body leading to increased disease susceptibility and weight gain. One study even showed that women who ate a diet high in refined carbohydrates had a 200% increased risk of breast cancer. Excessive insulin has also been linked to other major issues including metabolic syndrome, PCOS, high blood pressure, high cholesterol & infertility.
Beyond just insulin, there are other hormones that regulate fat storage, mood, and energy levels. Meet LEPTIN & CORTISOL. Leptin is our huger satiety hormone. In other words, leptin tells us when you are satiated and prevents overeating. Cortisol made when our bodies encounter stress. Cortisol balance is key to feeling mentally and emotionally clear and for preventing that belly weight gain.
But here's the problem: when we eat too many refined carbohydrates or fail to get a good 8 hours of sleep our leptin and cortisol gets out of whack. The result? Chronically elevated blood sugar and full body inflammation.
Ok, Laura, I get it. But I'm still CRAVING my damn carbohydrates! What should I do?
Here's the thing about carbs: it's all about blood sugar balance. If you want you want to keep insulin levels stable and keep carbs in your diet, I recommend eating 3 times/meals a day and keeping your high refined carbohydrate meals to a minimum. Want to have some healthy carbs to fuel your mind and improve your recovery post workouts?
Here are three different recommendations that work well for people:
1. Option A: Go on a omnivorous diet where meals primarily consist of fat+protein+greens (eating 1 pound of cooked veggies, and 1 pound of raw veggies per day with minimal oil). Want to add some healthy carbs? Keep quinoa, sweet potato, oatmeal, rice to one serving per day with your protein rich food. Keep fruit to 1-2 servings a day with meals.
2. Option B: Try a plant based diet (no refined sugar, low oil, low sodium, moderate fruit). Again, eat 1 pound of cooked veggies, and 1 pound of raw veggies per day. Want to have higher carbohydrate foods? Eat your potato or rice with vegan protein sources. Because individuals who eat primarily plant based generally have a higher fiber intake, if you're following this plan you may feel totally fine eating 3-4 servings of fruit a day.
3. Try a refined ketogenic diet. Although I don't think there is enough research yet to prove that ketosis is healthy long term, if you are diabetic, chronically ill, or have a history of cancer, you might consider trying a ketogenic approach. On this type of plan you would keep dietary carbohydrates to less than 30 grams a day. Unlike a traditional keto diet with lots of dairy and animal protein, your diet would consist of an abundance of health fats (think avocado, nuts, seed) and would actually be relatively low in protein (think eggs, tofu, salmon, grass fed meat). Remember** too much protein actually converts into glucose (sugar!) so I don't recommend consuming more than you need. If you are someone who is interested in trying this approach, I would definitely recommend talking to your doctor first.
Xxxx
Laura
Romieu, I., Lazcano-Ponce, E., Sanchez-Zamorano, L. M., Willett, W., & Hernandez-Avila, M. (2004). Carbohydrates and the risk of breast cancer among Mexican women. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Biomarkers, 13(8), 1283-1289