We are in the death throes of the low-carb craze – finally.
As many of you are likely aware, the low-carb diet craze — specifically the Atkins diet — had scores of people avoiding all sources of carbohydrates. The diet made it into an episode of Arrested Development. Fast food restaurants began offering bunless burgers in an effort to portray their food as healthy.
While many people had success with the Atkins diet, but only if their only objective was to lose weight quickly, regardless of long-term health.
We live in an instant world and with that come expectations of immediate results. Diets are not something most people enjoy, so the quicker weight loss occurs, the better.
How often do you hear about diets that preach the benefits of lasting health? Unfortunately ‘treating’ obesity with a weight loss diet is really nothing more than treating a symptom while ignoring the root cause.
In this case, the cause is an unhealthy lifestyle that has resulted in obesity. Symptom-treating can only go on for so long before it all comes crashing down.
It is best to approach goals with long-term health in mind. Don't go on a 'diet', make a lifestyle change.
Obesity and Refined Carbohydrates
One of the primary reasons for obesity in North America — aside from high levels of stress and prolonged periods of inactivity — is the consumption of denatured, processed carbohydrates. Dr. Atkins was right about that. However, he painted all carbohydrate sources with the same ill-conceived brush.
Carbohydrates are found in most foods to varying degrees but are derived primarily from fruits and grains. They are made up of three components; sugar, starch and fiber. When carbohydrates are refined, the fiber is removed, thereby increasing its starch and sugar levels. Not to mention, nutrients are also lost (only a select few are added back in). Theses are the ‘bad’ carbohydrates. Unfortunately they are also the ones that are most plentiful. The average North American consumes mostly refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and doughnuts.
Refined, processed carbohydrates actually cause inflammation within the body, which can be a precursor to visible signs of premature aging. In contrast, raw-fruit-derived carbohydrates facilitate the reduction of inflammation, which contributes to quicker recovery from exercise and helps slow biological aging.
Premium carbohydrate sources
We need carbohydrates to function properly. Those who limit healthy carbohydrates for a prolonged period of time have been shown to demonstrate mental lethargy and general fatigue. Over the long term, a lack of healthy carbohydrates can actually lead to internal organ damage, a reduction in lean muscle and excess body fat accumulation.
So which carbohydrate sources are best? Complex carbohydrates derived from whole grains are an excellent source of fuel for the muscles and brain. However, they need to be broken down by the body into simple sugars before they can be utilized as energy. The extra step the body must take to perform this task is of course an energy draw, which reduces the net energy gain of that food.
The body’s first choice of fuel is simple sugars, and the healthiest source of these is fruit. Dates are a good choice since they are rich in a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose is the ideal fuel during a workout, however, it burns quickly and has to be replenished about every 15 minutes to keep the body adequately fuelled.
Fructose, also a fruit sugar, has a lower glycemic index, which means that it burns more slowly, thus prolonging its effectiveness. The slowest burning source of fructose is agave nectar, which comes from the blue agave cactus. Other fruits such as bananas, mangos and papayas are also fructose-rich.
The combination of glucose and fructose rich fruit is the base for an ideal energy snack, providing both quick and prolonged energy. Add a small amount of alkaline protein such as raw hemp and an EFA source such as flax seeds (ideally sprouted) for prolonged, high net gain energy.
One caution; glucose and fructose that have been extracted from the natural fruit and manufactured to be used as sweeteners or carbohydrate sources in processed products should be avoided.
‘Good’ carbohydrate is the best fuel for exercise
To maintain healthy muscle and organ function throughout the day – something which is even more critical during physical activity — sufficient carbohydrates must be consumed to prevent the body from using protein as fuel. When protein is burned as fuel for energy it burns “dirty,” meaning that toxins are created as a result of its combustion. The production and elimination of toxins is of course a stress on the body and could result in lean muscle to be catabolised and fat to be stored.
Ideally, a pre-exercise snack should consist of three times more carbohydrate than both protein and fat. You will actually burn muscle if not enough amino acids are present, hence the reason for consuming a small amount of protein before a workout or at each snack. Raw protein such as hemp combined with a rich amino acid source such as sprouted seeds or legumes is ideal. It will slow the release and ‘stretch’ the carbohydrate over a longer time period, in effect, improving endurance, preventing muscle loss and keeping body fat to a minimum.
