In my previous two articles I discussed the six nutrients that we all need to consume as part of a healthy balanced diet, i.e., proteins, fats, carbohydrates (“carbs”), vitamins, minerals, and water—with the last article focusing specifically on carbs, and how, contrary to popular belief, they are not the “source of all evil” when it comes to weight gain.
However, while it’s true that carbs are the preferred fuel for our body, and that we should all eat them as part of our healthy diet, not all carbs are created equal. Now stick with me through the science bits, it’ll be worth it…
As previously discussed, there are three types of carbs: simple sugars (such as fruits), and polysaccharides which include starches or complex carbs (such as potatoes and bread) and celluloses or fibrous carbs (such as broccoli). At the end of the day, though, all our energy sources (no matter what they are) are broken down or converted into small sugar (glucose) molecules which are absorbed into the bloodstream (a.k.a., blood sugar), and, with the help of a hormone called insulin, are shuttled into the cells of the body where they can be used for energy. However, if you eat a lot of sugar when your body doesn’t need it, your insulin and blood sugar levels will spike and, instead of the sugar being used effectively in the body, it’ll be stored for later use, i.e., converted to fat.
Whoa! Does that mean you shouldn’t have anything that contains sugar ever again? For us sweet-toothed individuals, that pretty much covers anything that tastes good, right? What to do?
There is good news. Of the three types of carbs, only simple sugars will spike your insulin levels because they provide the body with a surge of small sugar molecules that easily enter your bloodstream; and there are certainly times when you need that surge, such as before, during or immediately following a workout. Complex and fibrous carbs, however, contain long/complex sugar molecules that take a while to be broken down in the body and only enter your bloodstream slowly over time. This is one of the reasons why even a small amount of bread or potatoes will satiate your hunger and keep you going for hours afterwards better than a plate of candy would.
Complex and fibrous carbs (and even fruit to a degree) also provide fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients that candy typically doesn’t. Fiber is important because it helps you feel full and keeps your digestive system working properly (it can also help to slow the body’s absorption of sugar when eaten together with the sugar-containing food).
There is a handy measure of how quickly sugars from foods are absorbed into the bloodstream, and it’s called the Glycemic Index (GI). Be warned though, the index only tells you how quickly individual foods are absorbed; if a high GI food (i.e., a food with quickly-absorbed sugars) is eaten together with a low GI food (i.e., a food with slowly-absorbed sugars), the low GI food will slow down the absorption of the sugars in the high GI food.
In summary, then, unless you require a surge of blood sugar, such as before or after you exercise, your best bet is to minimize the amount of simple sugars you eat (such as candy and fruit) and obtain your energy primarily from slow-digesting carbs. Choose whole wheat bread instead of white bread, brown rice instead of white rice, and whole grain oats instead of processed cereal; generally speaking, the more processed a food is, the less healthy it is for you (ironically enough, processed white bread is viewed by the Talmud as “food for the affluent,” while whole wheat bread was only consumed by the poorer masses).
You can even incorporate whole grain flour into cakes, cookies, and challah. My wife makes amazing whole wheat challahs using 50% white whole wheat flour, as well as whole wheat cakes, cookies, and muffins (believe me, food tastes better when it’s healthier for you). For other healthy recipes and to contribute your own, please visit www.FrumandFit.com.
Make no mistake, small, healthier choices add up over time. Each bracha means so much more, and each bite feels more like a mitzvah when it’s healthier for you. Eat intelligently. Eat meaningfully. Eat well.
Chemmie Sokolic is an ACSM-certified Personal Trainer, and owner of Frum & Fit LLC. Chemmie can be reached at [email protected]. Visit www.FrumandFit.com or www.Facebook.com/FrumandFit for more information.
By Chemmie Sokolic
