Nutrition and Carbohydrates
The FreedomFit program uses the glycemic index as a tool to determine which carbohydrates are better than others.
Not all carbohydrates are created equal. In fact, the effect they have on our bodies can be quite different. The glycemic index ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood sugar levels. When we consume foods with a high glycemic index, for instance foods with high levels of sugar, this causes our blood sugar levels to rise quickly. This then signals our body to release insulin into the blood stream to bring down the high levels of sugar. These foods digest quickly, turn into sugar quickly and make us hungry faster. Many of these foods (processed foods in particular) have a similar effect on our bodies as refined sugar does.
Foods with a low glycemic index cause a slower release of sugars into your bloodstream and only a mild insulin release occurs. Carbohydrates that are not processed are more in their natural state and are digested slower. They have a more complex structure that is difficult to breakdown (like most starches and vegetables). Choosing low GI carbohydrates is now considered to be the secret to long-term health, reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.
Carbohydrates are a major source of our body’s energy. There are two forms of carbohydrates; simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are quickly digested and the glucose, or sugar in other words, is absorbed into the body to provide quick energy. Some examples of simple carbohydrates are fruits, fruit juices, honey, molasses, pure maple syrup, and sugar. Many simple carbohydrates would be considered high glycemic. Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and the glucose is absorbed more slowly into the body to provide energy over a longer period of time. Examples of complex carbohydrates are fresh vegetables, beans, peas, and whole grains such as oats, barley, brown rice, rye, and whole wheat. Complex carbohydrates contain an abundance of fiber, vitamins and minerals that are vital to good health.
A “refined” carbohydrate is a carbohydrate that has been altered by machinery to increase shelf –life and rarely serves any benefit to our bodies. In most circumstances, the refinement process removes almost all of the natural elements such as fiber, healthy oils, vitamins, and minerals. Refined white flour, for instance, not only turns to sugar quickly but the calorie content actually increases about 10% because of everything else that has been taken out. 66% of Vitamin B has been removed, 70% of all the minerals have been removed, 79% of the fiber has been removed and an average of 19% of the protein has been removed. White rice is another food having had vital nutrients stripped from it as well. White rice is simply brown rice that has had the bran covering the rice grains removed. Removing the bran is done so that the rice is fluffier and cooks faster, but in turn digests quicker.
The excessive use of refined carbohydrates such as flour and sugar is the first problem in the American diet. Sugar and flour are used in almost every commercially available food product and are fed to us from the time we are babies. Ice cream, chocolates, pizza, pasta, breads, pastries, sandwiches, crackers, fast foods, and snack foods of all types are so highly refined that the body doesn’t recognize them as food at all.
Most people don’t understand the requirements of our bodies when we eat certain foods. All foods found in nature, when eaten in their natural whole state, contain the corresponding nutrients and enzymes that the human body needs to properly digest those foods. It’s a mystery science has not been able to explain, but it’s true. Fruits, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and even raw milk contain the exact nutrients, fibers, and enzymes that are required to digest and metabolize their natural sugars. For instance, the minerals required to digest sugar are calcium, phosphorous, chromium, magnesium, cobalt, copper, zinc and manganese. Sugar cane in its natural form is rich in these vitamins and minerals. It also contains vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, niacin, iron, and pantothenic acid, which work synergistically with the fiber and enzymes contained in the natural sugar cane to nourish the body.
The natural fibers that are specific to the sugar cane help to slow down the absorption of the sugars and do not cause the sharp rise in blood sugar levels associated with refined sugar.
Beware of refined sugar
It would be fair to assume that almost everyone on the planet loves sugar and sweet foods. Refined sugar is in many products and is a key ingredient for baking. It seems that everyone has a sweet tooth for some sugar food in one way or another. Most people know they should limit their intake of processed sugar however, what most people don’t know is that refined sugar is one of the worst ingredients to put into our body. The chemical reaction of sugar in the body acts as a poison. Studies show that sugar also has drug like effects in the body, as well as being highly addictive.
Processed sugar can cause major imbalances in the organ systems. Excess sugar consumption will eventually affect every organ in the body. Primarily, sugar is stored in the liver as glucose. Since the liver’s capacity to store sugar in this form is limited, the liver will start to expand almost like a balloon with continued daily sugar intake. When the livers’ capacity has been filled, the excess glycogen (glucose) is returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids (fat). The fatty acid compounds are then taken to various parts of the body and are stored as fat deposits in the buttocks, belly, breasts and hips since these are the most inactive body parts. When the inactive body parts have become filled with fat then eventually the excess fatty acid deposits will become stored around major organ systems such as the heart and kidneys. This leads to the degeneration of these organs and in turn will cause poor health. This can result in poor immune response, poor circulation, high blood pressure, and can even impact brain functioning.
Consider this, the amount of sugar Americans eat and drink has gone up nearly 30% every year since 1983 and is deemed a major contributor to the soaring rate of overweight and obese in this country. The average American is consuming over 34 teaspoons of sugar a day. You may think that seems impossible, but unless you know where all that sugar is hiding, it’s difficult to comprehend how much sugar you are actually ingesting. Did you know that a 12oz can of cola contains about ¼ cup of sugar? Or that one serving of orange chicken has over ¼ cup of sugar in it? It may be possible that we, as consumers, are being fooled into eating certain foods as well.
Research shows some food companies have doubled the amount of sugar they add to some of their most popular products — including soups and cereals — in an attempt to attract sweet-toothed customers. Some of the biggest increases in sugar have been in breakfast cereals, and even wholemeal bread has become far sweeter. It now routinely contains nearly a teaspoonful of sugar in every three slices.
The Sunday Times discovered the increases in sugar levels by analyzing data in an industry handbook on the nutritional value of foods — McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods, which has editions covering 1978 to 2002. The 1978 edition shows that cans of tomato soup contained on average 2.6g of sugar per 100g in 1978. By contrast, many soups today have double that amount. A can of Waitrose tomato soup on sale last week had 6.4g of sugar per 100g, with almost three spoonfuls of sugar in every bowl. The amount of sugar in a typical loaf of wholemeal bread rose from 2.1g per 100g in 1978 to 2.8g per 100g in 2002. A loaf of Hovis wholemeal bread now has 3.7g of sugar per 100g while Sainsbury’s wholemeal bread has 3.5g per 100g.
Kellogg’s has increased the sugar content in some of its best-selling cereals. Cornflakes now have 8g of sugar per 100g compared with 7.4g in 1978; All-Bran has 17g compared with 15.4g in 1978, and Rice Krispies have 10g of sugar, up 1g since 1978.
Several studies show the adverse effect sugar has on our overall health yet it seems some food companies are trying to cash in on the unhealthy rise of sugar consumption in America instead of being part of an effort to control it. In fact, these companies spend billions of dollars each year trying to keep consumers coming back for more. Why you ask? The answer is simple. Sugar is addicting. The more sugar you eat, the more you want. The more sugar people want, the more products containing refined sugars and flours they will consume, making big profits for food companies!
The greater the consumption of foods containing large amounts of added sugars, the more difficult it is to consume enough nutrients without gaining weight. Consumption of added sugars provides calories while providing little, if any, of the essential nutrients.
Don’t be fooled by hidden sugar. It is sometimes there when you least expect it. Look for these different names of sugars in the nutritional information on food labels.
Hidden Sugars on Nutrition Labels
- Invert sugar
- lactose
- maltose
- malt syrup
- molasses
- raw sugar
- sucrose
- sugar
- syrup
There are plenty of delicious substitutions for sugar laced products. Being a FreedomFit members enjoy an array of tasty treats. Check our sample menu section for some ideas.