Walking in Beauty
By Brittani Boucher Lately carbohydrates are getting a bad rap. These macronutrients are responsible for proper brain function, certain organ function, and muscle replenishing. Granted, some “bad carbs” should be avoided, but the elimination of all carbs may be harmful. A carbohydrate is a biomolecule consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, usually with a hydrogen-oxygen atom ratio of 2:1. Think “Energy.” These foods include sugars, starches, grains, fruits, and vegetables. Carbohydrates are further broken down into two categories: simple and complex. Simple carbs are easy to digest, contain little fiber, and cause a spike in the blood sugar. Complex carbs take longer to digest and contain fiber, leaving you feeling fuller longer. While you may be saying, “Well, if I’m going to eat carbs, I should only eat complex carbohydrates.” Complex carbs should make up the bulk of your carb consumption, but you also need a little simple carb every now and then.
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Glycogen is the storage form of glucose (sugar). We need glycogen for energy - especially athletes. Eighty percent of glycogen is stored in muscles! Our bodies cannot make glycogen on its own; it needs food. It needs carbohydrates. Without carbohydrates, our muscle will suffer. In effect, muscles use their own protein to make up for the glycogen depletion, which causes two things: muscle break-down and decreased performance. Increased lean muscle increases your metabolism. Decreased muscle mass means slower metabolism. Amazingly our brains need carbs! Glycogen is responsible for our mood: depletion equals bad mood; proper levels equals good mood. Anxiety, depression, anger, problems with memory, cognitive skills and special memory are just a few more of the negative effects of glycogen depletion. Our digestive system needs carbs. Fiber helps keep us regular. Sufficient fiber is also linked to lower cholesterol. The only natural place to get your fiber is carbohydrates. Our liver and kidneys also need carbs to function optimally. Glycogen depletion causes kidney stress, which could cause kidney stones. When eating a low-carb diet, your body’s ability to process carbs is impaired.
As I mentioned earlier, there are good carbs and bad carbs. Bad carbs are refined, enriched, and overly processed. If it’s refined, enriched, or overly processed, don’t eat it (check the labels). Period. Surprisingly, many foods fall into the “good carb” category: potatoes, grains, vegetables, some breads and pastas, fruits. The pros recommend that carbohydrates make up 45%-65% of the average person’s diet. The key to balance is to eat the ones containing lots of fiber. But…you need some of the simple carbs, too. A few of them. Especially if you are an athlete. In short, eat your carbs!!! There are only three macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrate. They all play vital roles in keeping our bodies (and minds) healthy. If you eliminate carbs, you’ll be glycogen deficient and short on fiber, which, in turn, impairs the body. If you’re losing weight on your low-carb, high-fat diet, it’s probably because you started to eat less refined/processed foods and more whole foods. You probably started paying closer attention to what you were eating. Well, let’s pay even closer attention and realize that our bodies need carbohydrates. We need balance. Balance is eating all three of the macronutrients, which makes us happy because we feel good, energized, and ready to conquer the world! Google it. Or, contact me and we can Google it together. I love talking about this stuff! Facebook or email brittaniboucher@gmail.com.
Happy Birthday
AMERICA!!! July 2018
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