Carbohydrates and Weight Loss

Carbohydrates as a fuel source for your body, which are converted to energy. It is your body's favoured method of acquiring energy and the bulk of your diet should be based on carbohydrates. However not all carbohydrates are the same and not all give you the same effect.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates provide the most important source of energy for your body. Your body converts complex carbohydrates into glucose. It is this glucose which is released slowly into your bloodstream over a period of time.

Your body prefers these types of calories because it can work with them slowly and at a manageable level. When glucose is released slowly into your blood, it avoids the problem of your blood sugar levels peaking very quickly. With complex carbohydrates you get a steady stream of energy, so are a vital part of your diet. However try to remember that by eating too many of these carbohydrates can still prevent you from losing weight.

Complex carbohydrates can be found in foods like:

Bread

Oats

Pasta

Cereals

Vegetables

Rice

Beans

Lentils

Potatoes

Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates enter your bloodstream very quickly and this produces extremely high rises in blood sugar. This results in your body having to produce high levels of insulin to cope with the rise in blood sugar. It copes with this by converting the sugar into fat,this obviously is detrimental for weight loss.

Once your sugar levels have peaked quickly they also tend to drop very quickly. This leaves you feeling tired and lethargic. It's a short cut to a quick lift, but that lift disappears after a short time.

This quick up and down effect of blood sugar levels confuses your body, especially in its ability to create insulin to counteract the rises in your blood sugar. Over a period of time this confusion can lead to your system not working properly, leading to health problems like diabetes and weight gain.

Unfortunately many of us consume too many simple carbohydrates in our diets. This is why diabetes and other weight related health problems are on the increase at such high levels. It's imperative that foods which contain simple carbohydrates are kept to a minimum if you want to lose weight and avoid other potential health problems.

One of the worst culprits is sucrose which is the white sugar we put into tea and coffee. It has been said that if this type of sugar was invented today, it probably would not be released for sale because of all the health problems that can be associated with it.

Foods to avoid are:

Pastries

Cakes

Biscuits

Puddings

Fizzy drinks

Sweets

Cereals with high sugar content

Milk and white chocolate

So always remember that if your aim is weight loss and good health, keep an eye on your carbohydrates. 

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