Carbs are pesky little buggers in that there are good ones and bad ones and you walk a pretty fine line distinguishing between the two! It would've been so much simpler if one could just cut them out completely, but of course, even in smaller amounts they have a vital role to play. Now I'm not an expert - though after all this lot, hopefully I'll have a much better understanding - so I have this constant niggle that any carbs I eat are bad. Trying to persuade my brain otherwise is a full time job.
I've always been a big fan of the Paleo/Primal revolution, because it made complete sense to me. What's there to get wrong? Eat things as close to their natural state as possible and stay away from grains, sugar and anything remotely processed. That's it in a nutshell! The trick is, to find the good carbs without lapsing into the quick carb fix trap. What do I mean? Carbs have a glycemic index (GI) that indicates how long it long it takes to digest and how much it raises your blood sugar. The lower the GI the more you benefit from the slow releasing energy, and you are less likely to have that sudden crash when the energy runs out! I'm sure we all know this crash that I'm talking about. Your body is obviously a very complex system and yet you will not believe how finely tuned it can get in a very short time!
Here's a relatively short anecdote to illustrate. I experienced this 2 years ago. I was away for a week and took the opportunity of being in an isolated environment to try the Paleo lifestyle. Up until that point I had always struggled with cravings and the inevitable Catch 22 scenario. Well, that week I stuck to the 'diet' religiously (had no choice - I was in the middle of nowhere!). I experienced no cravings at all, which in semi-medical terms means my insulin was like a tightrope. No blips or troughs to be seen. I had never felt better! In fact if you'd asked me to, I would've conquered the world lol! Problem is... I got home, the isolation was broken and distractions started to seep into my psyche (in my world - admittedly not a difficult feat!). I remember clearly... I had a cup of coffee at the Choc Shop where they have the delightful wee fishies on the saucer which I of course could not resist!!! The small bit of chocolate threw everything out of balance like you will not believe! It was like someone took my nice taut tightrope and strummed it!! Since then, that kind of balance has become my own personal holy grail. At least I know I have achieved it before, and I can do it again. Sorry, my anecdote ballooned into a saga, but you get my point.
If you become adept at listening to what your body tells you, tuning in will become a cinch, and you'll know exactly what it needs. So often we misinterpret signals and end up giving it the wrong food, which only aggravates the problem. Carbs and sugar are the factors that regulate your insulin, which in turn effects so many factors, such as energy, mood, focus etc.
Look after your carbs, and they in turn will look after you...
*Please Note: this article is based on my understanding which I have gathered over the years and my own experiences. I aim to learn much more about nutrition and the body over the coming months. Everyone has their own core belief system regarding nutrition, which is why you can never really be 100% sure. The information above just my viewpoint.
Ultimately, my advice is - learn to listen to your body. I still fall out with mine every now and then, but soon we'll be talking the same language!
#DwindlingDeeva
www.facebook.com/DwindlingDeevaDiary
I've always been a big fan of the Paleo/Primal revolution, because it made complete sense to me. What's there to get wrong? Eat things as close to their natural state as possible and stay away from grains, sugar and anything remotely processed. That's it in a nutshell! The trick is, to find the good carbs without lapsing into the quick carb fix trap. What do I mean? Carbs have a glycemic index (GI) that indicates how long it long it takes to digest and how much it raises your blood sugar. The lower the GI the more you benefit from the slow releasing energy, and you are less likely to have that sudden crash when the energy runs out! I'm sure we all know this crash that I'm talking about. Your body is obviously a very complex system and yet you will not believe how finely tuned it can get in a very short time!
Here's a relatively short anecdote to illustrate. I experienced this 2 years ago. I was away for a week and took the opportunity of being in an isolated environment to try the Paleo lifestyle. Up until that point I had always struggled with cravings and the inevitable Catch 22 scenario. Well, that week I stuck to the 'diet' religiously (had no choice - I was in the middle of nowhere!). I experienced no cravings at all, which in semi-medical terms means my insulin was like a tightrope. No blips or troughs to be seen. I had never felt better! In fact if you'd asked me to, I would've conquered the world lol! Problem is... I got home, the isolation was broken and distractions started to seep into my psyche (in my world - admittedly not a difficult feat!). I remember clearly... I had a cup of coffee at the Choc Shop where they have the delightful wee fishies on the saucer which I of course could not resist!!! The small bit of chocolate threw everything out of balance like you will not believe! It was like someone took my nice taut tightrope and strummed it!! Since then, that kind of balance has become my own personal holy grail. At least I know I have achieved it before, and I can do it again. Sorry, my anecdote ballooned into a saga, but you get my point.
If you become adept at listening to what your body tells you, tuning in will become a cinch, and you'll know exactly what it needs. So often we misinterpret signals and end up giving it the wrong food, which only aggravates the problem. Carbs and sugar are the factors that regulate your insulin, which in turn effects so many factors, such as energy, mood, focus etc.
Look after your carbs, and they in turn will look after you...
*Please Note: this article is based on my understanding which I have gathered over the years and my own experiences. I aim to learn much more about nutrition and the body over the coming months. Everyone has their own core belief system regarding nutrition, which is why you can never really be 100% sure. The information above just my viewpoint.
Ultimately, my advice is - learn to listen to your body. I still fall out with mine every now and then, but soon we'll be talking the same language!
#DwindlingDeeva
www.facebook.com/DwindlingDeevaDiary