Carb Control

Since society first started focusing on proper nutrition and weight loss, the emphasis has always been on cutting calories, and cutting fat. Fat was seen as the nemesis of anyone looking to shed excess bodyfat. This led to a boom in the low-fat and diet food industry. Before long, you could get just about any type of food you wanted in a low-fat form. But something was wrong. In spite of the billions of dollars spent each year on low-fat diets, society as a whole was getting fatter. People were exercising less, eating out a lot more, and leading less active lifestyles. However, the one factor not given much thought was the skyrocketing volume of carbohydrates being consumed, not to mention the amount of sodium that was added. After all, they said it was the fat that was the enemy, not the carbs. Or was it???Nothing NewThe known danger of eating too many carbs is nothing new. In fact the knowledge has been around for more than 50 years. From early on in his career, Dr. Atkins taught that carbs were an even bigger nemesis than fat. The problem was, it had been universally accepted that fat alone was the perpetrator leading to obesity. The idea of cutting back on carbs in order to lose bodyfat was blown off as another extreme fad. The majority of the health industry ridiculed Dr. Atkins. His eating strategies were stereotyped as ineffective and dangerous. Now, studies are starting to show that perhaps Dr. Atkins’ theory concerning carbohydrates was right after all.The Real Threats of Excess CarbsOk, so maybe you are one of those who are blessed with the type of genetics that allows you to eat junk food and not gain a pound. You can eat whatever you want and still be healthy, right? Think again! Eating too many carbs can lead to other serious health problems besides obesity. The foremost of these are diabetes and blocked arteries to your heart from plaque build up.Diabetes Cause and EffectsWe’ve all heard about complex carbs; breads, pastas, rice, etc., and simple carbs (sugars). The bottom line is, regardless of what types of carbs are being ingested, the body responds to them the same way. All carbs are broken down into glucose, to be used as energy. The pancreas produces insulin, which is what allows glucose to enter the body’s cells to be utilized. The more glucose that is in the bloodstream, the more insulin the body must produce. If the body is unable to produce enough insulin, blood sugar levels start to rise. The pancreas will go into overdrive, trying to produce enough insulin. Pretty soon the body will say, “enough!” and no matter how much insulin is produced, it will not allow any more glucose to enter its cells. This is called Insulin Resistance, which affects more than 60 million Americans. Of these, one in four will eventually end up with type-2 Diabetes. This can lead to dependency on insulin and other medications. Over time, diabetes can lead to serious problems in your eyes, kidneys, nerves, gums and teeth. But the most serious problem caused by diabetes is heart disease. Diabetes doubles your chances of having heart disease or a stroke. Once you have diabetes, your risk of a heart attack is the same as someone who has already had a heart attack.Diabetes TodayIt is estimated that 13 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes, and that an additional 5 million have the disease, but have not been diagnosed. These numbers continue to skyrocket every year. The World Health Organization (WHO) has commented there is an apparent epidemic of diabetes, which is strongly related to lifestyle and economic change. Over the next decade the projected number will exceed 200 million, possibly reaching 250 million persons. Most will have type-2 diabetes, and all are at risk of the development of complications. Even more alarming, a new epidemic of type-2 diabetes is affecting America’s children. Just 10 years ago, type-2 diabetes was rare; by 1999, type-2 diabetes affected children in up to 45 of diagnosed cases. One of the leading causes of this has been the ever-increasing number of carbs consumed.Carbs and AdvertisingAdvertising has been the number one weapon used by the makers of high carb foods. It is effective, and the bombardment is continuous. Children are a special favorite for advertisers. Every day they are bombarded with candy and cereal advertisements. Cereals for kids are usually about 80 sugar, and have little to no nutritional value whatsoever. One can’t take their kid to the supermarket without being pestered to buy the newest fudge-packed, syrup-smothered, marshmallow-infused sugar bombs that feature their favorite comic superhero or cartoon aquatic beast on the box. Think about this the next time you go grocery shopping: go down the cereal aisle, and look to see where all the high-sugar cereals are placed. You’ll notice that the vast majorities are placed at about waist high on an average adult. In other words, eye level with the average child. The child makes the most decisions on what the parent will buy, and the advertising marketers know this. Most of the time, the parent will appease their child’s carrying on and not think about the consequence and lack of nutrient value the product contains.The “Low-Fat” DilemmaAdults are also subject to the perils of advertising, as well as misinformation. There are several issues when it comes to choosing foods that are advertised as “low-fat.” The biggest of these is consumers not reading the labels completely. If a label says “98 fat free,” we automatically assume it’s healthy. One thing to keep in mind is that foods that are naturally high in fat will still have a significant amount of fat, even if 98 is removed.A serious problem that came with the first generation of low-fat foods was the taste. Anyone who tried the first ever fat-free cheese will understand. Low-fat foods did not sell well initially because they lacked taste. To combat this, food manufacturers started to increase the sugars and other carbs in each type of food. After all, fat was the enemy, not carbs. Because of this public perception, advertisers were still able to make their foods at least sound healthy, and not lose their taste and market value to the consumer.The other issue to plague individuals, who try to eat low-fat, and more recently low-carb foods, is human nature. A number of low-fat and low-carb foods contain serving sizes much smaller than their “normal” counterparts. We’ve all seen the “healthy” bread that looks like it’s full of holes, and is about half the size of a normal slice. The natural reaction is to eat twice as much as we did before. The majority of people will think, “Well it’s low-fat (or low-carb), so it’s ok if I eat twice as much!” Wrong answer. This totally defeats the purpose of buying such foods in the first place, not to mention the cost of the product can be 1½ times the amount of the regular product.A number of well-meaning adults end up hurting themselves, even when they have good intentions to eat better. Example, they may eat lots of cereal or oatmeal for breakfast instead of bacon and eggs. Trouble with that is the excess number of carbs found in these types of foods. Dr. Atkins stated that it is better for you to have the bacon and eggs than to have that bowl of cereal due to the sugar and complex carbs that are making you fat. Think about it, children were a lot healthier and not obese when there was only meat on the table to eat. Sugar was available, but it was expensive. As economy expanded, so did the quantity and portion size of meals. Sugar is now affordable and comes in many disguises. (Hence, the sugar bombs mentioned previously).High Carb FoodsOk, so now we know that excess carbs can be extremely dangerous, both to our waistlines, as well as our health in general. Here are some of the types of foods we need to exercise caution with:Complex CarbsBreadsPastasRiceCerealsPotatoesSimple Carbs (sugars)Soda PopCandyCookiesIce CreamHere are a few helpful hints, if its white, don’t eat it. (White is a traditional color of a carb infested food.) If you can wash it under water, (white or not) and it dissolves, don’t eat it, or eat in moderation.Necessary EvilsIf one must consume carbs, there are two factors to consider. The first is Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index (GI) is how fast a carbohydrate will trigger a rise in blood sugar. Foods with a low GI will gradually cause a rise in blood sugar. Since the conversion to glucose is slower, insulin levels are less likely to increase significantly. Vegetables, nuts and fruits are some examples. On the other hand, foods with a high GI convert to glucose very quickly, increasing blood sugar levels in a very short time. This in turn causes insulin output to increase dramatically. Sugary snacks, and “dense” carbs such as baked potatoes fall into this category. The other factor to consider is known as the Glycemic Load (GL). The GL is how much of a type of carb each food contains. In other words, Glycemic Index tells how rapidly carbs convert to glucose; Glycemic Load tells how many of those carbs are in each type of food.Be advised, there are foods out there with a high GI, but low GL, and vice versa. Popcorn is a prime example. There is a modest amount of carbs in popcorn, but those that are there convert to glucose very rapidly, thereby still causing the potential spike in insulin. On the other hand, pastas such as spaghetti have a low GI, which causes the carbs to convert to glucose gradually. However, the overall number of carbs is extremely high. Even though Insulin levels will climb more slowly, they will still end up high do to the sheer volume of carbs ingested. Understanding the Glycemic Index, as well as the Glycemic Load will help you determine what carbs can be consumed. This is especially helpful during the later phases of low carb diets, when you slowly start to add carbs back into your eating strategy. Since food labels do not specifically list Glycemic Index or Glycemic Load, below are some examples to help you get a better idea.Low GI, Low GL (Slow Conversion, Low Carbs)ApplesOrangesPeanutsPeasYogurtLow GI High GL (Slow Conversion, High Carbs)LinguineMacaroniSpaghettiHigh GI, Low/Med GL (Rapid Conversion, Low to Medium Carbs)PopcornWhole Wheat BreadGatoradeHigh GI, High GL (Rapid Conversion, High Carbs)Baked PotatoesBagelsCorn MuffinsThough research tools are available, trying to find a food’s exact Glycemic Index or Glycemic Load can be rather difficult. The easiest way to deal with this is to keep this in mind when adding carbs back into your diet; stay away from processed sugars and high-density complex carbs. Fruits and vegetables in their natural state are optimum. Avoid fruits and vegetables that have been cooked, canned or processed in any way. Processing severely degrades their nutritional value, plus they are packed with excess sugars, sodium and preservatives. If you are going to incorporate breads back into your diet, stick to the natural, whole grain types, and consume only in moderation.Low-Carb ShoppingIt used to be accepted that simple carbs were to be avoided, but that complex carbs were OK. Now we know that the body processes all carbs exactly the same. Does this mean these foods need to be avoided? Absolutely not. What it does mean is that a little research and prior planning need to take place before you head to the grocery store:1) Know how many days worth of groceries you are going to buy, and have your individual meals planned in advance.2) Ensure you are getting sufficient amounts of protein by focusing on lean meats such as chicken, turkey and pork. Do not be afraid to indulge in the occasional steak, however, buy the leanest cuts available.3) Certain vegetables such as carrots are actually fairly high in carbs. Do some research and determine which vegetables are lowest in carbs. Lettuce and cucumbers, both at approx 2g per serving are good examples.4) Sliced bread, even reduced calorie, still averages around 20g per serving. Use only in moderation.5) Cut the sugars. Avoid soda, candy, ice cream and most pre-packaged snacks. The number of carbs and sodium contained in each serving can be staggering.6) If you have a certain favorite food, such as ice cream, do not feel that you must avoid it completely. The key word is moderation. Look at the number of carbs contained, and plan for it accordingly on your meal schedule.7) Eat before you go shopping for groceries. This will keep you from buying things you normally would not have purchased due to your stomach growling.There are many online tools available to help with nutritional research. Once you decide what meals you want to eat, do the research and determine just how many carbs you will be taking in. If the number is excessive, tailor your shopping list before you go to the store.Another thing to keep in mind is that the labels on foods almost always will state, “Percentages based on a 2,000 calorie diet.” Problem is, when the FDA set the 2,000-calorie diet as the standard food intake, they were actually basing this on the calorie needs of postmenopausal women. Most of us are not postmenopausal women, so these percentages do little for us.How Many Carbs Do I Need?Like all things related to physical fitness, there is no hard number stating how many carbs you should consume each day. Weight, bodyfat, age, fitness, and lifestyle activity all play a role. Before you do any type of drastic change to your eating habits, it is advisable to get proper blood work done. While any physician can perform this, it is advisable to go to one that specializes in physical fitness and weight control. They will check your cholesterol, blood sugar levels, fatty acids, blood pressure and resting heart rate. The cost of having this done is relatively inexpensive, and well worth it.To get a general idea, the average American consumes approx 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day. Between 45-60 of that comes from carbs. That comes to between 820 and 1800 calories per day from carbs. Every gram of carbs contains four calories, so that computes to the average American consuming between 200 and 450 grams of carbs per day. To maintain current bodyweight, one should be consuming between 100 and 200 grams per day, depending on metabolism and level of exercise. Diets that severely restrict carb intake often cut that number back to between 20 and 50 grams during the first few weeks of the plan. Over time, the levels are usually increased to around 100 grams per day. While this may sound extreme, science is proving that this is actually not unhealthy. The biggest fear concerning low-carb dieting was that the increase in protein and fats, namely from eating more meat, would increase cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. What science has shown is that those following a strict low-carb regimen continue to lose bodyfat, and their cholesterol levels have either maintained the same, or even dropped in some cases.Personal AssessmentNow that you’ve got a general idea, take an honest look at your actual daily food consumption. Account for everything, otherwise you are only fooling yourself. Do some nutritional research, and see just how many carbs you are actually taking in every day. The results will astound most people. The next steps are:1) Look at what foods you are eating that have the most carbs and cut back on those. Focus on increasing your intake of protein and low-carb vegetables.2) Examine your level of exercise, particularly cardio. Moderate cardiovascular exercise will help to quickly burn off excess carbs and force the body to start using its fat stores for fuel.3) Consume plenty of water. Best thing to do is to keep a bottle of water with you at all times, be it work or home. Proper hydration helps the body process carbs and flush out waste.4) Keep journals. Use a separate one for logging your workouts, and another for tracking food consumption. This gives you a solid foundation for modifying eating strategies and workout plans.5) Don’t sweat the setbacks. If you do miss a scheduled workout, or you give in and have that naughty snack you were craving, don’t get all worked up and think that your efforts are in vain. Accept it, and drive on. Just don’t make a habit of having the sugar muffin or ice cream-cookie sandwich every day.6) When you do decide to start adding carbs back into your diet, try and find foods with low Glycemic Index and low Glycemic Load, namely natural fruits and vegetables.SummaryIn spite of all the diet fads, diet foods, etc. available, Americans continue to get fatter and diabetes levels have needlessly grown to unacceptable levels. Incorporating low-carb eating into your daily routine is a healthy, and comparatively painless way to lose those excess pounds. It will also greatly decrease your risk of diabetes and heart disease. If you have children, don’t be afraid to put your foot down when they start fussing at the store about wanting the latest sugarcoated craze. And if it’s just too much hassle, then leave them at home when you go grocery shopping. Seriously, is it really worth temporarily satisfying their sugar cravings only to have them end up diabetic by the time they are 12?About the Author: Dane Fletcher is the world's foremost training authority. He writes exclusively for GetAnabolics.com, a leading online provider of Bodybuilding Supplements. For more information, please visit http://www.GetAnabolics.com.

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