The idea that carbohydrates are bad for you is embedded in every conversation about diet. Carbs are bad, you can only eat a few carbs, etc. etc. Somehow what is lost in this is the fact that carbohydrates are an essential part of every human’s diet.
How did we get it so wrong? If you look at the advent of processed foods, that’s when carbohydrates started to take a confusing path. So I’d like to clarify and distinguish carbohydrates into 2 groups through my little home-made drawing:
Simple and Complex Carbs
As you look at the drawing you will see a series of dramatic ups and downs in the first drawing. This is what happens energetically when you eat simple carbs like white bread, pasta, cakes, cookies, soda, processed foods, etc. These food all turn into sugar, or glucose, in the blood. Simple carbs stress the pancreas by demanding relief from all the sugar going into the blood. The result is an abrupt adjustment leading to a ‘crash’ of sorts that brings blood sugar way down, triggering hunger and fatigue. Those feelings of hunger and fatigue trigger more eating, and if simple carbs are what you go for, the process repeats, over and over.
In the second part of the drawing you will see what happens when you eat a complex carb. Yes, your blood sugar will raise, but not to the extent it does with simple carbs. The pancreas is less alarmed, and you remain steady and not hungry for the few hours before your next meal. Eating this way gives you a sense of satiety and balance, allowing you to move about your day without the distraction of hunger.
So the next time someone tells you to watch your carbs, or go low carb, share this little story with them and maybe their eating habits will ultimately improve.