Carbohydrates are the major source of fuel for human bodies, giving us the energy to get through our lives. But with a multitude of sources for carbohydrates available and many health issues and risks related to eating carbs, it is important to understand the dietary and health concerns that eating carbs present and how to eat carbs responsibly in order to keep a healthy body without gaining weight or running the risk of developing Type II diabetes—both side effects of overeating too many of the wrong kind of carbohydrates.
The sugars that are broken down from carbohydrates are initially stored in our bodies in both muscles and the liver, but when those storage areas are tapped out, full to the brim, the sugars are then packed on as fat, causing the dreaded weight gain. In the extreme, this excess of glucose created by eating too many carbs results in an over production of insulin. If too much insulin is in the physiology, the body is overwhelmed and becomes unable to regulate insulin production, which results in Type II diabetes, a disease that can be fatal.
Carbohydrates are found in a wide variety of foods, from vegetables to dairy to fruit to grains, but the major culprits when it comes to the dangerous culprits in carb over-eating are simple, refined carbohydrates, such as white rice, white flour and white sugar. The refining processes that theses foods are put through takes them from their raw, complex carbohydrate form to a drastically nutritionally reduced product highly concentrated with sugars. These carbohydrates are much more easily broken down by enzymes in the digestive system, easily exposing the sugars they contain, which can cause stress to the pancreas, the organ which takes glucose from the bloodstream an puts it into the muscles to be used as fuel.
Another consequence of refining starches into simple carbohydrates is the removal of nutrients and the loss of fiber, and as we discussed in our last blog post. Fiber’s structure is so complex that the digestive enzymes in the body are incapable of breaking it down and digesting it, causing it to simply pass through the digestive system. It is fiber that makes unrefined simple carbohydrates, such as fruits, a healthy carbohydrate option.
The bottom line when it comes to carbohydrates is that they are not all bad for you, but the consumption of them needs to be carefully considered. By avoiding simple, refined carbohydrates that are low in fiber you can avoid the ills of weight gain, the threat of diabetes and maintain a healthy, energetic physiology. Healthy Curb was designed to change the way your body identifies carbohydrates, making it a healthy choice to help you on a road to good health.
