The Truth About Carbs

Today let's talk a little about carbs. As you hopefully know by now, carbs are not the enemy. You just need to choose the right kinds, at the right time of day. People are often surprised at how simple it is: choose natural carbs over processed (man-made) carbs. That is, anything picked from the ground or the tree is natural, such as fruits and veggies, potatoes and yams, beans, brown rice, oats, etc. Anything processed should be limited or avoided, such as white bread and pasta, chips and crackers, pretzels, etc.

The Glycemic Index (GI) has received a lot of attention lately as the standard for determining "good" carbs vs. "bad" carbs. But it's actually quite misleading. The GI ranks foods based on how much the blood sugar increases after it is consumed. The higher the number on the GI scale, the greater the increase in blood sugar. When blood sugar goes up, insulin levels rise. And because high levels of insulin are associated with increased fat storage and suppressed fat burning, it is said that eating high GI foods can make you fatter than eating low GI foods. However, the mistake in adhering to the GI for your carb choices is that the index is based on those carbs being eaten by themselves and on an empty stomach, something you should never do if you want to lose fat. You always want to a.) combine a protein source with your carbs, and b.) eat frequently throughout the day.

For example, a potato has a very high GI, but if you combine it with a chicken breast, the GI of the combo is much lower than the potato by itself. Rice cakes also have a high GI. But if you spread a little peanut butter on them, the fat slows the absorption of the carbs, thereby lowering the GI of the combination. So, when you combine a protein source with your carbs at every meal, and you eat frequently throughout the day, like you need to do for fat loss, the GI becomes insignificant.

So, instead of using the Glycemic Index as the criteria for choosing your carbs, as so many people do, simply choose natural carbs over those that are processed. Again, natural carbs are those picked from the ground or a tree: fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, yams, brown rice, potatoes, beans, lentils, etc. Processed carbs are "man-made," and you want to especially limit those that are white and refined, such as pasta, white bread, bagels, crackers, white rice, pretzels, chips, and refined sugars.

Key points to remember
The GI is based on those carbs being eaten by themselves and on an empty stomach, something you should never do if you want to lose fat. When you combine a protein source with your carbs at every meal, and you eat frequently throughout the day, the GI becomes insignificant.