Do Carbohydrates Make You Fat? Or is it the Type of Carbohydrate that
Make you Fat?

“Low Carb, No Carbs, Good Carbs, Bad Carbs” That seems to be the slogan for
any type of diet. We are trying to pack on lean mass, and carbs play a huge role.

So what do we do? Who do we listen too? Well, research has indicated that there
are so called “Good Carbs” and “Bad Carbs”. What helps us to distinguish
between a good carb or bad carb is what’s called the glycemic effect of food.

What is Glycemic Effect of Food?

The glycemic effect of food is a measure of the extent to which a food, as
compared to pure glucose (given a score of 100), raises blood sugar
concentrations and elicits and insulin response. The glycemic effect indicates
how fast glucose is absorbed after a person eats particular food, how high blood
glucose rises, and how quickly it returns to normal. The best carbs to take in to
reduce excessive fat storage are slow digesting/absorbing carbs. Slow absorbing
carbs will give a low to mild rise in blood glucose and a smooth return to normal
(low insulin response = low glycemic effect). The undesirable carbs produce a
SURGE in blood glucose, a major insulin response and then an overreaction that
plunges blood glucose (this is the lethargy or sluggishness you feel after eating a
meal high GI foods).

Most relevant to real life, a food’s glycemic effect differs depending on
whether it is eaten alone or as part of a meal. Also, eating small meals frequently
spreads glucose absorption throughout the day and thus offers similar metabolic
advantages to eating foods with low glycemic effect. The reason that using the
glycemic index in meal planning is popular with some dietitians is that this diet
can reduce overall insulin secretion and improve glucose and fat metabolism. In
addition, a meal plan designed using Low GI foods has also been related to the
prevention of heart disease and diabetes as well as preventing obesity. Slow
digesting and high fiber carbs prolong the presence of foods in the digestive
track, increase the sensation of fullness and reduce insulin response. The lower
the insulin response, the less insulin is produced, leading to better weight control.
In contrast, High GI foods will spike a large insulin response, causing increased
cravings, low blood sugar and overeating.

Why is the Glycemic Effect of Food Important Understand?

The theory behind the Glycemic Effect of Food is to utilize foods (Low
Glycemic Index Foods) that can support healthy blood glucose levels by
balancing your insulin response naturally. Your body performs best when your
blood sugar is kept relatively constant. If your blood sugar drops too low, you
become lethargic and/or experience increased hunger, nausea, agitation,
headaches and sweet cravings. On the other hand, if it goes too high, your brain
signals your pancreas to secrete more insulin. Insulin brings your blood sugar
back down, but primarily by converting the excess sugar to stored fat. In addition
to this high blood glucose is the fact that the greater the increase in insulin
output, the more likely it will drive down blood glucose levels leading to low blood
glucose, then the viscous cycle continues unless stopped. Therefore, when you
eat foods that cause a large and rapid glycemic response, you may feel an initial
elevation in energy and mood as your blood sugar rises, but this is followed by a
cycle of increased fat storage, lethargy, and unstoppable food cravings!

How Can Understanding and Selecting Low GI Foods Help Me Lose Fat?

As stated, one of the most effective ways to reduce body fat and control
insulin balance is by eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day combined with
physical activity (such as resistance training and some form of cardio). Small,
frequent meals also increase the thermic effect of food as well as prevent the
body from going into starvation mode. Think of it as every time you eat nutrient
dense and low GI foods, your body has to burn calories to digest the foods.
Hence, the more frequently you eat, the more you balance your insulin levels and
the more calories you burn.

Many people think that all they have to do is “starve” themselves and they
will lose weight. That is true to an extent. What happens when you do not feed
your body is it senses a need to preserve itself. Over time, it slows down its
metabolic rate and begins to feed on muscle tissue and body fat at a very slow
rate. On a worse note, when you decide to begin to eat again, your metabolic
rate is so slow that any excess caloric intake will be stored VERY EASILY as
body fat. The current science also agrees there should be a larger portion of
carbohydrates mixed with more moderate amounts of protein and especially fat.
The glycemic index allows us to more effectively evaluate our nutrition plan
focusing on the quality of carbohydrates. For those who incorporate a larger
amount of low glycemic foods, will be rewarded with a slow and steady release of
glucose, thus keeping insulin levels in check and lowering body fat.

Are there Ways to Lower the GI of Foods that I like that are High GI?

1. FATS: Fats slow gastric emptying and slow the absorption of food. If
absorption into the small intestine is slowed, the insulin response will be low. Any
time you add fats to a meal, it will lower the GI of the meal.

2. FIBER: Vegetables anyone? Fiber is a complex structure that takes a long
time for the body to break down and absorb. Some fiber is indigestible by the
body. Soluble fiber found in oats & grains, fruits, and gums are ideal. As they
dissolve, they gel up in the stomach and slow down gastric emptying and reduce
the insulin response.

3. COMBINING CARBS: You can also lower the total GI of a meal by combining
high glycemic carbs with low glycemic carbs. For example if you ate a baked
potato (High GI) and then ate around the same amount of steamed broccoli (Low
GI), the total GI of the meal would be much lower than if you just ate the baked
potato.

The LOW DOWN on Low Glycemic
A few pointers to about the benefits of LOW GI foods:
• To balance blood sugar levels and reduce drastic insulin spikes, eat
smaller, more frequent, balanced meals.
• Each carbohydrate in your meals must be combined with a quality fat
source and some sort of vegetable.
• You should not have a diet too low in fat. The whole craze over high fat,
high protein diets are to decrease spikes in insulin and to lower the GI
index of foods and meals. Just make sure you are selecting HEALTHY
fats such as avocado, flax/Enova oil, peanut butter, almonds, walnuts,
reduced fat dressing, canola oil and olive oil.
• Low GI diets help people lose body fat and control weight.
• Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin.
• Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels.
• Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller longer.
• Low GI carbs provide long lasting energy so that you are alert all day long.