i did mention that i try not to eat too much carbs, i was talking about bad carbs..... veggies and fruits are carbs too but they are not the bad kind..... and i eat them a lot....
i used to be very confused about simple and complex carbs and i thought i should put my notes here so i would remember it..
first, let's do definition of terms....
glucose:
- simple sugar molecules
- source of energy
- brain's source of energy
- what the intestine can absorb
insulin
- a very potent fat storage hormone
- produced by pancreas
- allows transport of glucose into cells that require energy
- when insulin levels are high, it is impossible to burn fat
- also means, instead, every little bit of food you eat ends up getting stored as fat
- eating lots of simple sugar causes insulin level to remain elevated
- takes care of keeping blood sugar w/in a very tight range
type 1 diabetis = low insulin = glucose cannot be absorbed into cells and the level of blood sugar would increase
type 2 diabetis = high insulin puts such a strain on the pancreas that it is not able to cope with the insulin demands
Complex Carbs vs Simple Carbs
before we do the comparison we need to know that the intestine can only digest simple sugars such as glucose......
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Carbohydrates are an important source of energy while protein is a very important building block.
The body’s preferred fuel choice is glucose which is a very simple sugar molecule derived from carbohydrates. Glucose is the brain’s preferred fuel. Your brain cannot burn fat for fuel.
Carbohydrates are made from simple sugar molecules such as glucose or fructose (fruit sugar). These simple sugar molecules are bonded together to form longer chains of sugar in a carbohydrate.
Digestion of carbohydrates require the breakdown of the longer chains into simple sugar molecules such as glucose and fructose. The body can only utilize carbohydrates for energy when the longer chains are broken down to glucose molecules. Only simple sugars such as glucose can be absorbed through the intestine.
Excess Calories from Digestion of Refined Carbohydrates are Stored as Fat
Refined or simple carbohydrates need very little digestion effort. Refined carbohydrates are broken down very easily and are rapidly absorbed through the intestine. The in rush of glucose into the blood stream is rapid and usually results in excess available energy. The body stores the excess glucose as fat. Once all the excess glucose is used up by being stored as fat and used to meet the immediate energy needs, you will become hungry again. Eating refined carbohydrates will result in very rapid weight gain.
The sudden influx of sugar molecules into the blood stream requires that your body over-release insulin into the blood stream to control the blood sugar levels. The body tries very hard to keep blood sugar within a very tight range and it achieves this via the insulin hormone.
Why not to eat at night
Your insulin levels are very sensitive at night and it will be much easier to store extra fat if you consume sugars later in the day.
source: http://correct-weight-loss.net/2010/02/24/complex-carbohydrates-and-refined-carbohydrates-for-sustainable-weight-loss
