Be careful witrh Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates cause a rapid increase in blood glucose, typically leading to an overproduction of insulin. When simple carbohydrates are consumed in large quantities, the blood gets so full of insulin that blood glucose levels start to drop. In other words, a sugar high is soon followed by a sugar crash or a drop in energy.

Another problem with consuming too many simple carbohydrates and having elevated glucose and insulin levels is the effect on the body's fat cells. Fat cells act as storage spaces for body fat. When we increase body fat stores, our fat cells increase in size. When insulin and glucose levels are elevated, fat release decreases and fat storage increases, resulting in larger fat cells. This is why there are very few simple carbohydrates suggested in the GHF Customized Diet Meal Plan.

The simple carbohydrates, monosaccharides and disaccharides, make up sugars and other sweet-tasting substances. Each has three forms of sugars. The monosaccharides consist of glucose, fructose, and galactose, while the disaccharides consist of maltose, sucrose, and lactose. These sugars add sweetness to food, which makes it appetizing.

Moderate consumption of sugar, about 5-10% of total food intake, is not in any way dangerous to healthy human beings. However, it can make fat loss a more difficult task and can be associated with many other factors that are harmful: obesity, the displacement of needed nutrients, and tooth decay. And most simple carbohydrates contain insubstantial amounts of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. This is why candy, soda, cakes, and cookies are often called "empty calories," calories with little or no nutritional value.

It is important to recognize that all caloric sweeteners including fructose, honey, and many others are sugars too. The sugar amount may or may not be revealed in a food products ingredient list. But if you look at the ingredients, and one of the many forms of sugar is the first ingredient, you'll know that this is the primary substance in that product and thus does not provide a good source of nutrition. Also, be on the look out for several different forms of sugar listed separately, such as cornstarch, sucrose, and high-fructose corn syrup.

Also note that even though sugar is the main ingredient of the product, it may not appear first or even second on the ingredient label. Rather it may be included several times throughout the list in different forms. The following is a list of other forms of sugars that you should be aware of when reading labels: brown sugar, confectioners sugar, corn sweeteners, turbinado, raw or white sugar, molasses, maple sugar, maltose, levulose, lactose, invert sugar, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, granulated sugar, fructose, galactose, glucose, and dextrose.

A diet lower in sugars and higher in complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein is almost always lower in fat, lower in calories, higher in energy, and higher in vitamins and minerals. These factors, working together, contribute to a lower rate of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and tooth decay.

This tip was provided by GlobalFitness.com

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