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March 10, 2009
Q: I continue to gain weight, despite really watching what I eat and eating fat-free foods! Should I be eating even less fat?
A: Fat is probably the most misunderstood nutrient in our diet. I remember growing up with cupboards full of “fat-free” everything – cookies, crackers, cream cheese, dressings, coffee creamer. It didn’t matter what the item was or if it was technically good for you; as long as it was fat-free, it was “healthy” because FAT was the real enemy. And guess what happened as a result? I got fat.
These pre-Atkins low-fat diets were all the rage because, around the same time, a great deal of scientific studies were being published about the link between saturated fat and heart disease. Coming from a family with very high cholesterol and early-onset heart disease, we jumped on the bandwagon and went sans fat.
The facts (okay, the very crucial facts) that got left out of the picture were these:
- All fat is not bad; both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are incredibly healthy for you and do not cause heart disease.
- As food manufacturers remove fat from processed foods, they increase the sugar content to account for changes in flavor*. This adjustment often turns the food into a high-sugar item that rushes the bloodstream and causes a surge in insulin.
- Just because an item is “fat-free” does not make it “healthy.” Processed baked goods like cookies and crackers, no matter what their fat content, have little nutritional value and are essentially empty calories.
As more research has been done and us “fat-free fatties” have learned our lesson, the recommendations on fats have become more relaxed. Today, science tells us that fats are a necessary component of a healthy diet and research studies have proven that the total amount of fat in the diet isn’t the problem when it comes to weight or disease. It’s really the type of fat that matters.
*Interesting side note: It was during this same thought process that food manufacturers decided to make an alternative to the fat they used in baked goods, so as not to compromise the flavor or consistency of their products. Since vegetable oils are unsaturated and “healthy”, the plan was to artificially saturate them to make a “healthier” saturated fat. Thus, trans fats were born.
Read more on fats:
What to Eat: Fats
The Truth About Trans Fats
The Fats You Really Should Avoid
March 9, 2009
Q: Can you explain the health difference between types of carbohydrates? What is insulin’s role and how does it relate to diabetes?
A: In the digestive system, all carbohydrates (except fiber) are broken down into their singular sugar components (the molecules must be really small so they can cross into the bloodstream). Glucose is your body’s sugar of choice, so most digestible carbohydrates are converted into this form (commonly called “blood sugar“).
 To explain the health difference between simple and complex carbohydrates, I’m going to lead us through an example. So let’s say you give into temptation and eat a slice of chocolate cake (like that’s hard to imagine…). What happens once you’ve swallowed that delicious bite? The digestive system breaks down the cake (which is mostly carbohydrates and fats, but we’ll focus on just the carbs for now) into simple sugars, which can then enter the bloodstream and go about their business.
Now think about the ingredients for making cake (not from the box - I mean real, homemade cake…). The ingredient list would read flour, sugar, cocoa, eggs, etc. Since the carbohydrates in the cake are already “simple,” not much action is required by the digestive system to break them down. [For the sake of accuracy, I should mention that fiber acts to slow down the process of digestion as well. Since foods like chocolate cake contain little fiber, digestion occurs very rapidly.] As it is digested, the large amount of sugar from the cake rushes into the bloodstream all at once, causing a spike in blood sugar levels. You can blame that headache you get after eating too many sweets on this process.
As the level of sugar in your bloodstream rises, your body signals for the production of a hormone called insulin. Insulin’s job is to tell various cells to absorb sugar from the bloodstream, so it can be used for energy and storage. Insulin will continue to be produced until blood sugar levels return to their normal state. Thus, the more simple carbohydrates you eat (or drink) at once, the higher your blood sugar will spike. This causes more insulin to be produced and more sugar to be taken up by the cells.
However… If you continue to abuse this very precise process by eating large amounts of simple carbohydrates, then over time your cells will fail to respond to insulin’s signal (the cells essentially grow immune to its constant presence). This situation is called insulin resistance, and it is the precursor to Type II Diabetes. Insulin resistance has also been linked with heart disease, high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides, and excess weight. It has been estimated that 90% of Type II Diabetes cases can be prevented through a combination of a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.
The take-home lesson: If you stick with whole grains, fruits, beans, and vegetables, then you won’t have to worry about “cutting carbs” or eating “low-carb”. Whole foods offer all the vitamins, minerals, and fiber that you need for a healthy diet. Fiber, along with complex carbohydrates, helps slow the process of digestion and keeps sugar from rushing into the bloodstream. You’ll notice your energy levels will stabilize as well – an added bonus! Of course, it’s okay to give in to temptation every once in awhile, as long as you keep your serving sizes in check and watch your total calories. Eating healthy should be a lifestyle, not a passing trend, and a strict diet is too difficult to maintain in the long run. Fuel your body with all the healthy carbohydrates it needs to function well, and you’ll find that you can enjoy that slice of chocolate cake even more!
Read more on carbohydrates and sugar:
Simple v. Complex Carbohydrates
What is Fiber?
Please Hold the Sugar
March 7, 2009
Q: What is fiber? Why is it so important?
A: Fiber, just like other carbohydrates, is also composed of long strands of sugar molecules. Yet they are linked in such a way that the normal process of digestion can’t break down the sugars. As a result, fiber is able to pass through the body undigested.
 There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble (some food labels list them individually; most do not). The names are very explicative of their design – soluble fiber is soluble in water (it dissolves) while insoluble fiber is not. Although neither type of fiber provides nutrients to the body like other carbohydrates do (because it’s not digested), both still provide many health benefits. In the intestine, soluble fiber binds to fatty substances and carries them out of the body as waste, helping to lower LDL cholesterol levels (that’s the “bad” kind of cholesterol). Soluble fiber also helps to keep hunger and blood sugar in check by slowing down the process of digestion. Insoluble fiber helps push food through the intestinal tract, keeping the digestive system active and healthy and promoting regularity.
Fiber is found mostly in whole grains (not refined flours or processed cereals), fruits, vegetables, and seeds. You should aim to get 25g of fiber each day (the average person only gets 5-10g/day). If you choose whole foods as your carbohydrate sources instead of over-processed, refined sugars and baked goods, then you should have no trouble reaching this goal. Other great ways to increase your fiber intake? Try adding some wheat germ or ground flaxseeds into your yogurt, oatmeal, breakfast cereal, or baked goods. They don’t add much as far as taste goes, but these ingredients do provide healthy amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and 5 grams of fiber per serving.
Read more on carbohydrates:
What to Eat: Carbohydrates
Simple v. Complex Carbohydrates
Please Hold the Sugar
March 5, 2009
Q: What is the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates?
A: Carbohydrates are typically depicted as the grain family (breads, rice, pasta, popcorn, crackers, etc) and sweets (pies, cakes, cookies, candy, chocolate, etc). But beans, legumes, soybeans, potatoes, fruit, milk, soda, and vegetables are all carbohydrates as well. Carbohydrates are present in almost every food you eat and are a very healthy component of any diet.
 Carbohydrates are usually divided into two main categories – simple and complex. This refers of course to the structure of the molecules, not the taste of the carbohydrate (I doubt anyone would argue the rich flavor of chocolate cake is anything but simple!). All carbohydrates, simple or complex, are composed of sugar molecules arranged in chains. And it is the complexity of these sugar chains that determines the type of carbohydrate.
Simple carbohydrates are very small molecules containing only one or two linked sugars. Examples of these include fruit sugar (fructose), corn sugar (dextrose), and table sugar (sucrose). Complex carbohydrates are longer chains of linked sugar molecules (three or more). Examples of these include breads, grains, vegetables… basically all other carbohydrates. So essentially, all carbohydrates are chains of sugar molecules – some contain only one, while others contain thousands. (Side note: Fiber is also a type of carbohydrate.)
Read more on carbohydrates:
What to Eat: Carbohydrates
Please Hold the Sugar
What is Fiber?
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