Trick question: Which food has the least carbohydrates? A roll of bread, a bowl of rice or a can of soda?
These three may differ in fats, vitamins, and the glycemic load (speed in which the food raises your blood glucose levels). However, when it comes to calories carbohydrate content (a roll of bread, a bowl of rice or a can of coke), they’re pretty much the same.
Finding the right type of carbohydrates
If you eat the traditional starchy breakfast -high carb cereals, bread or grains, this is what happens to you. Starch, glucose and sugars are consumed into your body, which increases your blood sugar level, until around 1:00 or 2:00 p.m, when it drops down.
The drop in sugar level depends on the type of carbohydrates you eat in the morning. If you eat sweet potatoes, arrow roots (nduma), githeri, ground nuts, nyoyo – basically complex carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates which have a low Glycemic Load (GL), burn slower and release sugar into your body much slower than the simple carbohydrates characterized by a high GL e.g. soft drinks, refined grains etc. They give you a quick rush of sugar into the body. That is why it is advisable to consume complex carbs in the morning to allow for a gradual release of energy throughout the day.
When you load on complex carbohydrates in the morning, you have a sustained release of carbohydrates throughout the day. However, when you run out of energy at around 1;00 pm, you’ll feel the sugar drop, you get brain fog or a bit fatigued. That’s when you start to lose focus and then you ultimately don’t have much energy. That is certainly time for your next meal.
What happens when you overeat carbohydrates?
Chronically consuming a lot of carbohydrates may lead to insulin resistance, and many scientists believe that insulin resistance leads to a severe condition called metabolic syndrome.
That involves a constellation of symptoms, including high blood sugar and getting overweight. It increases the risk of developing conditions like cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. Type II Diabetes is rapidly increasing all over the world.
So let’s get back to your diet. Whether your food tastes sweet or not, blood sugar is not just sugar, it comes from consuming all types of carbohydrates.
So maybe you can consider the way you consume your carbohydrates and pick healthier options.
