Consuming Less Sugar in Your Diet is Beneficial to Your Health
Consuming less sugar in carbohydrates has been the center of dietary controversy for quite a while now. If we label carbohydrates, there are those considered healthy carbs and unhealthy carbs. Healthy carbs include such foods as fruits, vegetables, whole sprouted grains (no preservatives or gluten added), and rice and dairy products. The unhealthy carbs are those that contain simple sugars. These will include processed foods, honey and granulated or even sugar in the raw.
There are three categories of carbohydrates:
- simple (honey, refined sugars, refined flour),
- fibrous (fruits and vegetables), and
- complex (potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, and oats).
Of these three categories, your carb consumption should concentrate on the latter two. Furthermore, this should include an emphasis on the fibrous carbs which includes vegetables and low glycemic index fruits.
The effects of aging
As we age, we lose the ability to metabolize carbohydrates. This makes the consumption of simple sugars even more damaging to our bodies. When considering the foods to include in your diet one should always try to eat whole foods that are as close to as they are as they occur in nature. Eating complex and fibrous carbs as a preference over sugary carbs allows blood glucose levels to stay even. This reduces the damaging effects of higher blood glucose levels and the spikes that occur after consuming simple sugars. Flooding your system with high sugar levels, instead of allowing an even release of insulin, ultimately causes an increase in fat stores. Finally, consuming fewer processed foods high in sugar and fat also reduces inflammation and leads to more constant energy levels.
If you would like more information on eating a healthy diet or guidance in finding healthy substitutions for favorite foods, go to our contact us page or send us a message.
Mind your body,
Melanie and David Riley
@allattitudefitness
