Carbohydrates/Glycemic Index
Carbohydrates are hailed as the champion macronutrient for overall health and functionability. Why? Let's look at the reasons:
Carbohydrates are believed to be the main source of energy and are utilized the fastest (which is why they they impact blood sugar and cause a rise in insulin). It's reasoned that carbohydrates spare protein by preventing it from being converted, via a process called gluconeogenesis, to glucose. When this happens the body catabolizes itself and uses muscle tissue, assuming of course that you're only eating the miniscule portions of protein and fat advocated by the FDA.
It's thought that glucose is the main fuel source for the brain. Aside from glucose, either supplied by carbohydrates or gluconeogenesis, ketones are another source of energy that the brain can rely on. Ketones are produced from fatty acids by the liver, it happens as a result of the breakdown of fat.
They further reason that you can't depend on more protein because it puts a strain on the kidneys. This is one of many baseless myths surrounding the low carb way of life. Unless you already have kidney disease, this is not a problem. Why would it be? We evolved on a diet high in meat, not starches and sugars! This is the reason we are able to convert protein to glucose. The carbohydrate advocates believe that because our bodies synthesize glucose it must be a very essential macronutrient, and thus essential part of the diet. However this thinking is backwards, it's because we can synthesize glucose that it isn't an essential part of the diet. What this indicates is that we didn't get much carbohydrate in our diet so we evolved to convert substrates to make it. Also once we adapt to a low carb diet (2-3 weeks) our glucose requirements go down, WAY down, to like 40 grams. The myths of low carb eating are covered in my report, Diet Fact vs. Diet Fiction.
Carbohydrates
Sugar:
Insulin:
Blood Sugar:
Glycemic Index:
