Evil refined carbs...

SO you now know that consuming refined carbohydrates and sugary foods can make you more susceptible to colds and infections. Did you ALSO know that they may be preventing you from being a healthy weight?

But I thought fat makes you fat?

I grew up in the 80s & 90s when low fat diets were everywhere! Fat was the villain. You can eat anything you like, so long as it's less than 3% fat! Fat gives you heart disease*. Fat makes you put on weight*. You get the idea...

* more on why this is not strictly true another time..

Whilst this was going on, evil refined carbs were entering stage right. Everything was being packaged for convenience. Grab and go! TV dinners. Packets and boxes of moreish biscuits, cereals, crisps and snacks.

So what were they doing to our food?

By refining the carbohydrates, processing them to an inch of their life, the food manufacturers are stripping them of fibre and nutrients, meaning that:

1. White bread, rice, pasta & sugary foods are SUPER quick to digest...

2. Your blood sugar levels rise quickly

3. BUT you don't feel full for very long (they have no bulk to them)

4. You get a post-meal crash (low-blood sugar)

5. Meaning you reach for more refined carbs to top up your energy levels

In other words, when these refined carbohydrates (sugars) are rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream, this causes a surge in insulin followed by a low-blood sugar (hypoglycaemic) crash as overcompensation of glucose transport out of the bloodstream takes place.

This blood-sugar crash can trigger further eating which can lead to weight gain.

This is just one reason why it is so important to balance our blood sugar, and not eat too many refined carbohydrates!

Looking at the bigger picture

Blood sugar regulation is so much more important that "just" helping you transport glucose out of your blood stream and managing insulin levels. Poor blood sugar regulation can contribute to irritable mood, thyroid dysfunction, nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, gut dysbiosis... the list goes on.

Do any of these apply to you?

• Can't go for 3 hours without food

• Crave caffeine

• Eating relieves fatigue

• Feel dizzy if you miss a meal

• Feel anxious if you miss a meal

If so, these may be signs that you are not managing your blood sugar sufficiently.

In practicing nutritional therapy, I want to intervene and help bring you back into balance, help you better regulate your blood sugar. I look at trends and predictors of many whole-body markers that are associated with blood sugar regulation, for example:

• uric acid (a central player in metabolic health)

• blood lipids (not just total cholesterol or triglycerides)

• sex hormone binding globulin (predictor for metabolic disorders)

And I can then make some personalised recommendations of therapeutic foods to introduce, foods to avoid and cut out altogether! And perhaps some supplements may be of benefit in the short term to kick start your journey to health and vitality.

What next?

If you feel that your diet could do with an overhaul, or not sure where to start on cutting down your refined carbs and sugar, please click here to book a free 30-minute call! Oh, and I'm going to be running a 7-day refined carb challenge in October - subscribe to my newsletter to find out more!