More carbohydrates, better health SEPTEMBER 14, 2013 BY TUNDE FABUNMI ([email protected]) Misconception about carbohydrate- rich foods is not just deep rooted; it also negates the natural laws of nutrition. Carbohydrates are seen as the culprits behind epidemic of diabetes and obesity by many people. In fact, the wrong notion about foods with higher proportion of carbohydrates particularly those peculiar to our culinary culture has elevated wheat to “super food” despite its many downsides. By the way, does wheat not contain high dose of carbohydrate? Contrary to widely held view, no food is solely carbohydrate, protein or fat. Plant foods are web of carbohydrate, protein and fats in varying amounts, while all foods of animal origin contain both protein and fats. Therefore, classifying one food as carbohydrate, protein or fats bothers on ignorance about the basics of nutrition. Another shade of misconception about foods wrongly fixated as carbohydrates such as yam, sweet potato, corn, fruits, and vegetables is that they contain too much sugar. But who says sugar is bad for health and well being, especially if it is component of natural foods not distorted by processing? The best fuel for all body cells including brain cells is glucose (sugar) derivable from carbohydrate – rich foods. In fact, brain is the most sugar-hungry organ in the body sometimes needing up to 50 per cent of glucose consumed daily to function optimally. Otherwise, why is the brain the first organ incapacitated by diabetes, which is a fundamental disorder of metabolism primarily carbohydrates? Diabetes impairs absorption of glucose into the body cells and deprives the brain cells adequate supply of glucose, thus weakening its capacity for memory storage and recall. Further consequences of depriving brain adequate glucose (sugar) include nerve damage causing numbness in the hands and feet, erectile dysfunction as well as big dip in quality thinking for mental work. The harms being wrongly attributed to carbohydrate-rich foods are not due to higher intake as many “experts” canvass, but rather due to distorted chemistry of the foods. How? Human body is designed and structured to be fuelled and nourished by complex carbohydrates rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes and hormones. But today many of the carbohydrate-rich foods in the menu list of many families are refined and denatured through one form of processing or the other. Invariably, what many people consume are refined carbohydrates, which poison the body cells and tissues, lower the body pH and set the stage for degenerative diseases. More than 33 years ago, Dr. William Coda Martin had this to say about refined carbohydrates: “The body cannot utilise refined starch and carbohydrate unless the depleted proteins, vitamins and minerals are present. Nature supplies these elements in each plant in quantities sufficient to metabolise the carbohydrates in that particular plant. There is no excess for other added carbohydrates. Incomplete carbohydrate metabolism results in the formation of ‘toxic metabolites’ such as pyruvic acid and abnormal sugars containing 5 carbon atoms. Pyruvic acid accumulates in the brain and nervous system and the abnormal sugars in the red blood cells” In specific terms, diet predicated on refined carbohydrates also makes the liver fatty and impairs its functions, which include regulating blood sugar in tandem with the pancreas. According to Dr. Frank Shallenberger, MD “regular eating of refined carbohydrates can make the liver become insulin resistant and has trouble regulating blood sugar levels”. Another consequence of consuming refined carbohydrates is chronic inflammation, which triggers accumulation of cholesterol in the arteries. Rather than cholesterol, the real driver of cardiovascular disease says Dr. Dwight Lundell, MD, a heart surgeon, is inflammation – the body response to injuries being caused by eating refined carbohydrates and omega-6 oils. Dr. Lundell added: “the more we consume processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day because the human body cannot process nor was it designed to “consume refined foods”. In effect, the supposed harms of carbohydrate-rich foods are the creation of man rather than what is naturally inherent in their chemistry. As a matter of fact, complex carbohydrate-rich foods including fruits and vegetables with low or medium glycemic index GI should form 50-80 per cent of daily calorie intake to promote health and healing. Here are the reasons to justify higher intake of carbohydrate-rich foods daily: Energy: Carbohydrate-rich foods avail the body cells and tissues glucose to produce energy for daily activities and healing. For instance, both brain and the heart never sleep. These vital organs need constant supply of glucose only derivable from carbohydrate-rich foods to power their functions. Brain alone uses 20 per cent of the body energy and 25 per cent of all oxygen inhaled. But while carbohydrate-rich foods particularly in raw form avail body with oxygen, animal foods rich in protein and fats deplete body oxygen, which is indispensable to energy production in the body. Fibre: Several studies had validated the health benefits of high-fibre diet especially for prevention and healing of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high cholesterol and obesity. But the question is: how can we up our fibre intake without increasing consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods? In other words, high fibre intake demands corresponding high consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods, which are the only sources of fibre. Fibre-rich carbohydrates foods are metabolised slowly and provide even flow of energy and more pleasant disposition. Fibre also acts like a sponge sweeping metabolic wastes out of the digestive tract. A study published in Nature’s journal obesity showed that increased soluble fibre reduce the amount of deep belly fat associated with hypertension, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes. pH Balance: We need to eat 20 per cent acidic foods and 80 per cent alkaline foods to ensure pH balance and keep degenerative diseases at bay. But it is impossible to achieve pH balance with low intake of carbohydrate-rich foods. Why and how? All animal products, which basically contain protein and fat, are all acidic, while complex carbohydrates, are the sources of healthy alkaline foods to ensure pH balance and optimal functions of the body organs. Plant-Based Foods: Many studies had validated superiority of meals centred on plant-based foods compared to foods from animals in promoting health and warding-off the risks of many killer diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and stroke. But how can we apply the wisdom in these studies without higher intake of complex carbohydrates, which are all plant-based? According to World Health Organisation WHO, “About 68 per cent of deaths that occurred in 2008 were attributed to NCDs such as stroke, heart disease, cancers, type 2 diabetes and obesity for which poor diets were contributing factors. But people who live in societies that eat healthy plant-based diets rarely fall victims to these ailments”. Also, the popular China Study says “people who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic diseases while the people who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic diseases” Raw Foods: The higher the percentage of raw foods we consume daily, the better our health. Interestingly, many of the foods we can eat in raw form like fruits and vegetables have higher percentage of carbohydrates than fat and protein. Therefore, if only carbohydrate-rich foods can be eaten raw, intake of raw foods means increased consumption of carbohydrates. As a matter of fact, nothing surpasses the goodness of raw foods in health and healing. Raw foods provide maximum health benefits for anybody – sick or well. For instance, when the vital organs of the body are at their lowest state of functions, only raw foods make it possible for them to provide the body chemistry to maintain health. In other words, raw foods permit dying body to restore itself to health. Specifically, raw foods avail the body system enzymes, oxygen and other essential nutrients to ward-off the risks of killer diseases and repair tissue damage. Yet, only plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables can be eaten in raw form to derive maximum nutritional benefits to promote health and healing. Or can man eat raw meat like lion? Okey Goodluck Nwankwo Sent from my iPad
Posted on: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 01:22:17 +0000
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