The Difference Between Complex and Simple Carbs
There are two kinds of carbohydrates, complex and simple, otherwise known as starch and sugar carbohydrates. Pasta, bread, potatoes and the like are the starchy carbohydrates and of course the sugar type consists of anything sweet, like candy or baked goods. Sugar type carbohydrates are a quick fix. They increase the blood sugar immediately and give a temporary burst of energy, but it doesn't last and soon you want more and you end up not feeling full even though you should be. By the same token, the starchy carbohydrates fill you up and stick with you longer, taking longer to digest, so they actually are not the problem with fat storing in the body.
The Need for Glucose
Glucose is a sugar found only in carbohydrates, never in fats or proteins. Without sufficient glucose, the body simply cannot function properly which is how a lot of diseases get their start. Liver damage, brain damage, kidney damage, muscle disease--all of these and more can result from improper carbohydrate intake. A major portion of each person's diet should consist of complex carbohydrates. At least 60% of the diet should be reserved for starchy carbs.
Insulin is the Key
Simple carbohydrates (sugars) tend to build up in the bloodstream due to the fact that the insulin in the body can only handle just so much of it. Insulin's job is to remove glucose out of the blood and store it within the liver and the muscles. This storage facility is not infinite however, so the insulin does the only thing it can and stores the rest of the glucose in the body fat. This is how people gain weight. Worse yet, simple carbohydrates build up the insulin level to a high degree which causes the insulin to store glucose in the fat cells while the glucose in your blood goes way down. This causes you to feel hungry again. It's a repetitious cycle that can lead straight to fat and eventually to diabetes if not controlled properly.
Starches are Good for Weight Loss
Eating complex (starchy) carbohydrates causes the body to start using its own fat as fuel rather than constantly searching for more glucose to store as fat cells, which is the natural way that people lose weight. By feeding the body what it needs you are fueling it properly and it has no further need to store the necessary glucose in the fat cells. Theoretically, by eating a diet high in complex carbohydrates, a person could virtually eliminate the possibility of developing diabetes because the sugars in the blood never reach that over saturation point that causes a person to become unable to produce enough insulin to take care of it all.
Tags: starchy carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates, diet should, glucose body, glucose cells