A Great Article on Carbohydrates Part 1

I was given this article recently that really intrigued me. It is written my Dr. Smokey Santillo.

He has been writing articles for Juice Plus for quite some time now and I find them to be very informative. This one is great so read on!

Knowing how to choose the proper carbohydrates best suited for your metabolism is a nutritional art within itself. Some of us burn carbs rapidly, others are slow burners. The question is: are you a fast burner (fast oxidizer) or a slow burner (slow oxidizer)?

Understanding this concept can help prevent degenerative diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Learning the monitoring system in my book, ProMetabolics, will make it easy to understand what carbs would be best for you, but this article will give you an idea what foods to use.

We are going to discuss the autonomic nervous system which is the master regulator of your metabolism. It controls the involuntary activities of the body: heart beat, respiration, digestion, tissue growth, temperature, hormone secretions, and many more functions. The autonomic nervous system has two dualistic opposite parts that counterbalance each other: the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The sympathetic side turns on the energy, utilizing organs such as the adrenals, thyroid, and pituitary that prepare the body for fight or flight. The parasympathetic nervous system turns on the glands pertaining to digestion, elimination, repair, and rebuilding.

The following chart, taken from page 81 in ProMetabolics, will give you a better look at each system and their counterbalancing activities.

Sympathetic-Controlled
Pupils dilate
Heart rate increases
Intestinal functions slow down
Bladder contracts
Liver releases glucose
Stomach decreases digestive secretions
Parasympathetic-Controlled
Pupils contract
Heart rate decreases
Intestinal functions speed up
Bladder relaxes
Liver stores glucose
Stomach increases digestive secretions

Choosing the wrong foods, especially carbohydrates, can effect and actually stimulate or sedate these nervous system functions. Too little of an amount can be a problem; too much can be a problem; and poor quality can create disease. Carbohydrates do not build healthy tissues, enzyme systems, hormones, nor do they strengthen the immune system. Around 15 grams of carbohydrates in the form of glucose are in our blood stream all the time. They are usually in transit in our blood stream and are required for our body’s energy systems.

Carbohydrates are the basis of our cellular fuel. They are digested and broken down into glucose (blood sugar) and burned up (oxidized) by our cells for life functions. These can also furnish other valuable nutrients such as cellulose (vegetable fiber), vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. Let’s examine two classes of carbohydrates – complex carbohydrates and natural simple sugars vs. refined carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates are starches in their natural state such as potatoes, whole grains, starchy vegetables (best choice), and legumes. These starchy molecules are more complex with more nutrition than simple sugars in raw
fruit. They require a longer and slower digestive process before they’re ready to be used as fuel (glucose) for our cells. They are a more controllable fuel source.

Simple carbohydrates such as sugars in raw fruit, refined carbs like candies, sodas, jellies, ice cream, alcohol, pastries, processed breakfast cereals, pastas, you know the rest, dramatically alter your metabolism and can be addictive. They not only alter metabolic activities but cause behavioral and mood changes, just like a drug can. Nothing against drugs (medicinal), of course; everything has its time and place.

When carbohydrates are refined (fibers, vitamins, and minerals removed), they are explosive in the body, providing fuel too rapidly. The body cannot control them. Enzymes get used rapidly, blood sugar rises, and the excess sugar is stored as fat. And we’re on our way to pancreatic problems and obesity. That’s the difference between a controllable complex carbohydrate and an uncontrollable simple sugar.

Fruits are a little different. They’re only about 15% simple sugars while refined pasta can be 75% simple sugars. I’m a 100% Italian–boy, this one hurt. But, of course, we can enjoy these luxuries once in a while. We want to eat foods the body can control, not fuel injections of sugar. Some of us choose not to use grains at all and get their carbohydrates from fruit, vegetables, and small amounts of fruit. I’m one of those people. If I feel as though I need a grain, I use spelt. It’s an ancient grain superior to other grains and less allergenic. It dates back 10,000 years and is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. (Exodus 9: 31, 32.)

Check back tomorrow when we finish the article and I will get you a link to where you can get more info on this topic.