CARBOHYDRATES
What Carb Level is right for you?
Carbohydrates come in two basic forms: complex and simple. Simple carbs or sugars are easily identified by their taste: sweet. Complex carbs, such as potatoes, are pleasant to the taste buds, but generally are not sweet.
There are two groups of complex carbs: high fiber and low fiber. High-fiber vegetable foods are the healthiest choices for human nutrition and intake of these foods is associated with lowered incidences of hypertension, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, etc. These foods include broccoli, leafy greens, cabbage, etc. Examples of low-fiber, complex carbs are cereals, grains (breads & pasta), potatoes and rice.

While it is true that fiber is an important part of your diet, even necessary to protect you from some diseases, carbohydrates themselves are not necessary. There are “essential” fatty acids, and “essential” amino acids (from protein) but there are no known “essential” carbohydrates. (“Essential” means necessary but not produced by the body so they must be ingested in some form.) 
That’s not to say that we don’t crave carbohydrates. Carb cravings are a: 1) strong urge to eat that is not associated with what we ordinarily think of as “hunger”, and 2) usually triggered by either an excess of carbohydrates or the wrong type of carbohydrates. The craving itself may or may not be for carb-rich foods, but it can easily lead to a cycle of carbohydrate eating that is difficult to break. (Some people may refer to this as “sugar addiction” or “carbohydrate addiction.”)

Most of our carbohydrates come from cereals and grains, both products of the agricultural revolution. Our bodies are not genetically designed to thrive on large amounts of these fiberless complex carbs. With the popularity of cereal- and grain-based “health diets,” carbohydrate metabolism has been upset in approximately 3/4 of the population which simply cannot handle this large load of carbs. Increased insulin output from the pancreas, over the years, results in hyperinsulinism, insulin resistance and the resulting diseases mentioned above: hypertension, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis and heart disease,

Complex carbs with lots of fiber should be consumed in proper proportion for maximum health and vitality. Complex carbs with lots of fiber are rich sources of necessary vitamins and minerals as well as enzymes when in the raw state. The problem occurs when carbohydrates are altered by processes which provide empty calories stripped of much of their original food value.

The healthiest form of carbohydrates is the complex carbohydrates present in high-fiber vegetables; however, it is certainly acceptable to include simple sugars in the form of whole, fresh fruits. Grains should be consumed moderately.
So what happens when we consume too many carbohydrates in our diets?
Excess carbohydrates can cause generalized vascular disease. A high-carbohydrate diet causes the pancreas to produce large amounts of insulin, and if this happens for many years in a genetically disposed person, the insulin receptors throughout the body become resistant to insulin. Because insulin’s action is to drive glucose into the cells, this results in chronic hyperglycemia, also called “high blood sugar.” A large portion of this sugar is stored as fat resulting in obesity. Excess insulin also causes hypertension and helps initiate the sequence of events in the arterial wall which leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease.
For most people, reducing their carbohydrate intake can be health promoting. The question is: In order to get the benefits of cutting back on carbs, which is the best approach? The fact is that there is no one carb level that will be best for everyone. Different bodies have different abilities to handle carbohydrate and the trick is to figure out what is best for your body.

The goal is to find the highest carb level where the individual will: 1) lose or maintain weight, 2) not have cravings which will drive him or her to overeat and/or 3) not fatigue after meals. One of the most striking features of finding your carb tolerance level is that people no longer find themselves wanting to randomly munch. Being free of those urges is so liberating that it turns people into devoted followers of carb reduction. Other positive signs of eating the correct carb level are increased energy and mental alertness.

People who are sensitive to carbohydrates are on a continuum. Some will benefit from small reductions in carb, while others need a larger reduction in order to feel the benefits. So finding the highest carb level where the benefits can be achieved is a good goal.

Standard nutritional advice suggests around 250-3 00 grams of carb per day; Atkins starts people at 20 grams per day. We recommend 40 grams of carbohydrate per day as a good starting point for most and can be adjusted for individual preferences. Carb and/or sugar cravings, signs of fatigue, and weight gain are a sign to back down to a lower level of carbohydrate If a person is eating no carbohydrates and still experiencing symptoms, there is a natural supplement that can be taken at increasing doses until symptoms (including carb/sugar cravings) disappear.

Various foods contain various carb levels. Grains, starchy vegetables and fruits contain 15 grams of carbohydrate per serving. A serving of milk contains 12 grams and a serving of vegetables contains 5 grams. (Meat and fats contain zero carbohydrate.) As you can see, 40 grams of carbohydrate lessens the likelihood of boredom and raises the probability of a more fully nutritious meal plan.

Wellness Alternatives can assist you in determining your personal carb tolerance level and in achieving healthy blood sugar metabolism (including assistance with “sugar/carb cravings.”) We have the tools to help you achieve optimum health. Call us when you are ready to lose weight, have more energy and mental alertness, and stop your sugar cravings.

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