Tag: carbohydrates

The brain, food and our weight.

Today I’m writing about the brain, how it’s affected by food and it’s connection to our weight.

With Scott’s study we have some interesting conversations. Usually about the latest things he has learned. Most recently we were discussing the role of our brain plays in regards to our weight and how it’s affected by food.

I thought I would share what we have learned.

How food affects our brain

Interestingly, of our total energy input, our brain actually uses up to 20% of our body’s energy resources. The different compounds in foods affect the production of hormones in our brain, which in turn, govern our moods.

The micronutrients in fruits & veg, such as antioxidants, help to reduce free radicals in the brain, which destroy brain cells. Essential fatty acids such as omega 3 & 6 are essential for the creation and maintenance of brain cell membrane. Proteins & amino acids affect how we feel and behave. The vitamins B6, B12 & folic acid help prevent brain disease.

Most of the energy comes from processing the carbohydrates we eat, to blood sugar.

The types of carbohydrates we eat have different effects on the levels of blood sugar. There are basically 3 types of carbohydrates, starch, sugar & fibre. The ratio of these in the food affects how the body and brain respond.

Simple carbohydrates has less fibre and are therefore processed quickly. This creates more energy, however it is not sustainable. This results in an energy deficit or slump.

Having a diet that contains a broad selection of foods help keep everything balanced.

So we know that different food affects the brain. What is really interesting is that the brain then regulates how much we eat and use for energy according to our weight.

Is the brain connected to our weight?

Researchers in 1982 theorised that the brain has a ‘body weight set point’. Which means that the brain actually has a say in how we put on, or lose weight.

This is the reason that many people plateau when actively trying to lose weight. It is also why many people put the weight back on after losing it.

The set-point theory suggests that body weight is regulated at a predetermined, or preferred, level by a feedback control mechanism. Information from the body is carried to a central controller in the brain, located in the hypothalamus.

The controller uses the information to modulate food intake or energy expenditure to correct any deviations in body weight from the set-point. (Source – www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/)

According to this theory, body fat percentage and body weight are matters of internal controls that are set differently in different people.

There are several different theories on how to re-set the body’s set-point. Some say it can be done through diet, others say constant intense exercise.

I think that this will vary for each individual as much as our internal controls are different.

Either way, I found it quite interesting to learn about this particular ‘brain – body’ connection.

 Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper.

What is the Glycemic Index?

Hi, today I’m going to talk about the ‘Glycemic Index’ and food.

Every food we eat affects our body differently, and not just in terms of health. The way it is processed by the body affects our energy and blood sugar levels.

Scott is studying Nutrition this semester and has been learning all about the ‘Glycemic Index’. He shared some facts that I found very interesting and I decided to share them with you.

First of all, what is the ‘Glycemic Index’?

Wikipedia states –‘The glycemic index (GI) is a number associated with the carbohydrates in a particular type of food that indicates the effect of these carbohydrates on a person’s blood glucose (also called blood sugar) level.’….’ The GI represents the rise in a person’s blood sugar level two hours after consumption of the food.’

In basic terms – foods that are difficult for the body to digest are considered Lower GI foods usually with a value (55 or less). These foods cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose and, therefore, insulin levels.

What about ‘Glycemic Load’?

Another method of measuring the effect of food on the body’s glucose is considering its ‘Glycemic Load’ (GL).

GI does not consider the portion of food, but glycemic load (GL) does.

Basically, if a food is ranked high on the glycemic index it has readily available carbohydrate for quick absorption. However, the same food can have a low glycemic load because there may not actually be much total carbohydrate in a given serving of that food. A low GL is the better indicator that a food won’t have much impact on blood glucose levels.

The difference

Here are two examples: Watermelon has a high GI of 72, yet a low GL of 7.21. The high GI is based on 5 cups of watermelon, not an actual serving size of 1 cup. The low GL means one serving of watermelon doesn’t contain much carbohydrate, because it is actually mostly water. The low GL indicates that a serving of watermelon won’t have much impact on your blood sugar.

Carrots are another example of a low GL food that many people think will raise their blood sugar a lot — but it’s not true. That’s because carrots have a high GI of 71. However, what most people don’t know is that the GL for carrots is only 6. 

Therefore, unless you’re going to eat half a kg of carrots in one sitting, an average serving of carrots will have very little impact on blood glucose levels. That said, juicing carrots — which means consuming more carrots at once — will have a greater impact on blood glucose.

With this in mind, here is an interesting fact that Scott has shared in regards to potatoes.

Potatoes are generally regarded as having a high GI rating, because they are a simple starch food, which is quickly converted into sugar. However it is possible to alter this.

By cooking potatoes, then cooling and again reheating them, the starches become ‘resistant’. This means that they now resist digestion and so in this way are considered a low GI food.

 

I hope this information has helped you to have a better understanding of these terms that are so often used to describe the food we eat.

Until the next post,

Live Clean n Prosper