The Ultimate Blueprint to Avoid Hidden Dangers that Block You From Achieving a Healthy & Fit Life
NUTRITION AND SUGAR
Nutrition's purpose is to provide energy, yield disease and degenerations, repair muscles, and aid in our immune system. We each have a choice in how we utilize nutrition in the most effective manner. When we open ourself up to truly learning, retaining, and applying nutrition knowledge in our life; we can accomplish our dreams, goals, aspirations, and ambitions more effectively. Being sick, tired, weak, and fatigued can be controlled with a healthy nutrient dense diet. When it comes to sugar/carbohydrates, it is important to understand why we need it, how it can become bad for us, and differentiate the purpose of different sugars within our diet.
Carbohydrates are sugars that come in two main forms simple and complex.
1. Simple Sugars/Carbohydrates: are found in fruit, vegetables, & milk.
* Raise blood glucose levels quickly
2. Complex/Carbohydrate Sugars: are called starches and are found in potatoes, breads, cakes, pastries and more.
* Takes longer for the body to break down.
* Not all Complex Carbohydrates are bad.
What about refined carbohydrates?
Refined Carbohydrates are processed sugars like glucose fructose syrup and high fructose corn syrup.
* Raises blood glucose levels as high as simple sugars.
Sugar: Through the process of digestion sugar is converted into the blood stream and transported to the liver.
There are several types of carbohydrates that can be classified in different ways.
There are three simple sugars that are nutrient specific to the human body glucose, fructose, and galactose.
Table Sugar is commonly referred to as Sucrose. Which is one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule.
Lactose us a milk sugar that is one molecule of glucose and one molecule of galactose.
Glucose:
The liver stores the sugar as glycogen in the liver cells, or released back into he blood for energy, or stored by other cells in the body.
Most abundant simple carbohydrate found in nature.
Supplies energy to the bodies cells.
The brain uses glucose exclusively except in times of starvation.
Blood glucose level in the body is closely regulated to ensure cell and organ functions are sufficient.
Fructose: Mostly found in fruits.
Absorption is slower.
Sweetest Taste
Found naturally in fruits and vegetables
Honey is half fructose and half glucose
Galactose: Most commonly linked with glucose.
Simple sugars are found in milk.
Rarely found alone in natures food sources.
Glycogen: Storage form of carbohydrates in the muscle cells.
Glycogen is not found in plants.
Readily available source of energy.
Critical for fueling performance, endurance, and strength/power exercises.
What happens when carbohydrates/sugars make it to the cells of the body?
Carbohydrates can do three things once it reaches the cell.
1. Stored as glycogen in the muscle.
2. Converted to fat and stored as adipose tissue.
3. Used for energy.
Is dietary fiber a carbohydrate?
Dietary fiber is a complex carbohydrate that is not digestible by humans.
No caloric or carbohydrate value.
What does Fiber do then?
Maintains healthy digestive system.
Lowers cholesterol levels.
Regulates blood Glucose levels.
What about artificial sweeteners?
Chemical Sugars that yield zero calories.
Hundreds of times more sweeter than natural sugars.
Mostly used in diet sodas and desserts.
Does not yield any nutritional value.
What about alcohol sugars?
Sugar alcohols are not the same as alcoholic drinks.
Sugar alcohols are similar to regular sugars and are found naturally in plants.
Sugar alcohols yield less calories but in high amounts produce a laxative effect.
In excessive amounts sugar alcohols can increase blood glucose levels faster.
Sugar alcohols on food labels will be xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol, and Maltitol.
So whats the difference between alcohol sugars and sugar metabolized by alcohol?
Alcohol does not turn into sugar in the body its a myth.
Excess calories with no nutritional value in a addition to what we mix alcohol with is the over consumption of calories.
Alcohol will store as fat more quickly than sugar/carbohydrates due to the detoxification process by the liver.
EXERCISE & SUGAR
In relation to exercise and sport performance it is important to understand glycemic load and glycemic index. This is the process of converting sugars/carbohydrates into an energy source. Without energy our bodies can not even think straight, function correctly, and obviously can not perform exercise effectively. We can break down what we eat, when we eat it, and the amount we eat in order to provide the body with the necessary energy so we can perform the tasks we want and need to accomplish.
Glycemic Index: During Isolation (no physical exercise) how much does the glucose level raise when carbohydrates and sugars are consumed.
Glycemic Load: Takes the information provided in the glycemic index and combines more information on how many and what type of carbohydrates were consumed providing information on the overall effect of the diet on the body and performance.
Glycemic Index classifies carbohydrates based on how fast they can be digested and absorbed into the blood stream and be used for energy. The faster carbohydrates convert to glucose into the blood stream the higher the glycemic index.
How can the glycemic index be altered or manipulated in order to provide the best exercise performance for the athletes?
Type of Carbohydrate
Fiber Content
Protein and Fat Content
Liquid Verse Solid
Timing
Combination Foods
Total amount of Carbohydrates Consumed
The glycemic load has a formula that we use can to come up with the number to measure an individuals performance based off diet.
Glycemic Load = (GI X Carbohydrate Content per serving) / 100
The glycemic load is a controversial method of measure, because there are many influences that can affect every individual differently.
During Exercise the bodies muscles rely on how quick the body can convert a carbohydrate into accessible energy. We play with what to eat before, during, and after a workout so we can have the energy to perform the desired exercise, can sustain the energy through carbohydrate consumption, and recover the muscles after the workout. We can create the optimal diet for specific individuals by understanding the glycemic index foods can potentially have on the athlete. It is not a perfected method, but understanding glycemic index has the potential to take athletes to the next performance level.
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