The Importance of Carbs, Fats, and Proteins Part 1 Carbs

You've heard me preach many times of the importance of Protein, Fat and Carbs at every meal. Well now I am going to tell you why these 3 are so important for you. To make it easier I am going to break them down and then wrap it all up at the end.

Before you can understand the importance of Carbs, Proteins, and Fat you need to first understand what Metabolism is.

"Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During this complex biochemical process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function. Even when you're at rest, your body needs energy for all its "hidden" functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells."

Many of you have heard of the terms BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) or RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate). BMR or RMR is the amount of energy used to support metabolic work of body's cells. It is typically about 60-70% of the body's energy supply. This is the energy used to regulate body temperature, your heart beating, your lungs breathing, etc. A person who's body requires 2000 calories a day; will burn 1200-1400 calories to support their RMR. Your RMR can be influenced by a number of factors; your age, gender, height, environmental temperature, exercise and diet.

Gradual weight loss of 1-3lbs per week is ideal. Anything over 3lbs tends to be water loss; which is the water the body is forced to excrete when it is relying on the body's protein and fat for energy. When regular eating and drinking are resumed the lost pounds are regained and rather quickly.

So now that you understand what Metabolism is, lets dive into the importance of Carbs, Fats and Proteins.

First up CARBS!!! I hear so often people saying they are cutting carbs to lose weight. Yes you will lose weight but not in a good healthy way. Unless of course you are cutting out bad carbs. What are "bad" carbs? "Bad" carbs are found in processed foods and refined sugars. There are two types of Carbs: Complex Carbs are foods that are referred to as "starchy" foods. They are found in naturally occurring foods (good) and in processed foods (bad). These carbs are considered good carbs because the body breaks them down slowly, leaving you feeling fuller longer and the release of their sugar is slow. Simple Carbs exist in both natural and refined form, as well. Natural simple sugars are found in fruits and vegetables, these are GOOD. Refined simple sugars...BAD.

 Here is a list of Bad Complex carbohydrates as refined starches are found in:

• biscuits, pastries and cakes
• pizzas
• sugary processed breakfast cereals
• white bread
• white flour
• white pasta
• white rice

Do your best to stay away from or at least limit your intake.

Here's a list of Good Complex carbohydrates as natural starches are found in:

• bananas
• barley
• beans
• brown rice
• chickpeas
• lentils
• nuts
• oats
• parsnips
• potatoes (eat the skin)
• root vegetables
• sweet corn
• wholegrain cereals
• wholegrain breads
• whole wheat breads
• whole wheat flour
• whole wheat pasta
• yams

The reason why I say these are good complex carbs is because they are naturally occurring. Naturally occurring is good for our bodies. Our bodies know how to break them down and use them efficiently.

Refined sugars...BAD are found in:

• biscuits, cakes and pastries
• chocolate
• jams
• jellies
• brown and white cane sugar
• pizzas
• prepared foods and sauces
• soft drinks
• sweets and snack bars.

So do your best to stay away from those as much as possible.

Good Simple Carbs:

Are found in fruits and vegetables

Carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel in the human body. So why would you think it would make sense to cut out this very important source? According to the Institute of Medicine we should consume between 45-65% of carbs daily and for every 1g of carb there are 4 calories. I've heard some people say they don't eat a lot of sugar, but when I see them eat, they are chowing down on high carbohydrate foods. Carbohydrates are sugars. So if you're eating a something with carbs, you're eating sugar. There are 3 types of sugars: Galactose, Fructose, and Glucose; with glucose being the most abundant. Carbohydrates are the chief source of energy for all body functions. Carbohydrates also help with protein and fat metabolism and fats requires carbs for their breakdown in the liver.

To understand Carbohydrates it is important to understand what Glycogen is. "Glycogen is a multi branched polysaccharide that serves as a form of energy storage in animals and fungi. In humans, glycogen is made and stored primarily in the cells of the liver and the muscles, and functions as the secondary long-term energy storage."

So how does it get there? When you eat, your body releases the glucose from the food into your blood stream. Your liver senses the rise in glucose and tells your pancreas to release insulin to get rid of the excess sugar and restore your body's glucose level. Insulin is like a key, and your muscles are a lock. The insulin "unlocks" your muscles and liver and stores the now glycogen for later use. The rest of the glucose is stored as fat. So to much sugar at one time can cause a vicious never ending cycle. When you eat something like a candy bar, you feel great for a short while from the burst of sugar in your blood stream. However our bodies do not like having all that sugar so it releases insulin which gets rid of. This is when you return to feeling tired and hungry, so you eat a bag of chips and maybe have a coke. Rise in blood sugar, feel energized, body takes away sugar, you are back to feeling tired and hungry...this continues to happen over and over again.....Never Ending Vicious Cycle!

This is why it is so important to eat the right kinds of foods throughout the day. Your liver serves as the major metabolizer and regulator of carbohydrates. One of the principal metabolic of the liver is to act as a blood glucostat; converting excess glucose into glycogen during times of plenty and reconverting glycogen into glucose during times of food restrictions, there by maintaining an adequate level of glucose in the bloodstream. This is why eating every 2-3 hours or 6 small meals (how every you want to phrase it) is so important. The key to any weight loss program is keeping your blood glucose levels, stable. Although everyone wants to blame carbohydrates for obesity, it is important to not jump to conclusions. Any excessive amount of Carbs, Fat or Protein can cause obesity.

Carbohydrates are the most important source of fuel for athletic, fit people. Carbohydrates are so important to muscular work that when our muscles run out of there storage, the muscles stop and you "hit the wall". The human body fuel stores are 76% fat, 23% protein and only 1% carbohydrate. So even though an athlete may still have plenty of fuel stored, if they do not have the carbohydrates, the fat can not be metabolized. Our bodies can only store between 200-500 grams (800-2000 calories) of glycogen. Because our bodies can only store this very limited amount and because we tap into this supply so often throughout the day; it is very important we consume an adequate amount throughout the day. A well-trained athlete can only store about 2 hours worth of carbohydrates (glycogen) in their muscles. An untrained person only stores about an hour to 1 1/2 hours. After the body uses its glycogen storage, the body will begin to "cannibalize" itself.

When someone does not consume enough carbohydrates, several things occur; dehydration, poor performance and a catabolic state. The brain relies on glucose for its fuel source. Normal brain functions require 6g of glucose per hour, which can only happen when your blood has 50mg/d. When there isn't enough sugar the brain will tell the liver to release its storage of glycogen. However muscle glycogen can not be used to replace blood glucose. Muscle glycogen is sensitive to only its own energy requirements. When the liver's supply is gone, the liver begins Glycogenolysis.

Glycogenolysis is the synthesis of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources: lactate, pyruvate, glycerol, and certain amino acids. All of these processes require lots of water and a lot of vital fluids are lost. Also, they are not efficient fuel for the muscles. Therefore the body becomes dehydrated; which explains the rapid drop in weight in carbohydrate-restricted diets and a quick drop in performance for endurance athletes. Restricting carbohydrate intake not only puts a significant amount of work on the liver and kidneys, but they but the whole body into a state of catabolism. This lowers the rate of metabolism of foods at some point to counter the catabolic state. Once you resume a normal diet, the body will be more inclined to store it as fat. Why will it do this? The body has developed an innate primal defense mechanism to protect itself. It needs us to fed it healthy Proteins, Carbs and Fats. They all play a vital role in our bodies.

Our bodies need carbs but only good carbs, so choose wisely and ENJOY!

Stay tuned for Part 2 Fats