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Battle Weight with Good Carbs

May 6, 2005 -- Scientists paint a vivid picture of the health risks inherent in our national epidemic of excess weight and obesity. In addition to exploding rates of weight-exacerbated diseases like heart disease and diabetes, recent statistics show that a third of American adults are at increased risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney failure because of high blood pressure, which is associated with weight gain. More subtly, obesity increases risk for nine types of cancer. In short, every pound we gain increases our chances of contracting a lethal disease.



We know that improper diet, lack of exercise and the effects of getting older are at the root of our national epidemic of excess weight and obesity, but what weapons can we employ in this seemingly overwhelming battle with weight Although getting more exercise is indispensable, the central metabolic objective in weight management is to eat foods that moderate blood sugar (glucose) levels. Repeated spiking and plunging of blood glucose, which has names like reactive hypoglycemia and the sugar roller coaster, is a significant factor in creating excess weight because it leads to overeating and, thus, to excess glucose to be disposed of.



To combat the sabotaging effects of spiking blood sugar levels that result primarily from our high reliance on refined carbohydrates, thirty-two million people have adopted low-carbohydrate diets. The problem is that they shouldn't be cutting out all carbohydrates, just the bad ones - like processed sugars, white flour products, white rice and fruit juices. By replacing these fragmented carbohydrate foods with whole fruits, whole vegetables and whole grains, the best weapon we have against spiking glucose levels, fiber, would be effortlessly plentiful in our everyday diet. Here's how whole grains, whole vegetables and whole fruits ("good carbs") help maintain or reduce weight:



- When consumed at a meal, they keep some fat eaten at the same meal from being completely absorbed, by binding bile acids so they are excreted rather than stored as fat.

- High-fiber foods generally provide fewer calories than comparable amounts of high-fat or high-protein foods.

- High-fiber foods require extra chewing, so they take longer to eat. (Since about 20 minutes elapse between the time food is ingested and the time the brain signals that enough has been eaten, eating slowly reduces the risk of overeating.)

- High-fiber foods make you feel full on less food because fiber absorbs water.

- High-fiber foods slow down digestion so that blood sugar levels remain steady. This eliminates repeated surges and plunges in blood sugar that lead to overeating.

- A factor in carbohydrates called "resistant starch" passes through the digestive system undigested without contributing to calories.



Despite Herculean efforts by government and health officials to get Americans to eat more whole fruits, vegetables and, particularly, whole grains, statistics remain dismal. Why When faced with an endless array of commercial low-fiber, low-nutrient quick foods, most potential converts to whole grains, for example, are quickly defeated. According to author Marleeta Basey, an advocate of milling grains at home, "Fiber isn't nearly as difficult to obtain as most people think. In fact," she says, "when people find out how easy and versatile a home flour mill is, a lot of lives are going to improve - in both nutrition and flavor. "In her book, Flour Power, A guide to modern home grain milling (Jermar, May 2004), Basey makes a persuasive argument that home milling is the quickest, easiest, and most delicious way to eat more whole grains. "No matter how nutritionally redeeming something is, if it doesn't taste good and it isn't easy, people just won't do it. That's why I can't believe people don't know about home flour milling already. It just takes 10 minutes to grind flour, fill a bread machine bucket and clean up and, voila!, stupendous "light" bread - the kind Americans prefer but think you can't make from 100 percent whole wheat. It's just loaded with fiber and other nutrients that really boost health and protect from disease." Basey's book presents all the information necessary to evaluate, compare, locate, buy and use a home flour mill. It includes technical details, recipes, and sources for over 30 grain mills (electric, hand-operated and convertible) and for ideal bread-making wheats, which may be difficult to locate. Flour Power is an indispensable guide for the health-conscious, time-starved bread lover and a necessity for anyone struggling to maintain healthful weight.

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