Carbohydrates, or carbs for short, are a major ingredient in vegies, fruits, grains and legumes, such as lentils. But with all the low-carb and no-carb products being advertised out there, you'd think carbs are evil. Not so!
The body breaks down carbs into glucose, which is a form of sugar. Glucose is used for many important functions in the body - especially for providing energy, so that you can think, breathe and move - and is the main source of fuel for your brain. If you lack carbs, you get fatigued, dizzy and moody. Carbohydrate-rich foods keep you revved. All foods give you energy, but carbs do it especially well. Carbs also play other important roles in your nervous system, muscles and organs.
Blood sugar is to your body what petrol is to your car: it's the fuel that makes it go. If your car ran out of petrol, it would splutter, cough and come to a stop. If you ran out of blood sugar, you would soon go into a coma and die - it's that important. To stay alive every organ and cell in your body depends on a steady supply of blood sugar for energy. Blood sugar is a good thing - but you can have too much of a good thing.
Your goal is to keep your 'tank' of blood sugar full, but not too full. One of the key tools in achieving this goal is a hormone called insulin, which is made in your pancreas. Think of insulin as your own personal fuel-injection system, because its job is to 'inject' blood sugar into your cells. When you eat, your digestive system turns the carbs in your food into glucose, your pancreas cranks up the production of insulin, and the insulin sends the glucose into your cells. You may have heard about 'bad carbs' and 'good carbs'. What's the difference, and what do they have to do with your skin?
Certain carbs have always been, and always will be, the bad guys. These are the simple carbs, which are sometimes called refined carbs because they've been processed - like white flour, white sugar and most other white foods. Refining takes out all the good stuff, so these foods have little or no nutritional value. We'll call them 'junky carbs'. Junky carbs are digested quickly and cause your blood-sugar level to rise quickly. Have you seen the Glycaemic Index (GI) labels on stuff in supermarkets? The GI is a measurement of a food's effect on blood-sugar levels. The higher the GI number, the more the food pushes up your blood sugar. Junky carbs are generally high GI.
Examples of junky (simple) carbs: White bread, sugar, biscuits, cakes, lollies, bagels, doughnuts, cereals like Rice Bubbles, potato chips, soft drinks and pastries. Eating junky carbs causes your blood-sugar levels to skyrocket. This bumps up your insulin level, which causes a whole hormonal cascade that can lead to acne. So the junky carbs are the ones you've got to give the boot to if you have acne, pimples, spots, blemishes or dull skin.
Complex carbs are the good-for-you carbs. They're rich in nutrients, including vitamins and fibre. And because fibre produces a slower and smaller rise in blood sugar, they're also low GI. Plus, they slow digestion, so eating complex carbs leaves you feeling fuller for longer. Complex carbs are a time-released energy source, and prevent those ups and downs in blood-sugar levels that can trigger cravings and bad food choices. When your blood-sugar level is stable, you don't crave high-sugar foods, like doughnuts, for instant energy.
These good carbs are the ones you want to eat for great skin, as they don't spike blood sugar and insulin. Examples of complex carbs: Most fruit (although some tropical fruit like mangoes, bananas and pineapple tend to be quite high on the GI) and vegies, whole grains (including barley, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, brown rice and wholegrain breads) and legumes (including lentils, chickpeas and beans).
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Alexis E. Graden at 07072010
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