Complex Carbohydrates For Weight Loss, Muscle Gain And Diabetics

Complex carbohydrates are needed by the body to provide energy. Their deficiency causes a feeling of hunger. Many foods are rich in complex carbohydrates.

The main function of carbohydrates is to provide the body with energy. Although carbohydrates as sources of energy can be replaced by proteins and fats, nevertheless, the absence of carbohydrates in food can adversely affect health.

Classification of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are organic compounds found in all living organisms.

The absence of carbohydrates in food is manifested by symptoms resembling starvation. There is a rapid loss of water and sodium.

They are divided into monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.

• simple carbohydrates

Water-soluble white crystals, sweet tasting, rapidly absorbed, substrate for fermentation reactions. They have a higher glycemic index, cause jumps in insulin in the blood.

Simple carbohydrates are called monosaccharides and oligosaccharides.

• Monosaccharides

Galactose, milk sugar, is a component of lactose found in milk.

Glucose, grape sugar - found in grapes, fruits, honey. It is the end product of the breakdown of complex carbohydrates in the body, it is easily fermented.

Fructose, fruit sugar - 2.5 times sweeter than glucose, does not cause an increase in insulin. Contained in honey, fruits. Worse fermentation.

• Oligosaccharides

Sucrose (glucose + fructose), cane beet sugar - table sugar. Contained in honey, dates, grapes, figs, persimmons, prunes, raisins. Displaces copper, chromium and B vitamins from the body, increasing the risk of developing CVD.

Lactose (glucose + galactose), milk sugar - easily transformed into adipose tissue (used for weight gain), stimulates the growth of lactic acid bacteria in the intestine.

Maltose (glucose + glucose), malt sugar is an intermediate product of starch hydrolysis. Found in wheat, rye, malt extracts, sprouted grains.

• Complex carbohydrates

Peculiarities:

• Low glycemic index.

• Doesn't cause insulin spikes.

• They have a mechanical effect on the intestines.

• Slow down the process of moving the food bolus through the digestive tract.

Complex carbohydrates are polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are divided into homopolysaccharides and heteropolysaccharides.

• Homopolysaccharides

Starch is the stored energy of plants. Starch digestion begins in the mouth. Contained in potatoes, cereals, pumpkin, peas.

Glycogen is animal starch, stored energy. Synthesized during digestion (1-2 hours after ingestion of carbohydrate food), the largest amount of glycogen is stored in the form of granules in the liver cells (2/5 - 150g), in skeletal muscles (1-3%), in the heart (0.5% ).

Cellulose (fiber) is the main component of the cell wall of higher plants, algae. It promotes the movement of food through the intestines, is broken down in the large intestine with the participation of the microbiota, and inhibits the absorption of trace elements.

Hemicellulose - better soluble in water and has sorption properties.

Lignin is the matrix of plants, determines their strength, coniferous wood is the richest, and from food sources: bran, stale vegetables. It is not digested in the intestines, reduces food digestion and absorption, and is characterized by a high sorption capacity.

• Heteropolysaccharides

Pectin is present in the intercellular space of all higher plants, most of all in fruits. It has mild sorption and chelating properties.

Inulin is similar to starch. Contained in the underground parts of plants (most of all in Jerusalem artichoke, chicory), binds glucose, prebiotic.

fructose intake

Consumption rate: maximum 25 g per day.

In people with metabolic syndrome and risk factors: no more than 15 g.

50 g per day can cause metabolic syndrome and other diseases (metabolic gout).

Sources of fructose:

• Fruit.

• Vegetables.

• Honey.

• Fructose products.

• High fructose corn starch.

• Sucrose is table sugar (glucose + fructose).

Sources of fructose in fruits and berries:

Is fruit evil? No, fruits are not evil. Different fruits contain different amounts of fructose. Fruits reduce the risk of CVD due to their content of other nutrients and polyphenols. They are recommended in many diets, including the DASH (diet to stop hypertension) protocol.

Studies have shown that fruit components such as vitamin C, resveratrol, polyphenols, antioxidants improve the condition and function of blood vessels. Better fructose + vitamin C in fruits.

The fructose content of fruits is relatively low. The fructose content is increased in fruit juices, as are the calories. Some fruit juices contain up to 26 g of fructose per 450 g. Some restaurant desserts contain up to 60 g of fructose per serving.

The amount of sugar per day

Free sugar = added by human hands.

Based on an average daily calorie content of 2000 kcal, 10% of free sugar from the total daily calorie content of food.

BUT! This is a lot - a maximum of 50% - 6 tsp.

Another calculation example for a box of chocolates. The total weight of the product in the box is 370 g. Quantity: 10 candies. 1 candy = 37 grams.

According to the label, 100 g of sweets contain 48 g of sugar. 1 candy 37 g = 17.7 g sugar.

17 g sugar = 4 tsp

2 candies = a reserve of good WHO-approved "free sugar" per day.

Interesting facts about carbohydrates

• Fats and carbohydrates are strongly interconnected. When we don't have enough fat, we can crave carbs.

• Carbohydrates are cellular "firewood", their first and only function is to provide us with energy. No other molecule can provide so much energy without toxins.

• But besides this, there are several other functions. Oddly enough, carbohydrates cannot be called an indispensable source of food. In the case of a lack of carbohydrates, we can live without them, yes there will be more toxins, there will be less energy and a depressed state, but our body can create the carbohydrates that we need!

• A carbohydrate is a mixture of carbon and water! Formed in plants under the influence of solar energy. Carbohydrates are an energy pantry: the body is able to store carbohydrates in reserve in the form of glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles.

• When the body lacks carbohydrates, it is inoperable, drowsy and in a bad mood.

• A feature of carbohydrates is the ability to dramatically increase blood glucose levels. The reaction of the body is immediate: in the pancreas there is a powerful release of insulin - a hormone designed in this case to neutralize excess glucose in the blood, otherwise it will "thicken". The main task of insulin is to deliver glucose to cells that need it, in particular, to muscle cells.

• The tissues of the body have a limit to the absorption of glucose. Getting rid of its excess, insulin promotes its conversion into triglycerides - the main material of adipose tissue. Simple carbohydrates that have not been used as energy sources usually settle in the body in the form of hated subcutaneous fat. It is for this reason that obesity is so common among non-athletes. Their muscles practically do not need energy supply, and almost all the glucose that comes with food turns into fat.

• With a sharp increase in blood glucose levels, the synthesis and deposition of fat from carbohydrates, as well as the deposition of fat from food, is activated. This happens even with a small amount of carbohydrates in food, but with their rapid assimilation and with an abrupt increase in blood glucose levels. This situation leads to the start of the accumulation of fat in adipose tissue. A factor in the rate of absorption of carbohydrates is the glycemic index (GI).

Foods rich in complex carbohydrates

Daily intake of carbohydrates

Glycemic index of carbohydrates

The value of the glycemic index of carbohydrates is affected by:

• Structure of a carbohydrate

Fructose, although a monosaccharide, requires a rather long sequence of biochemical reactions to be converted to glucose and therefore has a relatively low glycemic index for a monosaccharide.

On the other hand, most disaccharides (sucrose, lactose) contain a relatively easily cleaved glucose fragment in the molecule. For example, the GI of maltose (malt sugar) for glucose is above 100, since the molecule consists of two glucose molecules.

• Particle size

The smaller the particles of carbohydrate food (for example, grinding flour), the faster they are digested in the gastrointestinal tract.

• The degree of heat and cooking

Starches partially decompose when heated. Therefore, the glycemic index increases with increasing duration and intensity of heating. The acidic environment also promotes the breakdown of starches.

• The content of fiber, protein and fat in the product

All these components slow down the absorption of carbohydrates. Fat also slows down secretion, which means that the residence time of food in the stomach increases. Carbohydrates are primarily digested in the intestines, so the faster they get there, the higher the glycemic index.

• food consistency

Naturally, liquids are the easiest to digest. The presence and density of cell membranes, various partitions and fibrous structures are also important.

• Food absorption rate

On the one hand, hasty swallowing partially speeds up the processing of food, on the other hand, the presence of unchewed pieces interferes with the full absorption of food components.

Using this formula as an example, you can compare the glycemic index of a donut and watermelon:

Donut GI = 76, carbohydrate content 38.8. GN \u003d (76 * 38.8): 100 \u003d 29.5 g.

Watermelon GI = 75, carbohydrate content 6.8. GN \u003d (75 * 6.8): 100 \u003d 6.6 g.

Glycemic load:

6 rules for carbohydrate consumption

1. Prefer complex simple, fruits and vegetables to cereals.

2. Prefer carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.

3. Prefer raw carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables) over cooked ones.

4. The total glycemic load per meal is not more than 12.

5. The next carbohydrate meal is not earlier than 2-3 hours.

6. Do not use sugar substitutes (GN 2 tsp sugar 7, so they will not spoil the casserole and subsequently the figure).

Symptoms and causes of carbohydrate metabolism disorders

The meaning of carbohydrate metabolism is the release of energy through glucose.

Ways of utilization of glucose:

• entering cells as a source of energy;

• conversion to glycogen (serves as the main storage carbohydrate and main form of glucose storage) in the liver and muscles;

• conversion to fatty acids (storage as fat).

Laboratory diagnostics of carbohydrate metabolism:

• insulin (the norm of insulin is not higher than 5-6, the ideal insulin is 3-4) glucose (the optimum is not higher than 5);

• glycated hemoglobin (shows how much our erythrocytes have “saccharified” over the past 3 months, the optimum is 4-5).

Causes of carbohydrate metabolism disorders:

• Excess intake of glucose.

• Drinking liquid sugars (any sugary drinks).

• Excess intake of foods with a high glycemic index.

• Excess intake of products with a high insulin index.

Strategy for correction of carbohydrate metabolism:

• Training food pauses between meals: dinner and breakfast, no snacking!

• Diet correction towards LCHF or reduction of carbohydrate load.

• Protein-fat breakfast and low-carb dinner.

• Elimination of simple carbohydrates and glycation products.

• Movement (10,000 steps per day + strength training).

• Do not sit in one place for more than 30 minutes.

low carb diets

Possible dietary strategies (first you need to look at the state of the gastrointestinal tract):

• LCHF

• Keto diet

Basic principles of low-carb diets:

• Low multiplicity of meals: ideally 3 meals a day without snacks, observing “clean” intervals.

• Intermittent fasting: 8-10 hours of food, 14-16 hours without food.

• Intermittent 24 hour fasting. It starts from the lunch of the X day and until the lunch of the next day (for a kapha type, possibly longer).

• Remove cereals, baked goods and pasta, legumes, sweets and high GI fruits, carbonated drinks (even with zero calories), juices, bars, ketchup (with sugar), etc. from the diet.

• Increase the consumption of protein products to 0.8-1.0 g / kg / day (it is better to use fatty meats: pork, lamb, beef, seafood, you can chicken, turkey; eggs in unlimited quantities).

• Carbohydrates 120-175 grams / day.

• Fats as far as saturation.

• Enough fiber in the form of fresh vegetables and herbs.

• Eat foods with natural fat content (exclude fat-free yogurts, cottage cheese less than 9% fat, butter at least 82%).

Introduce healthy fats into your diet:

• ghee and butter;

• Coconut oil;

• avocado oil;

• olive oil.

Nutrition is as natural as possible, according to the principle “the simpler the better”.

Effects of intermittent fasting:

• increases the metabolic rate;

• reduces insulin levels, allowing the metabolism to switch to burning fat;

• restores tissue sensitivity to insulin and leptin;

• activates regenerative processes in the body (autophagy).

Fast carbs for muscle gain

If you have a desire not only to lose weight, but also to build muscle, then you will need to correctly compose a diet: include foods that will quickly compensate for muscle glycogen consumed during training.

How do carbohydrates and glucose work in the body? They enter the blood, brain, muscle tissue. As for the muscles, carbohydrates and glucose, as it were, activate them, stretch the cells, increase their energy, and for one, and size.

Thus, when there is already enough glucose in the muscles, all its excess turns into fat. This is why simple carbohydrates are dangerous for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

After completing a class, the best way to replenish energy is also to take fast carbohydrates. Athletes here use the term "carbohydrate window" as they refer to the first 30-60 minutes after a hard workout. It is at this time that glucose is absorbed into the blood especially intensively, so the body will quickly receive the carbohydrates contained in the foods that you eat.

If there is too much glucose, then in a given period of time it does not accumulate in the form of fat. The body converts it into glycogen and stores it in the liver as an energy reserve. Thus, when an athlete eats something tasty at the end of a workout, he replenishes his energy supply and rests calmly, while muscle mass grows at this time.

Fast carbohydrates, eaten immediately after strength training, are good because they do not transform into fat.

If there are no workouts on certain days, then give preference to complex carbohydrates (cereals, legumes, tubers, etc.) as part of a complete diet. But when you train, remember about the "carbohydrate window". At this time, you can safely eat something tasty and sweet.

General Recommendations for Carb Intake

1. Use whole grain bread for lunch and snacks.

2. Instead of potatoes, you can use brown rice, bulgur, wheat grits, whole grain pasta, or other whole grain products for dinner.

3. Opt for whole fruit instead of juice. An orange contains twice as much fiber and half as much sugar as a 340 millimeter glass of juice.

4. Add legumes to your diet. Beans are an excellent source of slow carbohydrates and a wonderful source of protein.