Your body needs Glucose, were you misguided about white starch?

It’s pretty common knowledge in the health and fitness industry that you should always choose to eat fibrous starchy carbs instead of pure white starches if your goal is to lose belly fat.

Even i had advised about the processing benefits of brown rice over white rice at one point (http://bewell.in/blog/archives/412)…,

What you’re about ready to read will probably be the exact opposite of what you’ve been told about losing belly fat. You won’t hear this from your local personal trainer and you won’t read about it inside any fitness magazine that’s for sure!

The most popular example is replacing white rice with brown rice because brown rice has more fiber. The main difference between white and brown rice is the processing and nutritional content. Only one layer (the outermost) is removed when producing brown rice.

Even though brown rice is generally considered healthier than white rice, it contains potentially harmful anti-nutrients which can cause digestive stress in some people and block certain mineral absorption. Phytic acid found in fibrous whole grain cereals and wheat breads can block the absorption of minerals and may adversely affect protein digestibility. Lectins, found in wheat and legumes, can be harmful on the digestive tract, negatively affect the immune system, and may inhibit protein absorption.

Believe it or not, your body was designed to run on glucose from high carb foods like white rice since the caveman days and don’t get confused on this with Paleolithic diets. Every cell in your body, even your brain, utilizes glucose. Many a times the glucose molecules found in pure white starches are MUCH less problematic than starches like brown rice that contain these “anti-nutrients”. Glucose also has been shown to suppress your hunger hormone ghrelin to help you control your appetite and those nasty late night cravings.

It will sound the exact OPPOSITE of what you’ll normally hear, but this is how glucose based starches help you burn more fat and calories every time you eat and exercise.

Make sure you’re eating your favorite carbs based on YOUR activity level and metabolic needs or all of this could backfire on you. A few tips on how you can have best of both worlds;

if you’re sedentary: Limit intake of starches and ripe fruits. Stick with smaller amounts of starchy carbs, fruits like berries and cherries are great carb choices as well.

if you are active:Consume moderate amounts of starchy carbs like sweet potatoes, rice, lentils, and unprocessed oats. Fruits are great choices too, but try to consume your ripe fruits and starches on exercise days.

If you are an Athlete: Potatoes, white rice, and ripe bananas are 3 of the best choices you can use if you fall into this category in addition to any of the choices from the above mentioned two types.

Note: you simply do not need as many white starches and ripe fruits as somebody who exercises intensely on a consistent basis.

TRIVIA
  • Glucose is one of the oldest evolutionary fuels on the planet.
  • high carb foods like white rice contain the purest form of glucose molecules.
  • Only 1 out of every 120 calories from glucose gets stored as fat.
  • The most leanest and healthiest people are from countries that eat carb rich foods and live to reach a minimum of 90years.

In short, if you eat carbs with the wrong foods – at the wrong times, you’ll STORE fat. If you eat carbs with the right foods at the right times, you’ll BURN fat.

For your good health,

bewell,
Vivek