Question: Dear Elisa, One question springs to mind which I hope you can shed some light on. Professor Cynthia Kenyon from UCLA makes the point that high carbs lead to high insulin; and insulin is pro-aging. Low carbs reduce insulin, and switching off the insulin/IGF-1 signalling mechanism extends lifespan and delays age-related disease. These ideas surely fly in the face of the plant based diet which emphasizes low fat and plenty of carbs to keep the body supplied with energy. I just wonder how we square the circle with these conflicting viewpoints?
Answer: There are two types of carbohydrates: 1) simple and 2) complex. Simple carbs are found in white refined, processed starches such as bread, pasta, cakes and cookies. These products have a higher glycemic index (GI) – a measurement of how high a particular carbohydrate raises your blood sugar levels. On a scale of 0-100, the higher the number, the higher the GI. Foods with a high GI raise your blood sugar quickly after consumption, creating the need for your pancreas to pump out additional insulin to escort the abundant sugar from your blood into your cells.
On the other hand, complex carbs found in whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains tend to have a lower GI. Their fiber content, lignins and plentiful nutrients slow the absorption, which delays and prevents a surge of sugar from entering the bloodstream, thereby requiring less insulin to get the job done. As a result, your pancreas doesn’t need to release new insulin escorts to calm the chaos. Instead the same batch of insulin can finish the work it started, rather than requesting back up. Whew! What a relief for our already overworked bodies.
By consuming complex carbs, less insulin circulates in the bloodstream reducing the risk of disease and premature aging.
Since I promote such a healthy diet in the first place, my veg-head clients don’t need to be fixated on the ratios of macronutrient (carb, fat, and protein) consumption. Nor does anyone when they’re already focusing on nourishing their bodies with the proper high nutrient, plant based foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds – ideally in that order from highest to lowest intake.
I place an emphasis on vegetable content (hence the name EatUrVeggies!), which should dominate your plate at every meal rather than an excess of whole grains (or starch) that crowd our magnificent produce.
This question, although a great one, is not an issue for people consuming a high nutrient, whole foods, plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet (which I promote) verses a low-fat vegan junk food diet loaded with faux processed meats and cheeses, white rice, bread, cakes or cookies. Remember, just because a product or a diet is “vegan,” that doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
You get my point, it’s all about making the proper food choices and that’s what I teach people, so that once they’re done working with me they have the knowledge and skills to make good choices on a daily basis. And THAT is empowering stuff!!
Answer: There are two types of carbohydrates: 1) simple and 2) complex. Simple carbs are found in white refined, processed starches such as bread, pasta, cakes and cookies. These products have a higher glycemic index (GI) – a measurement of how high a particular carbohydrate raises your blood sugar levels. On a scale of 0-100, the higher the number, the higher the GI. Foods with a high GI raise your blood sugar quickly after consumption, creating the need for your pancreas to pump out additional insulin to escort the abundant sugar from your blood into your cells.
On the other hand, complex carbs found in whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains tend to have a lower GI. Their fiber content, lignins and plentiful nutrients slow the absorption, which delays and prevents a surge of sugar from entering the bloodstream, thereby requiring less insulin to get the job done. As a result, your pancreas doesn’t need to release new insulin escorts to calm the chaos. Instead the same batch of insulin can finish the work it started, rather than requesting back up. Whew! What a relief for our already overworked bodies.
By consuming complex carbs, less insulin circulates in the bloodstream reducing the risk of disease and premature aging.
Since I promote such a healthy diet in the first place, my veg-head clients don’t need to be fixated on the ratios of macronutrient (carb, fat, and protein) consumption. Nor does anyone when they’re already focusing on nourishing their bodies with the proper high nutrient, plant based foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds – ideally in that order from highest to lowest intake.
I place an emphasis on vegetable content (hence the name EatUrVeggies!), which should dominate your plate at every meal rather than an excess of whole grains (or starch) that crowd our magnificent produce.
This question, although a great one, is not an issue for people consuming a high nutrient, whole foods, plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet (which I promote) verses a low-fat vegan junk food diet loaded with faux processed meats and cheeses, white rice, bread, cakes or cookies. Remember, just because a product or a diet is “vegan,” that doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
You get my point, it’s all about making the proper food choices and that’s what I teach people, so that once they’re done working with me they have the knowledge and skills to make good choices on a daily basis. And THAT is empowering stuff!!