The March 2008 edition of “O” Magazine features an article penned by Peter Smith who characterizes “demon” carbs as those grains that are over processed and nutritionally denuded, delivering a plateful of “empty calories”. He says that over the past decade “carbohydrates have been bullied, buffeted, scorned, insulted and occasionally expelled from our daily diets.” His premise is that not all carbs are evil, but we need to differentiate the “good carbs” from the demon “bad energy” carbs. He distinguishes the quality of carbohydrates based on how fast they are digested and impact blood sugar, the lower and slower the better.
Peter characterizes whole grains as good carbs, because they “metabolize in your body evenly, in slow beats. You feel full longer, which means no more aerial blood sugar spikes.” In contrast, he says white rice or elbow macaroni “makes your blood sugar skyrocket, then plummet, leaving you feeling weirdly tingly, wiped out, and desperately in need of another helping of demon carbs. Along the way, your heart and waistline are almost guaranteed to suffer.”
In order to tantalize our sweet tooth and create soft textured pastries and other baked goods, Peter writes “the humble grains are husked, chopped, pulverized, polished, seared beyond recognition, the result being that they become nutritionally denuded, ransacked of B vitamins, fiber, and protein.” He says, therefore all carbs aren’t evil, rather the kind of carb (whole or processed) you put in your mouth determines whether it becomes fuel or fat in your body.
The Glycemic Index is needed to extend the observations made by Mr. Smith regarding grains to other foods and eating occasions throughout the day, because many complex carbs can elevate blood sugar faster than simple carbs, depending on how they are prepared. The Glycemic Index is the new characterization of carbohydrates, beyond the notion of simple or complex, because it is based on an actual physiological measurement of how a particular food (individual or mixed) impacts blood sugar.
Dietary guidelines recommend that between 45-65 % of our daily diet should be comprised of carbohydrates and our hectic and fast-paced lifestyle promotes the use of convenient mixed foods that combine a variety of carbohydrates, fats and protein. Not all processed foods are bad for you or are high GI. The Glycemic Index is an invaluable tool which can test an individual mixed food product or snack. If it is impractical for you to carry a bag of oats, consider a nutritionally balanced nutrition bar that has been clinically validated with a very low GI (even though it may contain processed grains). Countries such as Australia have a GI food labeling program to encourage companies to develop and rank the GI of their products, so that consumers can make healthier choices.
It is good to see “O” Magazine educate consumers that not all carbs are evil and that we should exorcise the demon carbs out of our diet. I have been anxiously waiting for Oprah to get behind the Glycemic Index. Oprah would be an excellent advocate for Low GI because of her personal struggle with weight loss and her genuine compassion for people. She has a strong desire to cut through the “noise” and find sensible solutions for her audience to benefit from. Neither is Oprah shy to take on the big issues, particularly as they affect children. It is projected that 1 in 3 children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.
Low GI is evolutionary and transformational. I am hopeful that Oprah and other consumer advocates will become strong proponents of the Glycemic Index as both an instrument and approach to address the interlinked epidemics that comprise Diabesity and to help accelerate the shift to a more healthful Low Glycemic Lifestyle.
Low Glycemic Index (GI) and Low Glycemic Load (GL) foods have been proven in studies to be beneficial: dieting; weight loss; obesity; diabetes; balancing blood sugar; sustained energy; sport nutrition; mental performance; acne; eye health; macular degeneration; heart disease and forms of cancer. See also Low GI Diet, Low GI Recipes, Low GI Food, Low GI Eating.
Copyright 2008, Saul Katz
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