Today’s point is very practical and the feedback I’ve gotten on it affirms that it’s also quite effective:
Yup – that’s it up there ^.
Let me break this down a little bit. Starting with why carbs matter so much.
Carbohydrates are not evil. It’s the form and dose that’s out of whack for most Americans which is why we have both an Obesity and Diabetes epidemic in this country.
Metabolically, when we eat a high dose of net carbohydrate, I don’t care if it’s NORA Cupcakes, Slurpees, potatoes, bread or bananas – ALL net carbohydrates are converted to sugar in the body. Glucose is processed differently than fructose (i.e., fruit, corn syrup, agave), but they all can create negative metabolic effects and inflammation when consumed in excess.
Inflammation can equate to disease, pain, weight gain, weight loss resistance, hormonal imbalance, brain issues, mood issues, mental health issues, sleep issues, bad skin, premature aging – you name it.
If you want to be healthy, you want to prevent inflammation at all costs.
So to keep it simple, I teach clients to read labels this way (in the illustration above) and envision the net carbs as teaspoons of sugar going into the blood stream either effecting insulin levels or liver function depending on the form (glucose or fructose).
(Don’t just look at sugar grams on labels by the way, that can be deceiving and inaccurate when it comes to human metabolism – always look at total carbohydrates minus fiber to get the real net effect.)
When you consider that the food label illustrated above (let’s say it’s cereal or bread), equates to 6.5 teaspoons of sugar, picture yourself pouring that much sugar either onto your food or into your body.
EEWWW!
No way would you do that – you’re not 8!
And hopefully that’s enough motivation to compel you to make a better choice.
A simple tool, but super powerful and empowering I hope. Please share your label or carb a-ha’s by replying here. Most people are shocked when they do this quick math and realize what they may be inadvertently doing to themselves.
