Lunch Thread

[noboots]

This is a great thread very useful ideas to get our teeth into. I am with 7.62 on this one though noboots. Using Carbs to provide energy during a period of high demand. The longest lived populations have diets comprising complex carbs, Low Fat, raw fruit, raw green vege and low protein so carbs can't be bad. The Glycemic index of 1000 foods has some revelations - most fruit is quite low on the index relative to Glucose because the predominant sugar is Fructose. It is those Sucrose loaded foods that send insulin levels up and down along with Pasta / wheat flour, white rice etc. But there are good carbs. Some foods are hard to digest like preserved meats and foods high in Lectins the preservatives and Lectins both acting as enzyme inhibitors.

I think that this is a complex multi dimensional problem so doesn't have a simple answer. I would add a couple of things into the mix. Long lived populations that don't eat carbs do exists. Two examples would be the Intuit and Australian Aboriginals. Intuit lived exclusively on fish and marine creatures. The closest they would get to a carb is moss which was likely more about vitamins and minerals rather than any significant carbohydrates. They lived a hard physical life in the hardest environment on earth and their health only went to crap when they started eating processed western food and then it went to crap very quickly.

Aboriginals were a little different as they lived in a place that could grow crops, they just didn't need to as they were perfectly in tune with their environment. With no significant agriculture they ate wild food gathered from their environment which lacked a significant source of carbs. Like the Intuit their health was good until we improved it with western food and it's now turned to crap.

Does all this mean that everyone should live on fat and avoid carbs like I do? The answer to that is no. Humans are adaptable omnivores and despite my two examples you would be able to find many examples of agricultural societies that live long and healthy lives. I guess my point is that there are two major energy pathways in humans (fat and carbs) and both are valid ways to fuel yourself. One thing of note that while there are healthy vegetarian populations around the world there are no healthy vegan societies. Humans are omnivores and are designed to eat at least some animal products. If your ethics don't agree with that then take it up with evolution.

Regarding sugar, fructose and the glycemic index. It's important to note what it does an doesn't measure. It does measure the rise in blood sugar caused by certain foods. It doesn't measure the rise in insulin or the amount of calories that you take in. A food that causes a rapid rise in insulin isn't going to cause a spike in blood sugar (because the insulin lowers it) but it is going to make you fat, sleepy and get type 2 diabetes.

Regarding types of sugar. Sucrose is a combination of fructose and glucose. Fructose is fruit sugar. Glucose is the type of suger that is in your blood and is the most available energy source for the body. The conventional wisdom is that Fructose is better because it has a lower GI. Hidden in this fact is a horrifying truth. Glucose is absorbed directly into the blood. Fructose is adsorbed by multiple organs including the liver. What this means is that fructose is like a homing missile for your liver. Most overweight people already have fatty liver syndrome so eating fructose is just jamming more sugar directly into an already overflowing liver.

For anybody concerned about your health I would recommend not taking my word for it and instead reading the three books by Dr Jason Fung (Guide to Fasting, The Obesity Code, The Diabetes Code). Fung (unlike most people who write diet books) is a Dr and all of his facts are backed up by links to published medical studies. I have the e books if anyone wants a copy. Otherwise buy the audio book and listen to it on the way to work.