Carbohydrates are essential nutrients for human survival. Carbohydrates consumed with rice, noodles, or bread are digested in the body and eventually converted to glucose. Our body uses glucose as its main energy source to move. Carbohydrates must be eaten to survive, but eating too much becomes a problem. This is because the remaining glucose, which has not been used up as energy, is converted into fat and accumulated in the abdomen and thighs. This increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, angina and stroke. If you are looking for a snack because your mouth is empty even after eating a full meal, you may have already fallen into ‘carbohydrate addiction’.
Dangerous Carbohydrate Poisoning… How To Get Out?
1. Cut Refined Carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates are grains that have been artificially synthesized or refined. Sugar, white flour, and white rice are typical refined carbohydrates. When refined carbohydrates are consumed, they are rapidly digested and absorbed by the body, resulting in a sharp rise in the glucose in the blood, that is, blood sugar. The pancreas starts working hard to lower the blood sugar that has risen sharply. This is because the pancreas secretes insulin, a hormone to keep blood sugar within a normal range. Excessive secretion of insulin puts our body in a low blood sugar state, creating a vicious cycle of looking for carbohydrates again. If the pancreas is overworked to secrete more insulin than necessary, the risk of developing diabetes increases. This is why you should cut out refined carbohydrates.
The problem is that there are too many foods made with refined carbohydrates. It is difficult to completely stop eating white rice, kalguksu, jajangmyeon, udon noodles, pork cutlet, and pizza overnight. Therefore, it is better to approach it by extending the period of not eating refined carbohydrates. First, cut off refined carbs for a day or two, then eat when you can’t stand it. After that, repeat quitting again for 2 to 4 days or more. It is important to cut off refined carbohydrates gradually by repeating eating and drinking.
2. Eat raw carbohydrates
Unrefined carbohydrates are good for our body. This is because whole grains such as unpolished brown rice and unrefined carbohydrates such as soybeans raise blood sugar slowly so that insulin is not secreted excessively. Multigrain rice, oatmeal, and whole wheat bread become sweeter the longer you chew them, so they can satisfy your craving for sweets to some extent.
However, even if carbohydrates are good for the body, do not overeat. Carbohydrates should be consumed at least 100g per day. One instant multigrain rice product contains about 71g of carbohydrates.
3. Cut down on sweets
Avoid eating desserts after meals or snacking between meals. Cakes, donuts, cookies, and bread, in particular, are loaf of refined carbohydrates made from flour and sugar. If you must eat snacks, check the nutrition label on the back of the product and choose a product with a low sugar content.
However, we have to be careful as the drinks we drink inadvertently contain a lot of sugar. For example, one can of Coke contains about 27 g of sugar, which is equivalent to about 12 sugar cubes. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends consuming less than 10% of your daily caloric intake. If you consume 2,000 kcal per day, you should consume less than 50 grams of sugar.
When choosing a drink, it is better to drink carbonated water instead of soda, and fresh fruit juice with less or no syrup instead of sugary drinks. When buying coffee, it is best to choose an Americano with 0 grams of sugar. Non-Americano coffees should also be requested with less or no syrup.
4. How to eat upside down
If you practice the reverse eating method of eating fiber → protein → carbohydrates in the order, you can prevent blood sugar from soaring after a meal. Not only that, it can help you feel full before eating carbohydrates, reducing your carbohydrate intake.
For example, you can eat salad first, eat meat, and finally eat rice. If you eat vegetables that need to be chewed for a relatively long time, you will eat slower than usual. When you eat slowly, you feel fuller because it gives your brain time to recognize the signals that you are full. However, it is better to consume dietary fiber from vegetables instead of fruits that are high in sugar.
5. Get a good night’s sleep and avoid stress
Lack of sleep causes you to eat a lot of carbohydrates. When sleep deprivation continues, levels of leptin, a hormone that makes you feel full while awake, decrease by about 18 percent, and ghrelin, a hormone that makes you feel hungry, rises by about 28 percent.
In fact, a study was published in the medical journal Sleep (SLEEP), published by Oxford University Press, UK, which found that adolescents with shorter sleep times consume more carbohydrates and sugar. Researchers at Brigham Young University in the US analyzed the effects of sleep patterns on eating habits in 93 teenagers for a week. As a result, the group who slept for only 6 hours and 30 minutes ate more carbohydrates and sugar-added foods and beverages, compared to the group who slept for 9 hours and 30 minutes. The group who slept less ate 12g more sugar per day than the group who didn’t sleep.
Stress management is also important. Excessive stress or exposure to chronic stress raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body. When cortisol is secreted, it increases appetite and makes you crave sweet foods, which makes you eat more carbohydrates.