Complex Carbohydrates & Simple Carbohydrates Explained

Carbohydrates are simply a name given to describe food that is either sugary (e.g. honey) or starchy (e.g. potatoes).

There are two main types of carbohydrate, simple and complex.

What Are Simple Carbohydrates?

Simple carbohydrates such as sugar and flour, are digested by the body very quickly. This means that when you eat simple carbohydrates, you will get a short and rapid boost of energy.

It’s like lighting a firework, once you light it, you get a lot of immediate energy but it only lasts a short time.

So, Simple Carbohydrates are…

• Usually the foods you love!
• Simple, so the body can use them quickly
• Usually taste sweet like sugar
• Provide a quick boost of energy
• Energy boost doesn’t last long

What Are Complex Carbohydrates?

Complex carbohydrates are found mainly in vegetables, grains and rice. When you eat complex carbohydrates the body takes longer to digest them, resulting in a gradual release of energy over a longer period of time.

So, Complex Carbohydrates are…

• Usually the foods you hate!
• They are complex, so the body takes longer to break them down
• Mainly found in vegetables and rice
• Provide gradual release of energy
• Energy supplied for a long period of time

What Happens When You Eat Carbohydrates?

Every time you eat carbohydrates the body breaks them down into a form of sugar called glucose. Glucose is then burned and used as a source of energy.

So when you eat carbohydrates it is like throwing wood on a fire. The fire burns the wood and uses to it stay alive.

However there is only so much glucose the body needs or can use at any one time, so the unused glucose is converted to glycogen and stored as a reserve supply of energy. It’s like keeping a few extra logs by the fireplace, so you can use them when the fire is dying down.

These glycogen reserves can only store a limited amount of energy, so when they are full, glucose is then stored as fat. As you probably already know, the body can store a lot of fat!

Glucose And Insulin                                            

What helps the body to use glucose is a hormone called insulin, which is secreted by your pancreas.

Insulin is a very important hormone, because high levels of glucose are dangerous and can damage the body. This means insulin must be secreted after every meal, to make sure the food you eat doesn’t kill you!

The trouble with insulin is that every time it is released into the body, your cells become more and more resistant to it.

This means that over time the pancreas will have to release more insulin than it used too, in order for the body to use glucose and keep it at safe levels.

In the medical world this is known as insulin resistance. It is unavoidable and happens to everyone.

Insulin Resistance

Whilst you cannot prevent insulin resistance, you can control how quickly it develops. This is because different foods vary in the amount of insulin they cause the pancreas to release after they are eaten.

“High Carb Foods”

High carb foods are carbohydrates that have a “high glycemic index”. This means that when you eat them, they cause a large and rapid release of insulin in the body.

The significance of this is that the more insulin your cells are exposed to, the more rapidly they will develop insulin resistance. One of the most obvious signs of insulin resistance is rapid weight gain.

Weight Gain & Insulin Resistance

Although there are many other signs of insulin resistance, a high level of resistance can be seen in males and females in 2 places:

If you’re a male the first signs of high insulin resistance begin in the belly.  If you can’t see your toes there’s a good chance your cells have developed a very high level of insulin resistance, which is now causing you to have a fat stomach.

If you’re a female, have a look at your bum! High insulin resistance in females often appears as fat accumulation in the buttocks first and then fat around the waist.

Why Does Fat Indicate Insulin Resistance?

The reason we look at body fat to indicate the level of resistance, is because insulin has the ability to prevent the body from using stored fat as a source of energy.

This means that if you are eating “high carb foods” throughout the day that have a high glycemic index, your insulin levels will be high and your body will continue to store fat, rather than burn fat.

So if you are trying to lose weight, then it is best to avoid eating sugary foods. If you can go on a low carb diet for at least one month, then you should notice significant weight loss because the fat will literally melt off you.

This is why models tend to eat low carb diets before picture shoots, because it allows them to lose weight quickly and look their best.