High Performance Carbohydrates...Part 2

In an earlier post I mentioned that I had a 'rating system' for carbohydrates...a method of qualifying the performance value, if you will.

You see, I love me some carbs!  Yep, there...I said it.  I am a carbo-holic.  Whatever you do, don't place a box of fresh-off-the-glazing-rack, Krispy Kreme glazed donuts in front of me, and expect me to leave ANY of them for you.  It just wont happen.  I'm not proud of it, but I have eaten an entire box of those evil little things...seriously.

As with any weakness (ok, sickness), acknowledging it is the first step to overcoming it...or at least keeping it in check.  I am aware that I have a little problem, and it is because of that, that I now (most of the time) employ a quick and easy rating system, that I learned from a sports nutritionist.

It's the Sugar vs. Fiber rule, and it goes something like this...actually, it goes EXACTLY like this...

HIGH FIBER - LOW SUGAR

That's how I rank carbohydrates in terms of their performance value.  Some of you may be wondering what I mean by the term performance value, so let me explain.

When it comes right down to it, food is simply fuel.  I know, I know, there are other aspects of food and the consumption of food that come into play here...but quite simply, food is fuel for our bodies.  Plain and simple.  As athletes, we should do our best to think of food in terms of how it will affect our health and performance.  In fact, everyone - athlete or not, should think about food in those terms a little more.  It might reduce our epidemic of obesity.

So let's all say it out loud...all together now HIGH FIBER - LOW SUGAR...again, HIGH FIBER - LOW SUGAR.  Oh what the heck, one more time...HIGH FIBER - LOW SUGAR.

Let me back up just slightly here.  This is a rule that I apply to starchy carbohydrates...things like breads, pastas, cereals, snack items, etc.  I'm not talking about applying this criteria to fruits and vegetables...pretty much just processed carbohydrates.

Ok, let's break things down a little bit further here.  There's really three distinct types of carbs out there in the world.  

• Fiber Rich Carbs
• Starchy Carbs/Grains
• Sugary Carbs

Now some of you out there are pretty smart, and right now you are thinking "Carbs ARE sugars...so what do you mean by Sugary Carbs?"  Great question!

Sugary Carbs refers to those foods that have sugar added to them...ice cream, cakes, pies, cookies, Krispy Kreme donuts...you get the picture, right?

Ok, so we all know that fiber is good.  We all know that we should be consuming a high fiber diet.  If you haven't heard those two things before, then you simply have not been paying attention. We are bombarded daily through advertising and recommendations by health care professionals...but how many of you even know how much fiber you should be taking in per day?

To successfully employ the HIGH FIBER - LOW SUGAR rule to your life, you probably ought to how much fiber you should be consuming...wouldn't you agree?

The numbers tend to differ somewhat, depending on what research you are reading, and how current it is...but for the most part, it is recommended that we consume somewhere between 25-30 grams of fiber per day.  There is some degree of variance between men and women, and some researchers believe that those numbers change slightly with age too.

I encourage you to do a little research for yourself on recommended fiber intake, so you can make an informed decision as to which recommendation you want to follow.  Suffice it to say however, that many of you are not getting enough fiber in your diet.  But guess what?  By simply employing the HIGH FIBER - LOW SUGAR rule to your life...you will certainly increase your intake of fiber. It's that easy!

There is a small caveat to using this rule however...you have to be able to read a Nutrition Facts Label like the one below.

I have been teaching this method to firefighters and athletes for a number of years now, and what I have found is that everyone wants to concentrate on the Total Carbohydrate value because we have been led to believe that 'carbs are the devil'.  What I want you to do is stop worrying about the Total Carbohydrate value, and concentrate more on the quality of those carbs...by using the HIGH FIBER - LOW SUGAR rule.

Now is probably a good time to define both HIGH FIBER and LOW SUGAR...wouldn't you agree?  Among Nutritionists, Registered Dietitians, etc, it is common belief that HIGH FIBER is considered to be 5 grams or more, per serving.  LOW SUGAR is typically defined as 10 grams or less, per serving.

I like to to think about placing carbohydrates in one of two piles.  In fact, in my mind I envision two piles of carbs...each of which has a small sign sticking out of it.  One of the signs reads HIGH PERFORMANCE, while the other reads LOW PERFORMANCE.  My goal is to eat a greater percentage of my carbs from the HIGH PERFORMANCE pile, all the while accepting that at times, I will also eat from the LOW PERFORMANCE pile.  I have to...it's how I build sustainability into my nutrition plan.

When you begin to read food labels, you will soon realize that not everything fits into one of the two piles.  These are the IN BETWEENERS...and there are alot of them.  When I find an IN BETWEENER, I put it back on the shelf, and look for an equivalent food product, that comes closer to being placed in the HIGH PERFORMANCE pile.  

Ok...no more SHOUTING.  Well, except for that one.  I think I have made my points, and driven those terms and concepts home. Yes?

Alright, let's imagine you are at the store, and you are buying some breakfast cereal.  You grab a box of  Cheerios, because we all know it's healthy right?  The television commercials say it plays a significant role in 'heart health' by reducing cholesterol.  This time however,  before you just throw it in the cart as usual, you actually stop, turn the box, and read the label.  What you find might shock you.  Below, is the label you read.

Applying the High Fiber - Low Sugar rule (not stopping to read the Total Carbohydrates) you see that the Fiber content is 3 grams.  Does that meet the criteria for High Fiber?  Nope.

Now look at the sugar...only 1 gram of sugar.  Does that meet the Low Sugar criteria?  Sure does.  But how about the whole package...Fiber vs. Sugar.  Does it clearly fit into the High Performance pile?  

I think not.  

But wait!  How can that be?  Look at the box, it even says that it's "Clinically proven to reduce cholesterol".  Don't be fooled by 'healthy claims' and healthy 'looking' packaging!  

Read the Label!

Let's spend a little more time on the label.  There are a couple of things that can be a little confusing.  Let's start with fiber.  Some labels will provide one single value for fiber, while others may provide up to three different values.  You may see Dietary Fiber, Soluble Fiber, and even Insoluble Fiber.  The Dietary Fiber value takes into account both soluble and insoluble fiber...both of which are types of dietary fiber.  

The next is the sugar.  This can be a little confusing because, as you mentioned before...carbs are sugars.  The Sugar heading typically refers to added sugars, and added sugars are typically refined, highly processed sugars.  

So...to properly apply the rule, simply look at the values for Dietary Fiber and Sugar.  You can also look at the ingredient list, and see where sugar is listed.  If it's one of the first couple of items listed, you can be sure that the product fits into the High Sugar category.

I think you will find this rule easy to apply, and that through it's application, you will begin to notice changes in both your health and performance.

Read those labels!

Yours in Health and Performance,

John (the carboholic)