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The Great
American Detox Diet
By Alex Jamieson -
The Great American Detox Diet: 8 Weeks to Weight Loss and
Well-Being
What's the Difference Between a Refined and an
Unrefined Carbohydrate?
Do you remember making
papier-mache projects in arts and crafts class? The usual tools were strips of
newspaper and a bowl of paste. That paste was made of a simple, cheap
combination of ingredients: just standard white flour and water. It was sticky,
it was gooey, and it worked like glue that hardened in no time. Now think about
the last time you ate a piece of white bread or other refined-flour product.
The flour in that white bread, once it was moistened with your saliva, became
like that pasty glue, and this is what was sent into your digestive system: a
gummy, nutrient-poor glob of starch. This is what your digestive system looked
forward to processing. It's not tough to imagine how little nutrition was drawn
from this ball of sticky matter, or how difficult it was for your body to
finally eliminate it.
What's been "refined" out of these
processed carbohydrates are all the beneficial nutrients that nature originally
put into them. The bran, the fiber, and most of the vitamins and minerals have
been stripped away, leaving a bland, white, longer-lasting and shelf-stable
product. White flour has only 20 percent of the vitamins and minerals and 25
percent of the fiber of the original wheat kernel. That's why a lot of bread
products are "enriched" with vitamins and minerals -- they don't contain enough
to mention otherwise. Whole wheat flour still contains the hull, germ, and bran
of the grain and offers more fiber and nutrients. I look forward to the day
when fast-food restaurants offer whole grain buns and fiber-rich side dishes to
their customers, instead of the empty carbs that they now push on us so
aggressively.
Now that we've talked a little bit
about carbohydrates, why don't you take a minute to ask yourself if you might
be eating too many of the refined, highly processed variety.
One way to distinguish between
carbohydrates that harm us and carbohydrates that heal us is to think about
their fiber content. Products that are made out of refined white flour and
white sugar usually have very little fiber and are very processed. Fiber-filled
carbohydrates are better for you than those with little or no fiber. Fiber
provides a barrier for your digestive system -- otherwise the carbohydrates get
turned into sugar immediately. Most Americans eat around 12 grams of fiber a
day, while the recommended daily intake ranges from 20 to 45 grams. Yet we are
overconsuming carbohydrates! Whenever you reach for a box of cereal, a loaf of
bread, or any other product made with flour (pastas, etc.), always reach for
the brand that lists whole wheat or another whole grain as the first
ingredient. And also check the fiber content and go with the one that has the
most fiber per serving.
In the last several years, a more
sophisticated method has emerged to help us understand which carbs are good and
which are bad. This is what is known as the glycemic index, or GI. The glycemic
index rates how many readily available sugar is in a particular food. This, in
turn, indicates how quickly that food will affect your blood sugar level. White
bread, potatoes, and refined cereals, which are rapidly digested, create a
surge in blood sugar levels, and so these are classified with high GI ratings.
Foods with low GI ratings, such as vegetables, whole grain products, and beans
are metabolized more slowly, largely because of their fiber content. These
low-GI foods don't cause drastic changes in blood sugar levels and thereby
eliminate the highs and lows that can lead to excess snacking and sugar
cravings. Making a simple switch in the foods you eat can have a profound
effect on your health. For example, eating brown rice instead of white rice
will do wonders for controlling your blood sugar level. So will switching from
white bread to whole grain bread. Plus, the extra fiber in these foods will
expand in your stomach, so you will feel full faster and longer after eating
whole grain products. When you're buying whole grain products, continue to be a
good food detective and watch out for any ingredients that you are trying to
avoid.
Fiber supplements can also be
helpful in eliminating the toxic wastes that build up in our bodies when we eat
a diet of highly refined carbs. But supplements aren't magic bullets: The best
way to ensure that your body is getting the kinds of carbs it needs to run
smoothly and stay "clean" is to keep eating whole grains, beans, vegetables,
and fruits that give you the extra dose of fiber needed to clean out your
system. The natural foods with the highest amounts of fiber are lentils; black,
kidney, and lima beans;
chickpeas; potatoes with the skin; peas; non-instant oatmeal; pears and apples
with the skin; Brussels sprouts; and peaches.
Reprinted from: The Great American Detox Diet: 8 Weeks to
Weight Loss and Well-Being by Alex Jamieson. (June 2005; $23.95US/$35.95CAN;
1-59486-231-1) Copyright © Alexandra Jamieson. Permission
granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus,
PA
18098.
Click here to purchase.
Author
Alex Jamieson is a Holistic Health
Counselor and Gourmet Natural Foods Chef. She lives in Los
Angeles and New York
with her fiancé, Morgan, and their cat, Sue. This is her first
book.
For more information, please visit
www.healthychefalex.com
The Great American Detox Diet: 8 Weeks to Weight Loss and
Well-Being
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