Nutritionists have had a model for how refined sugars and simple carbs negatively impact the human body. In a nutshell, it works like this:
I eat or drink a high sugar food product (candy, soda, pasta, breads; your body thinks they’re all the same). These things are already in their most broken down state and are ready for immediate absorption. Body releases a lot of insulin, which sucks up the sugar and causes blood sugar to temporarily soar (momentarily boosting energy) then catastrophically crash since it just as easily gets stored (as fat) if you don’t use it right away.
When the burst of energy ends, your brain wants to get the energy back and tells you your hungry, again. This model still works, but it’s an incomplete picture, and the truth appears to be even more insidious.
Our friend Thane shared this link which details the neurobiological mechanisms that underly the classic model I sketched above. It sheds light on why it’s so hard to break this cycle, and tells us how to more effectively deal with the problem. What I find most amusing is the fact that old medical advice from the 50’s and 60’s, on how to manage blood sugar levels using a chart called the glycemic index, came to these same conclusions long ago.
The article is still fascinating if your into science and health and fitness, so check it out here.
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