‘DO NOT EXCLUDE CARBS’

Healthy eating and sports are inseparable parts of our lives. The experts strongly suggest that healthy eating, which became a trend recently, should include complex carbohydrates involving whole grains, that help to slow absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, green vegetables, and legumes. Ceren Türkcan Kayhan, Lecturer, Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Vocational School of Health Services, pointed that people lacked necessary information regarding carbohydrates and insulin within the trio of nutrition, natural life, and sports.

Kayhan, who stated that insulin was the hormone that helped control glucose levels (blood sugar), said, “When there is a need for energy, insulin tries to provide that energy from glucose, and stores it if there is no need for energy. Glucose levels are usually lowest in the morning, before the first meal of the day and rise after meals for an hour or two, and insulin tries to keep glucose levels under control during this process. What we need to ensure is to keep these fluctuations at their minimum level. In other words, it is so wrong to think that it is possible to lose fat if we don’t eat carbs because carbs aren’t used for energy production or energy storage only.”  

‘Wrong Choices Decrease the Quality of Life’

Kayhan reported that balanced eating was essential and she said that it was important to choose the right type of carbs in meals since it would result in reactive hypoglycemia. She said, “Reactive hypoglycemia can happen if your body can’t stabilize your blood sugar levels. It can also happen after meals if your body produces too much insulin. You may experience a feeling of extreme hunger even though you just ate, shaking, sweating, and sleepiness. These are all due to sudden drop of blood glucose levels. So, you need to watch out the types of carbs you consume in your meals if you don’t want to experience these symptoms and raise your quality of life.”

A small piece of pastry, a plate of rice pilaf or pasta, or bread would cause sudden urge to sleep during the day, said Kayhan and she stated the following:

“Other symptoms may include dizziness, shakiness, headache, confusion, and mood changes. You will notice that if you include complex carbs in your meals, these symptoms will diminish in time. Consuming healthy alternatives such as ayran, kefir, yogurt, nuts between the meals and adding olive oil, hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds to your meals would be highly recommended.”