Why Carbs Are Important to Fuel our Brains

There has been so much literature on the news and in the papers about carbohydrates. Some say they are bad, some say they are good, but all they are really doing is confusing us all. What is the truth about carbs and how does it affect the brain?

Have you ever felt sluggish, foggy-headed, confused or irritable? All of these conditions can be attributed to a brain that doesn’t have enough power to work well. Brain power is not just important to do school work or your job, but also to help your body to function as it should. After all, the brain controls much of the functioning of the human body.

So, here are a few facts to digest. The body uses carbohydrates for fuel. The brain needs a lot of fuel. Actually, it needs about twice as much energy as the rest of your body. That energy comes from carbs being used to maintain certain levels of glucose in the blood. It is the glucose that is used by the body as fuel.

So, where do these carbs come from? They come from food sources. You get carbs from whole grains, a variety of vegetables and anything made from grains.

You can get carbs from a candy bar and also from a plate of leafy green vegetables, but they won't necessarily function the same way in the body. Simple carbs are like the sugars found in sweet snacks. These carbs are rapidly absorbed by the body which leads to a spike in your blood sugar.

We’ve all experienced such a spike. For about an hour you feel like the Bionic Man but afterwards, you are moving slower than a turtle. To get more energy you eat more sweets and then the cycle begins again.

When you get your carbs from healthier food sources like green vegetables and whole grains, you are eating complex carbohydrates. This includes your whole grains and fruits and vegetables. These carbohydrates are broken down over time, keeping your glucose levels steady so the body gets a constant supply of energy throughout the day.

The way to break that cycle is by eating the right types of carbohydrates. Oh, yes, there are right and not-so-right types of carbs. One way that you can tell the difference is by the glycemic index. This measures the ability of a carbohydrate to affect the blood sugar. Carbs that are low on the glycemic index are complex carbs. Those that are higher are simple carbs that will cause major shifts in the blood sugar levels and your energy.

Many fad diets advocate high carb or low carb consumption. The fact of the matter is that if you don’t eat enough carbs in your daily diet, your body your body will start using muscle to create glucose and depleting the liver of its glycogen (broken down into glucose).

When the brain is deprived, you may feel lack of co-ordination, dizzy, tired and not in a good mood. Eat your carbohydrates every day, just make sure they are the best kind to keep your brain sharp as cheddar and the body is tiptop shape.

The Vegan Lifestyle.

On Starting A Vegan Lifestyle

Most experts and health organizations have documented the benefits of living a pure vegetarian lifestyle or vegan including permanent decrease in obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, as well as the decrease of risk for heart diseases and some forms of cancer such as lungs and colon. Also, arthritis, rheumatism, allergies and asthma also reacts with vegan nutrition that means no meat, fish, poultry, dairy and eggs. Most vegans may  also prefer non-smoking and non-alcoholic practices.

All the important organic nutrients that are needed by humans such as amino acids, vitamins and minerals are produced by plants and micro living things. Animal products contain these nutrients too, but since most animals have also the same nutrient requirements of animals, we get the nutrients second-handed. The unique components of animal foods are really saturated fats and cholesterol which cannot be found in plants.

In switching to a vegan lifestyle, the food transformation is easy since it’s often much easier to prepare vegetables than the usual recipes we are used to. A vegan diet can be very easy. You only  eat vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits and still meet all the body requirements for essential nutrients. However, for those people who like to cook, there are countless recipes in different books and thousand of vegan recipes available online.

Most vegans are referred to some clinics for serum cholesterol reduction or for treatment of obesity. The reasons are direct: a vegan diet contains no significant amount of cholesterol and very low amount of saturated fat.

As for losing extra pounds, the vegan diet does not contain refined sugar and harmful oil. The average food recommendations are focused on fresh vegetables preferably green leafy ones, and raw in whatever you like, with calorie requirements filled by grains such as rice.

Do some research on alternative protein sources. Many vegans rely on tofu as their primary protein source, but the truth is some westerners can't digest soy or may be allergic.  Also read the ingredient labels carefully on protein powder, Whey protein is made from milk, so is casein. Brown rice, pea or hemp protein are the best choices.  

 

There are no limitations in the amount of food you can eat, and most experts encourage vegans to eat as much as you want as long as the foods are not refined and generally vegan. It is not important to measure the food servings. Our body has three sense mechanisms that can work on this. First, your stomach has the sense receptors that will send impulses to our brain when the stomach has reached the capacity. Second, our body can direct us to eat until we have enough energy to run our metabolism. Lastly, there are complex biochemical processes that can detect the amount of minerals, vitamins, or other nutrients. 

Do some research on alternative protein sources. Many vegans rely on tofu as their primary protein source, but the truth is some westerners can't digest soy or may be allergic.  Also read the ingredient labels carefully on protein powder, Whey protein is made from milk, so is casein. Brown rice, pea or hemp protein are the best choices.

You will not have to make big renovation to your kitchen just to suffice your new lifestyle. In reality, there are ways that will favor the whole maintenance of your kitchen. Your kitchen can be very simple because you will only need tools and utensils that will help you in preparation of vegan meals. Usually, vegan meals are very fast, easy and cheap to prepare, once you make some investments. You should purchase a rice cooker, steamer, popcorn popper. and ceramic cookware. 

The most important kitchen tools that you need so that you can prepare your vegan meals are the following:

1. baking utensils,

2. chopping dish

3. colander

4. grate

5. pots

6. pans

7. soup ladles

8. jars

9. lids

10. measuring cups

11. bread knife

12. paring knife

13. cooking spoons

14. chopping knife

15. bowl

16. muffin tins

Are You Thinking of Switching to a Vegan Lifestyle?

Read First Before You Switch Into A Vegan Lifestyle

Eating a plant-based diet doesn’t make you a vegan; any more than eating sushi makes you Japanese. A plant based diet is just a part of the whole process of switching into the vegan lifestyle. A vegan lifestyle is part of a much larger process of enhancing a kind, compassionate and harm-free lifestyle that are applied in the all areas of life.

Just think of this. Where do animals get their food source? From the plants, fruits and vegetables have all the needed vitamins and minerals that can provide our body with proper nutrition. You can get complete nutrition from carrots, potatoes, broccoli, soy beans, legumes, nuts whole grains and other plants.

Some people stop consuming meat while some prefer to add dietary changes in a slower pace. Whatever way you decide to make your switch, you can reap health benefits of a vegan lifestyle by significantly cutting down on your meat servings every day and making fruits and vegetables the primary component of your meals. Some experts suggest the following pointers you can follow while on a vegan lifestyle:

1. Consume whole grain products such as brown rice, cereals, wheat bread instead of refined products.

2. Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables

3. Choose non-fat dairy products

4. Limit intake of egg yolks to 3 to 4 every week

5. Limit consumption of sugar and fatty foods

6. Plan your shopping so that you can have more time to read food labels

7. There are available vegan products in the market today and there are also special stores devoted in manufacturing and selling non-animal products.

High consumption of animal fats is attributed to a high risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and other diseases. Switching to a vegetarian lifestyle is very wise choice when you are really serious about your health. Changing your diet can be very rewarding in many different ways.

If you would choose to use a vegan diet you can reap several benefits such as weight loss, lower hypertension, lower cholesterol and more energy. Adopting a vegan lifestyle can also decrease the body’s blood sugar and lessen the risk of different kinds of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

If you really want to switch your feeding habits but you are not very sure if you have the will and guts to be a total vegetarian, you should take a subtle step into a vegan lifestyle first. There are also some differences between a vegetarian and a vegan. Vegetarians generally abstain from animal flesh, while vegans also avoid animal products or products that have been tested on animals. Vegans also do not consume dairy and cheese as well as any material things that are made from animal parts.

There are also health habits that you should do when you want a vegan lifestyle. You should exercise daily at least a moderate form of any physical activity for at least 30 minutes to one hour every day. You should also avoid alcohol, but you can always take a can of beer or a glass of wine occasionally because over consumption of alcoholic beverages negates the whole concept of going into a vegan lifestyle since alcohol is extremely acidic and can harm the body.

Tips for a Healthy Vegan Diet Plan

If you are planning a vegan lifestyle, you have a strong desire to succeed, but if you feel lost by lots of nutritional issues. In other words you maybe choosing to be vegan for health reasons. 

It’s just normal to be confused with this because there is a lot of conflicting information out there.. But you should realize that you have to a bit creative to see what will be most suitable for you. Well most people have found the following diet more suitable for them:

1. Cut-out all foods that have additives and preserving chemicals. Instead you should just munch on fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts

2. Cut-out starches or gluten. If you are still on a diet of bread, try those who are made from whole grains. Some bakeries can sell you whole grain breads. Also, yams are far better than potatoes.

3. Try vegetable salads of different varieties

4. Cut-out sugar in your meals. Too much sugar in the body can lead to health problems. If you are craving for sugar, make an effort to balance the meal by adding essential fat everyday such as olive oils or fish oils.

5. Have a moderate exercise regimen. Food is part of our health. If you really want overall wellness, you should go out and move your stagnant body. You can do some weight lifting, push-ups, pull-ups, and gym exercises. You can also take yoga classes and other forms of meditation to relieve stress and acquire peace of mind.

6. Avoid meals that are composed of fruits alone. Though, a vegan lifestyle is also composed of fruits, eating fruits alone is not usually beneficial to most people. You may experience some problems such as significant weight loss, dental plaques, mental and emotional imbalances and many more. You should take note that there is no such thing as 100 percent fruit diet. You should take a complete set of meals with vegetables and grains.

7. Consume a lot of green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and celery. These vegetables are a high source of minerals, proteins and some nutrients. Once you start eating more vegetables, you wellness will improve significantly. You should make a habit to add green vegetables with every meal. Sea vegetables such as weeds, kelp, dulse and nori are very nutritious.

8. Drink fruit and vegetable juice. Purchase a juicer rather than buying canned juices. You can take juice of kale, spinach or celery at least 8 ounce every day. This will better alkalinize the body.

9. Do not be very conscious with your diet. If you are talking about it all the time, the people around you will likely to get sick of hearing about it. Not all people will agree with your beliefs. A vegan lifestyle is not a religion or any mysticism. 

10. Follow the diet. If there is one aspect where you should not sacrifice, it is your vegan diet. Cut-out all animal products including dairy, milk and other products that are tested on animals. Also cut-out meat such as chicken, fish and seafood. Meat is normally contaminated with various hormones, chemicals, bacteria and metals. Also, meat can also contain saturated fat which can increase the risk for heart diseases, cancer, eye problems and other diseases. The mass raising of animals on farm consumes large amounts of energy resources, such as land, water and it plays a major role in destroying the environment.

Raising animals just to satisfy our cravings is a cruel thing. Being a vegan is a vow against this inhumanity. The best way to start changing the world is to begin with yourself.