Carbs are surrounded by more confusion, contradictions and hype than any other nutrient out there.
Over the last decade a virtually endless amount of advice, fad diets and hard-fast rules have been put into place regarding proper carbohydrate consumption. As a result, most average beginners have been left clueless and without any rational guidance on the topic.
I will reveal to you in this two-part article, how to determine which carbohydrates you should include in your belly fat burning diet and how to implement them. I don’t want to confuse you by over complicating things, so this article will be very straightforward and easy to comprehend.
So… what exactly is a carbohydrate?
Simply put… it’s sugar.
Rice. Bread. Fruit. It doesn’t matter what you eat. All carbohydrates are crushed down into their simplest form: glucose.
Glucose’s main function is to provide the strength for your brain and muscles to work properly. Even though all carbohydrates eventually end up the same, when it comes to burning belly fat, how they become the final end product is the most important part.
When you eat foods containing carbohydrates, the body will digest and break them down into glucose, which is then released into the bloodstream to be used as a source of fuel. How rapidly carbohydrates are crushed down into glucose are what differentiate them between one another.
Some carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels rapidly and sharply, while others are crushed down and released at a slow, gradual pace.
As a person looking to lose belly fat and maintain high levels of strength for your workouts, your primary goal when consuming carbohydrates is simple: keep blood sugar levels consistent and balanced.
Why?
It’s all related to insulin, which is a hormone that controls the amount of sugar in the blood stream by moving it into the cells of the body.
When you consume carbohydrates that are crushed down rapidly, the body must release a large amount of insulin in order to compensate. The insulin will remove the sugar from the bloodstream very rapidly, which will then result in lower than normal blood sugar levels.
Low blood sugar levels will result in feelings of tiredness and fatigue, and will also produce hunger pains which can then lead to binge eating.
In addition, high levels of insulin increase the body’s rate of belly fat storage. When insulin is present in large amounts, belly fat cannot be used as an strength source by the body due to a rise in enzymes that prevent belly fat mobilization.
To put it simply…
When you eat carbohydrates like sugar that raise blood sugar levels rapidly, it’s like being on a roller coaster… you’ll suffer from extreme highs and extreme lows. This inhibits your ability to lose belly fat and throws your strength levels, appetite and mood completely out of order.
Because of the above-mentioned facts, the ultimate goal of proper carbohydrate consumption is to stick to meals that keep blood sugar levels balanced. To keep your blood sugar levels balanced, focus on foods that are digested and gradually released into the bloodstream.
By always maintaining steady blood sugar levels, your body will remain in a continual belly fat burning state, your strength levels will remain peaked and your appetite will be kept under control.
We have now established what the goal of proper carbohydrate consumption is, and in Part Two we will discuss which specific sources can help you achieve that goal.
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