The Food Group You DON’T Have to Eat
If you’ve read even smallest bit on the subject of nutrition, you can likely recite the three major food groups: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Below I’ve listed the United States Dietary Association (USDA) recommendation for just how much of each of these food groups you and I should consume on a daily basis in order to be healthy…or so they believe.
Proteins= 25-35%
Fats = 20-35%
Carbohydrates = 45-60%—yikes
Even the American Diabetes Association’s recommendations of approximately four grain and potato-based carbohydrates servings/day are, in my opinion, excessive. No wonder why so many people with diabetes, who follow these guidelines, struggle to keep their blood sugar levels regulated!
Yet here’s what not too many health professionals are telling you—only proteins and fats are essential to your diet; meaning that our bodies CANNOT manufacture these elements on their own. We must ingest them to live. On the contrary, carbohydrates, which breakdown into glucose (sugar) molecules, can be manufactured in our bodies from proteins and fats. It’s a process called glyconeogenesis.
The other interesting fact is that blood sugar levels are rarely destabilized to a troubling degree by the consumption of proteins or fats. It’s the carbohydrates we eat—even the good-for-you, whole grain ones—which can dangerously spike our blood sugar and lead to insulin resistance and eventually to pre-diabetes or Type-2 diabetes.
If you’ve had an A1C Test or a Fasting Glucose Test result which showed you’re having trouble metabolizing (storing) the sugar circulating in your blood stream, then I want to suggest something somewhat radical. Significantly lower the volume (%) of grain- and potato-based carbohydrates you consume, and yes, even the “good ones,” far below the USDA’s suggested levels.
If you’ll keep grain- and potato-based carbs to a minimum, your blood sugar control will likely improve. Purpose to eat them sparingly, rather than at every meal. Limit whole grain bread/pasta or brown rice to two servings a day—not the 6 servings which are recommended—and potatoes to once a week.
So, what are you going to eat if you cut down on carbs? More lean proteins (chicken, fish, legumes), healthy fats (nuts and nut-butters, avocados, olive oil), fiber-filled fruit, and low sugar vegetables*, that’s what! Protein and fats satisfy hunger, taste delicious, and digest slowly in the stomach, thereby protecting you against unwanted, unhealthy sugar spikes.
*Keep carrots, corn, peas, and beets to a minimum as well.