• Protein
• FatCarbohydrates
Most of the carbohydrates you’ll consume on the Perfect 10 Diet are
slowdigesting carbs. Many people are unaware that vegetables, fruits, and
legumes are carbohydrates, too—it’s not all bread, rice, and pasta. Vegetables,
fruits, legumes, and whole grains are the good carbs. The bad carbs are refined,
like white rice, pasta, and all forms of sugar (including maltose, dextrose, and
sucrose); they are nutritionally void and create exaggerated insulin secretions.
The challenge for most is to reduce their intake of unhealthy carbs from sugar,
refined carbohydrates, and fatfree foods filled with high-fructose corn syrup, and
to increase their intake of high-fiber carbs. The Perfect 10 Diet will make this
easy for you to do.
What Are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are molecules made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that are
used as a source of energy by the body. They can be simple (glucose) or complex
(many glucose molecules attached together), and it’s best when we consume
carbohydrates that occur naturally. Plant sources are the complex carbs that
contain the wonder nutrient, fiber.
What Are the Good Carbs?
The good carbs are those that are absorbed slowly in the bloodstream and don’t
impact your blood sugar or insulin in any dramatic way. They are found in most
fiberrich vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Good carbs balance insulin, boost
glucagon, support thyroid health, and optimize the production of sex hormones
and DHEA. All these hormones are essential for you to be fit, radiant, and
healthy. Your body needs these good carbs, but we eat far too few of them. A
healthy diet must include 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. So are
you on the right dietary track?
I am extremely disturbed when some of my patients say they avoid eating
whole fruits because they’re not recommended on their lowcarb diets. On the
other hand, someone on a low-fat diet might drink a gallon of orange juice,
believing it’s a healthy option for vitamin C and antioxidants. But, in reality, he
or she is taking in massive amounts of sugar, throwing off insulin secretions.