Nowadays , you can find biscuits , cakes , sweets , ice cream , burgers , and other unhealthy foods almost anywhere . However , our brains have not changed . They want to eat everything in sight and more , if these foods are particularly high in calories !
50,000 years seems like a lot , but our hormones , brains and instincts have hardly evolved at all .
Now , let ’ s think about what happens when we eat . When we eat a slice of pizza , a burger or some fries , the first things your body digests is the macronutrients ( carbohydrates , fats , and protein ). Then , the elements that you can ’ t digest such as fiber , alcohol , waste , etc . are filtered out by your liver .
Perhaps you measure food in terms of calories . However , your body sees food as a source of fuel - like a car which needs gas to function .
So , if you consume more fuel then you need , your body will conserve the excess food in the form of fat – or what we call adipose tissue . This is a survival technique that our bodies have developed through evolution . After all , 50,000 years ago , fat reserves were often the difference between life and death .
This is a problem , and it mainly concerns the western world : carbohydrates ( sugars and starch ). They suffer from a terrible reputation in relation with type 2 diabetes . However , they ’ re not necessarily problematic when they ’ re consumed in moderation . The problem comes from the fact that in general , we consume far too many carbohydrates . This is our MAIN problem : we eat far too many carbohydrates , and an excess of the bad ones !
You should know that the carbohydrates that you consume are converted into simple sugars - namely glucose . Our bodies use this as its main source of fuel . So , whether you ’ re eating bread , rice , cereals , pasta , ice cream , sweets , pizza or sugar , this will end up in the form of glucose in your body .
Glucose is a vital fuel for your body . However , it also has devastating effects on health when present in large quantities .
Given that the carbohydrates you consume are eventually transformed into glucose , and given also that this glucose is a fuel source , our bodies have evolved . They ’ ve found an effective way to remove it from the bloodstream , and to store it in our cells . This is how our bodies use the liver and muscles to store the excess glucose , in the form of glycogen .
This is why carbohydrates are extremely important for athletes , whether this is for strength or endurance . Muscles need glucose to be able to function efficiently , and everyone who is very active consumes – or burns – a lot of glucose .
Diabetes Freedom Main Manual