Brian (1s):
Hello and welcome to the Get Lean and EATCLEAN podcast. My name is Brian Gryn. I'm a certified health coach, trainer and author, and this podcast is for middle aged men and women looking to optimize their health and get their bodies back to what it once was 10 to 15 years ago. I will give you simple, actionable items to get long term sustainable results. Thanks for listening and enjoy the show. Alright, welcome to the Get Lean EATCLEAN podcast. My name is Brian Gryn. I hope you had a great weekend and hopeful you had a chance to listen to my interview with Dr. Alan SALs. He is a chiropractic physician and the creator of the Mind, body and Success Clearing System, and he is helped over 4,000 clients in the US and Europe over the last 28 years.
Brian (44s):
So really interesting interview. If you haven't already, definitely check out my interview with Dr. Salas. Now on today's micro podcast, we are gonna touch on carbohydrates and they typically have a bad reputation in a lot of the fitness and health industry. For a while there I was avoiding a lot of carbs as well, but you know, they have been frequently blamed for weight gain, blood sugar spikes, and countless other health concerns. But when it comes down to it, what if I told you they're essential for glucose oxidation, boosting your metabolic rate, supporting thyroid health, and even helping to lower cortisol levels? I've had Georgie Dinko off on, I've had Kathleen Stewart on Jay Felman and many, many more guests.
Brian (1m 26s):
And we're just gonna sort of give an overview surrounding the benefits regarding carbohydrates, the importance of optimizing glucose oxidation versus fatty oxidation, the role of carb supporting thyroid function, and how to start slowly implementing carbs into your life if you've been very low carb and doing a bunch of fasting for a long, long period of time. So first and foremost, let's start out with some of the health benefits of carbohydrates. One of 'em is improved energy levels. A lot of times people think that they're gonna feel sluggish and maybe if they've been avoiding them for a long, long period of time, they might initially, that's why you wanna start slow. But think of carbohydrates as the your body's premium fuel.
Brian (2m 7s):
So when you eat carbs, they're broken down into glucose, which is stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. This glycogen is a readily available energy source, especially during intense exercise or prolonged activities. Next is cognitive function. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for your brain. When carbon intake is low, your body will turn to fats and protein for fuel, which can lead to a decrease in cognitive function and a difficulty concentrating. So I truly believe by including carbohydrates in your diet, you're gonna ensure that your brain has enough energy to function at its best. NEX is performance enhancement. So in addition to stabilizing mood and supporting cognitive function, carbohydrates also play a crucial role in enhancing physical performance.
Brian (2m 51s):
And I've seen these gains in the gym. So when eaten before exercise, carbohydrates provide the necessary fuel for high intensity workouts and they can help delay fatigue. They also can aid in post-recovery workout by replenishing glycogen stores and promoting muscle repair. Next, let's touch on how carbs are central to glucose. Oxidation a vital process where glucose is broken down in the mitochondrial to produce energy. When glucose oxidation is efficient, your body functions like a well oiled machine and your metabolic rate stays high. Relying solely on fatty acids for fuel may sound appealing during a low carb diet. You know, burn fat for fuel, But it can have unintended con consequences when your body prioritizes fat oxidation over glucose oxidation.
Brian (3m 36s):
So when your body prioritizes fat oxidation, three things can occur. Your metabolic rate can eventually start to slow. Energy intensive processes like maintaining body temperature or muscle repair take a hit. And lastly, critical functions like hormone production are suppressed. Conversely, consuming carbohydrates allows your body to maintain glucose oxidation as the primary fuel pathway, keeping your energy production steady and metabolic rate elevated. The problem if you're only always relying on fats for fuel is this is almost like a backup system for your body and you generate your, you generate rate glucose through glucose neogenesis, which is sort of your backup system when you don't have glucose on hand.
Brian (4m 17s):
So if you're not eating it, your body will eventually make it. So a lot of people think that carbs are not essential. Well, they might not be essential 'cause your body can actually make this glucose through gluconeogenesis, but it's a taxing system on your body and it can raise stress hormones. So this is a why a lot of individuals who are sort of in the ray repeat field and the pro metabolic field are very pro carbohydrate. One of the main reasons why is because of this. Now, if you see carbohydrates for a long period of time, your body shifts in into what's called an energy conservation mode, which is what I'm talking about, almost like a low battery mode for, I don't know, your phone or even your car.
Brian (4m 57s):
So this involves shutting down or impairing non-essential processes leading to fatigue, poor recovery, and reduced performance. So one of the big things that carbs can have an impact on is your thyroid function. Because your thyroid is the master regulator of your metabolism to function optimally, it requires adequate amounts of glucose and glycogen, which you guessed that comes from carbohydrates. So low carb diets can impact thyroid health. So when you limit carbs for a long period of time, your body will perceive this as a form of stress. This stress leads to reduced production of three, a thyroid hormone crucial for driving metabolic activity over time.
Brian (5m 37s):
Low T three levels can result in sluggish metabolism, weight gain, and and even hypothyroid like symptoms such as fatigue, cold intolerance, and dry skin. So carbohydrates can help stabilize blood sugar levels, avoiding the stress response, providing glycogen to the liver, which helps the thyroid produce vital hormones, preventing the overproduction of stress hormones that interfere with thyroid functions such as cortisol. So cortisol, also known as your stress hormone, plays an essential role in managing energy levels and responding to stress. However, chronic high cortisol is, can be detrimental, can disrupt sleep, raise inflammation, and promotes fat storage, particularly around the abdomen. Now, why low carb diets can increase cortisol.
Brian (6m 18s):
So when you restrict carbs, cortisol levels may rise to maintain blood sugar levels through something called gluconeogenesis, which I already talked about a little bit. This is the process of generating glucose from non carbohydrate sources. Elevated cortisol over time can lead to issues like insomnia, poor recovery, and immune suppression. This is especially true for people who have very low body fat. Cortisol will increase the breakdown of muscle tissue, converting it to glucose to meet energy demands. So this can lead to muscle loss and a decrease in overall metabolism. So I think many people fail to realize that a long-term, very low carb diet will lower your ability to create cellular energy. So carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for our bodies.
Brian (7m 1s):
It is important to have a balance of all macronutrients in our diet. So I think it's important to understand that. Can you go long? Can you go periods of time with no carbohydrates? For sure, there's plenty of people who have been thriving in that, and if that's for you, then you know, keep it going. But a lot of people have found that they sort of don't thrive in that environment of low carbohydrates. And if you've been doing it for a while and you feel like you're getting nowhere, perhaps it's time to rethink exactly what you're putting on your plate. And as I've talked with Kathleen Stewart in the past, if you've been low carb for a long time and you wanna start introducing carbs in order to not sort of fall on your face, you wanna make sure that you start slow, especially if you're dealing with a severely compromised gut.
Brian (7m 44s):
I would start with easy to digest carbs right off the bat and really start slow with them. Things like white rice, even pure sugar water can be a place to start. Obviously just sipping on it every, you know, three to four hours just to get your body back into glucose oxidation. You've been so used to burning fats for fuel And you know, I think the key to a healthy metabolism is to be able to do, to do both. So it's important to start by gradually incorporating perhaps, you know, white rice, fruit, some lightly cooked perhaps vegetables and, and then go from there. If whole foods are causing an issue, then you might have to start with something like pure sugar water, just because it's very easy to digest.
Brian (8m 28s):
I would just start very slow with that. And then you can sort of add in more nutrient BA based carbs as you go. So definitely begin with small portions and pay attention to how your body responds. So this steady approach allows your body to adapt and maintain optimal energy levels throughout the day. But I think if you listen to your body, adjust your carbon intake based on you know, how you're feeling, your activity level, your mood, you're going to definitely find that in the long run. First of all, you have a lot more options when it comes to eating different foods, but two, you're gonna be improving your glucose oxidation, you're gonna be boosting your metabolism, you're gonna be supporting your thyroid, and you're gonna eventually lower your cortisol levels, especially if you've been low carb for a long time.
Brian (9m 14s):
So I don't think true health is all about cutting out one macronutrient, and I think carbohydrates often get overlooked. So I would forget a lot of the hype out there. Focus on creating a balanced diet that prioritizes quality and nourishment and your cells. We'll definitely thank you. So if you're looking for some guidance around this, feel free to book a 15 Minute Health breakthrough call with me. I'll leave a link in the show notes, and I appreciate you listening. Have a great rest of the day.
Brian (9m 40s):
Thanks for listening to the Get Lean Eat Clean Podcast. I understand there are millions of other podcasts out there and you've chosen to listen to mine and I appreciate that. Check out the show notes at Brian Gryn dot com for everything that was mentioned in this episode. Feel free to subscribe to the podcast and share it with a friend or family member that's looking to get their body back to what it once was. Thanks again and have a great day.
