The Pitfalls in Vegetarian Nutrition(2) - Carbohydrates

Brown rice helps manage weight
in contrary to white rice

Carbohydrates is another nutrient 

which is commonly misunderstood. 

At dining tables, 

often we would overhear remark like these: 

“Please don’t serve me rice, I will put on weight if I take carbohydrates. ” 

Or 

“Potato has got too much carbohydrates, it will cause diabetes.” 

Actually, carbohydrates, like other nutrients, 

will always cause diseases 

when consumed in the wrong way. 

Carbohydrate has never been the culprit, 

it is the methods of consumption that cause troubles. 

How do we consume carbohydrates appropriately? 

Below are some rules to observe: 

(1) Prefer unpolished grains: 

Unpolished whole grains 

containing complex carbohydrates and dietary fibres, 

require a bit more time to digest. 

This in turn reduces the chance 

of spiking the blood sugar level. 

When blood sugar level is not upset, 

there will not be excess sugars to be converted into fats, 

eventually causing issues of weight gain. 

In contrary, 

when we consume refined polished grains, 

as there is no dietary fibre 

to slow down the absorption of sugars, 

the blood sugar level spikes up, 

eventually leading to fat accumulation. 

(2) Prefer mineral rich foods: 

Generally, minerals facilitate the cellular intake of sugar, 

and in turn reduces blood sugar level, 

avoiding conversion of excess carbohydrates into fats, hence diabetes. 

Mineral rich foods 

include non-refined root vegetables, 

e.g. carrots, sweet potatoes, tapioca, beetroot etc. 

These root vegetables, 

although contain high amount of carbohydrates, 

do not cause weight gain issue, 

due to their rich minerals on top of fair amount fibres in them. 

(3) Avoid processed foods: 

Processed foods 

such as biscuits, cakes, noodles and canned beverages, 

are usually deprived of fibres (to improve mouth feel), 

and minerals (less mineral content will prolong shelf life). 

Hence, if there are high amount of carbohydrates 

(especially simple sugars) in the processed foods, 

it will cause harm to the body. 

(4) Learn how to appreciate the innate flavour: 

Some individuals have got higher affinity to sweet food, 

in order to please their palate. 

Hence, they habitually add extra sugar in food, 

leading to excess calories. 

Every type of food contains its own unique flavour. 

With careful tasting, 

the innate essence could offers a different enjoyment. 

(5) Doing adequate exercise: 

The suitable amount of carbohydrate 

correlates the amount of exercise one does. 

A daily exercise routine of 30min, 

with light sweating, 

will prevent excess sugar accumulation that 

may lead to metabolic syndromes 

(commonly seen modern world, 

including diabtetes, obesity and high blood pressure). 

Vegetarian diet is often perceived as a diet 

deficient in proteins and excessive in carbohydrates, 

but the problem has never lied in the vegetarian philosophy. 

It's root cause is the inappropriate methods of eating and living, 

due to blind pursuance of 

convenient fast food, 

indulgence in taste, as well as 

the lack of exercise. 

In the next article, we will discuss about the pitfalls of fat consumption in a vegetarian diet. 

The Veg School’s new courses in 2014H2 will be commencing very soon. 

The calendar of the courses could be viewed in The Veg School’s latest mobile application, downloadable at http://m.TheVegSchool.net

or 

http://TheVegSchool.net/TVS-VNC-HY.pdf

Many blessings,

Kee Yew

pureland2012-at-gmail.com

{Learning Holistic Wellness for Wisdom and Compassion}