Introduction
A few months ago, I decided to change my diet by reducing my sugar intake. I replaced the gummy candies and chocolates with almonds, cashews, and Planters' Trail Mix. Now, for my drinks, I mostly drink water, sparkling water, and unsweetened coffee.
But I don't impose strict restrictions on myself - I still occasionally enjoy sugary treats when I go to cafes with friends. Despite this, I've recently felt more mentally stable and physically lighter. This experience has increased my interest in health.
So, let me get to the point of this article.
Given that reducing sugar has improved my well-being, I started wondering, if cutting down on other carbohydrate-rich foods could have similar benefits.
As an Asian, I grew up primarily eating rice. Even now, rice is my staple food, and I often consume pasta and bread. Although I've reduced my intake of snacks and sugar, my diet still tends to be high in carbohydrates from staple foods.
Through my research on the internet, I discovered that recent studies and practices highlight the benefits of replacing carbohydrates with high-quality fats, not just for weight loss but also for enhancing cognitive performance and work productivity. Many people are adopting ketogenic diets, which restrict carbohydrates and instead focus on consuming good fats to achieve these goals.
My aim is not to lose weight but to improve my work performance and overall health. I found the idea of "replacing carbohydrates with fats" interesting. In this article, I will write the drawbacks of carbohydrates and the benefits of consuming high-quality fats.
This article is a summary of my personal interpretation and research. Since individual responses to diet can vary, please take this as one person's perspective and consult with professionals for detailed advice.
Comparison of Carbohydrates and Fats
Carbohydrates are a type of macronutrient and are an important source of energy. They include sugars (glucose, fructose, etc.), starches, and glycogen. Once digested and absorbed by the body, they are used to provide energy.
Fats, on the other hand, are a type of lipid that are liquid at room temperature. They include plant oils (olive oil, canola oil, etc.) and animal fats (fish oil, etc.), and are also important as an energy source. Additionally, they play a role in the composition of cell membranes and the production of hormones in the body.
Both carbohydrates and fats are used as energy sources necessary for human activity and significantly impact performance and health. Next, I will summarize the benefits and drawbacks of each.
👌 Benefits of Carbohydrates
- Rapid Energy Supply: Carbohydrates can be quickly used as energy, making them effective before exercise or when energy is needed suddenly.
- Primary Energy Source for the Brain: The brain primarily uses glucose (a carbohydrate) as its energy source, making carbohydrates crucial for brain function.
- Easily Digestible: Carbohydrates are easily digested and absorbed by the body, placing less strain on the digestive system.
👎 Drawbacks of Carbohydrates
- Blood Sugar Spikes: Consuming carbohydrates can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, followed by a quick drop. This fluctuation can lead to decreased concentration and drowsiness.
- Can Cause Inflammation: Carbohydrates can trigger inflammation in the body and produce AGEs (Advanced Glycation End-products), which can lead to aging and diseases.
- Low Energy Sustainability: Carbohydrates are used up quickly, so the energy they provide doesn't last long and needs to be refilled often. This can create a cycle, where you snack frequently, use up the energy quickly, and then feel the need to eat again. This cycle can cause spikes in blood sugar, and over time, lead to problems like poor concentration, drowsiness, and irritability.
👌 Benefits of Fats
- Stable Energy Supply: Good-quality fats provide sustained energy over a long period, helping to maintain concentration for extended periods. Fats can store energy about 20 times more efficiently than carbohydrates. This would suggest that fats have a possibly significant advantage over carbohydrates in avoiding the risks associated with the carbohydrate consumption cycle.
- Health Promotion: High-quality fats like omega-3, omega-9, and saturated fats can reduce inflammation in the body and promote health. Fats are crucial for brain health (since the brain is about 60% fat) and assist in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), thus enhancing the efficiency of vitamin intake. Additionally, good-quality fats help in hormone production and balance.
👎 Drawbacks of Fats
- High Calorie: Fats have a high calorie content per gram, so excessive intake can lead to weight gain and obesity.
- Slow Digestion: Fats take longer to digest and can place a strain on the digestive system.
- Health Risks from Certain Fats: Trans fats and some saturated fats are known to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Prone to Oxidation: Some fats are prone to oxidation, and consuming oxidized fats can cause inflammation in the body. This risk is particularly high when fats are subjected to high-temperature cooking.
Tip: Good Fats and Bad Fats
- 🫒 Good Fats: Generally, natural oils that are not processed by humans are considered good (ghee, grass-fed butter, coconut oil, MCT oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, etc.).
- 🍰 Bad Fats: Generally, artificially made fats are often bad for the body. Trans fats (margarine, shortening, vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.).
Tip: Various Information about Fats
- ❓ Types of Fats: There are many types of fats, each with its own characteristics. Commonly, these include saturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, omega-9 fatty acids, and trans fatty acids.
- 🧠 Brain Fat: About 60% of the brain is made up of fat, so consuming good-quality fats is important for brain health and function. Especially, omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain development and maintenance.
- 🤢 Inflammation and Fats: Trans fats and some saturated fats are known to cause inflammation in the body and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Conversely, good-quality fats like omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects.
- 🍀 Using Different Fats: Each type of fat has its own characteristics, and it's important to use them appropriately. For example, olive oil is suitable for low-temperature cooking and salads (depending on the type, it can have negative effects like oxidation when heated), while coconut oil and ghee are suitable for high-temperature cooking. Oils containing trans fats (margarine, shortening, etc.) should be avoided as they negatively impact health.
While both substances have one thing in common in that they are sources of energy needed for human activity, each has its own characteristics, and understanding those characteristics is important for a healthier life.
What Should We Do?
Based on the above information, how should we consume each for improved performance and health? Here are my suggestions:
🧈 Fats
- Prioritize Natural Oils: When consuming fats, prioritize high-quality, natural oils such as ghee, grass-fed butter, coconut oil, MCT oil, olive oil, and flaxseed oil.
- Avoid Trans Fats: Conversely, try to avoid artificially made oils such as margarine, shortening, vegetable oil, and canola oil.
- Utilize the Characteristics of Fats: Use saturated fats (ghee and coconut oil) for high-temperature cooking, and olive oil or flaxseed oil for low-temperature cooking or raw consumption, matching the cooking method to the characteristics of the oil.
- Consume in Appropriate Amounts: Be mindful of consuming the appropriate amount.
🍝 Carbohydrates
- Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels: To avoid decreased work efficiency due to blood sugar spikes, keep carbohydrate intake moderate during meals, especially during working hours. When consuming carbohydrates, combine them with fiber and protein to prevent rapid blood sugar spikes. Completely replacing carbohydrates with fats carries risks, so it’s important to consume carbohydrates in moderation.
- Reduce Refined Sugars: Limit the intake of refined sugars found in sweets and replace them with natural sugars found in fruits.
In my case, I tended to consume a lot of carbohydrates such as rice and pasta, and use oil mainly for frying, without paying much attention to the type of oil or its quantity. Moving forward, I aim to replace a significant portion of my carbohydrate intake with good-quality fats and adopt a diet that stabilizes blood sugar levels.
However, as I have not yet fully implemented these changes, I plan to experiment and monitor my body's reactions to find the best diet for myself through trial and error.
Conclusion
As a trial, starting last week, I replaced my usual bagel breakfast with coffee mixed with three tablespoons of ghee and one tablespoon of coconut oil a few times a week (sometimes I use hot water or miso soup instead of coffee). Initially, I was concerned that a liquid-only breakfast would leave me feeling hungry quickly, but I found that it surprisingly keeps me full, and I now enjoy the convenience of a quick breakfast.
For lunch, I've been trying to avoid frequently eaten foods like pasta, noodles, and burgers, and instead opt for meat and salad-based meals.
Although I haven't fully implemented these changes (only a few times a week) and it's still unclear if they're positively impacting my performance, I plan to continue experimenting for a while.
I apologize if the content is a bit disjointed as it's not a topic I usually write about!
Thank you for reading :)
Top comments (0)