On the topic of carbohydrates

Let’s start with carbohydrates, one of the “three macronutrients”.

There is a lot of talk about carbohydrate restriction diets, but from the perspective of oxidative stress, too much carbohydrate is a food that raises blood glucose levels and thus jumps up oxidative stress.

One of the most popular topics is that white carbohydrates are bad and brown carbohydrates are good. But actually, this is something that has no evidence at all.

Brown carbohydrates are grains. Compared to white grains, brown grains have more vitamins and minerals, so if we are talking about whether they are good or bad for you, we can say that they are still good. However, when you think of them as carbohydrates, it is best not to consume too much of them.

For example, there are buckwheat hulls from buckwheat flour. There are also wheat hulls, which are used to make pasta. These shells after threshing have almost no carbohydrates.

I think it’s better for your body to eat such foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals but have no sugar content.

Therefore, if you dare to consider whether a carbohydrate is good for you based on its color? If you think about it, brown grains are only “still better” than white ones. Basically, be aware that carbohydrates will cause a jump in blood sugar levels and increase oxidative stress.

What to watch out for in lipids

There are two types of fat: animal and vegetable. In this article, I talk about mayonnaise and margarine, which are often mentioned.

Mayonnaise, surprisingly, has almost no sugar. This is a surprise to many people.

I know that some people choose dressing over mayonnaise for their health.

However, some dressings, such as “sesame sauce dressing,” contain a lot of sugar.

Therefore, if we consider the amount of sugar, which is the cause of increased oxidative stress, we can say that mayonnaise has a lower amount of sugar than dressing, so it is less likely to increase oxidative stress.

Secondly, margarine, as many of you may know, contains a very high amount of so-called “saturated fatty acids (trans fatty acids). These saturated fatty acids (trans fatty acids) can cause arteriosclerosis, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that they are not good for the body. Therefore, I think it is better to avoid eating margarine as much as possible.

A note on protein

Finally, let’s talk about protein, one of the “three macronutrients”.

The much-talked-about carbohydrate-restricted diet recommends eating less carbohydrates and more meat.

However, there has been a lot of talk about red meat or processed meat that should not be eaten as much.

First of all, regarding processed meat, the World Health Organization WHO has issued a recommendation that “eating more than 50 grams of processed meat every day for a number of years increases the probability of developing cancer”.

However, the reason for this is not because the meat itself is bad for you, but because of the preservatives and colorants used in this processed meat.

Secondly, there are sometimes people who have the false idea that eating meat is bad for you. However, for more than 2 million years, we humans have basically only eaten meat and vegetables (I think people in coastal areas ate a little fish).

So, what were our staple foods for so long? What was the source of calories? If you ask me, there is no doubt that it is meat.

The body hasn’t changed that much since the days when meat was the staple food. So, as long as you don’t eat excessive amounts of meat, I believe meat is good for your health.

Summary

From the perspective of oxidative stress, very good foods are meat and fish, and leafy greens, leafy vegetables. Nuts are also a very good food because they have very little sugar.

On the other hand, carbohydrates and sugar are foods that we should avoid. Also, root vegetables such as burdock, radish, and carrot contain a lot of carbohydrates, so eating too much of them can increase oxidative stress.

Lastly, some people believe what they read in books and magazines when they see a bestseller or a hot topic. This is very dangerous. There are many bestsellers without evidence, and news that spread by word of mouth without evidence.