There are many words we use in association with weight loss; but what do they really mean? It is helpful to have a clear definition of the vocabulary if we are serious about nutrition and weight management. We tend to assume we know, but often we are simply using technical words in their slang form. It is important that we understand weight loss vocabulary if we are to gain a clear understanding of what is happening in our bodies.
Let’s start with the word diet. It has three basic meanings.1) It can mean the food that is commonly consumed by an organism or group. For example, the panda eats a diet of shoots and leaves or the diet of many Americans is low in calcium. 2) Diet can also mean the intentional choice of foods that promote weight loss. 3) Completely off topic, it can mean a governing body. The government of Japan is referred to as the Diet. Calorie is another misunderstood word. Most people think a calorie is something bad. It most definitely is not! If we didn’t get enough calories, we would starve to death. In essence, the calorie is a unit of measure for food energy. It is also called a kilocalorie by scientists (calories being 1000 times smaller and inappropriate for measuring food energy.) Adult men need roughly 2500 per day while women need about 2000. This is a very individual requirement. Body size and amount of physical activity need to be factored in as well.
Since so-called low carb diets have been fashionable, the word carbohydrate has taken on a pejorative tone. It shouldn’t, we need them. In food science carbohydrates are any food that is rich in starch or sugar. Complex carbohydrates are rich in starch and would include such foods as cereals, grains, pasta, and bread. Simple carbohydrates are high in sugar; these would include jams, syrups, candy and desserts. Lower starch vegetables and fruit also contain carbohydrates. Humans need carbohydrates for energy and brain function. Some human populations, such as the Inuit of the far north, do in fact live very healthy lives on very low carbohydrates. These peoples would traditionally go for months with virtually no carbohydrates. In the summer, they would have some access to carbs in the form of berries and other plants. This was the traditional way of life. Sadly, the addition of a high carbohydrate fat laden food supply has caused horrible health consequences for many aboriginal groups.
The evolution of the low carb diet has led in part to interest in the effects that carbohydrates have on blood sugar. The rise in blood sugar prompts the body to produce insulin. This is good but in the modern world where we get too much food and far too little exercise, it causes a problem. This has led to diets based upon the glycemic index or the glycemic load that a food places upon the body. Some diets recommend foods that take longer to convert to sugar in the blood stream. The theory is that if foods take longer to convert, than you stay full longer. You also use less insulin. Insulin is described by some as the “fat building hormone”. It is important to be aware that starchy carbohydrates are converted by the body into sugar. Most government health sites recommend that each meal should be divided into one-quarter protein, that is meat or meat substitutes, one-quarter starches from whole grains, and one half non-starchy vegetables and fruit.