With 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, Lorraine Dufficey is trained in the classical True Pilates method, is a qualified Neuromuscular therapist and a Fascial trainer, and has a lifelong interest in health and wellbeing. As ‘West Cork Pilates’, she has been teaching mat classes in Clonakilty since 2005 and has a private studio in Rossmore where she teaches Reformer, Cadillac and Wunda chair for both fitness and for rehabilitation.
Do you feel overwhelmed by the range and diversity of advice on how to eat these days? I know I do. Veganism, carnivore diet, low-fat, low-carb diet and every permutation within that spectrum is hotly debated on our social media channels and indeed if you were to spend time as I do perusing the latest developments in nutrition, you could be forgiven for throwing your hands up in the air.
Advice is often loud and conflicting, and food choices have become political bludgeons with which opposing groups batter each other. I often ask myself, when did food choices become a matter of belief? For millennia, nutrition was a matter of survival, now there is such a limitless abundance of food available to us in the developed nations it is more a matter of recreation. And when manufactured foods are engineered to stimulate appetite and craving we can be led by our tastebuds into bad choices and subsequent ill-health. In the developed world, we now witness food poverty and obesity co-existing as strange bedfellows, driven largely by diets high in Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs). It is the rise in obesity and health related challenges combined with the increasing ubiquity of UPFs that get health experts so hot under the collar over what constitutes “a proper human diet” and the ongoing debates are often moralised and noisy, leaving us confused and uncertain as to our food choices, rather than empowered.
Against this backdrop, confusion is understandable. So today I want to break it down a little and delve a little deeper into carbohydrates. They are a fundamental part of our diets, providing energy for daily activities and supporting overall health, however, not all carbs are created equal and it is important to know the difference and know the impact they may be having on your blood sugar.
Generally, carbohydrates are classified into two main types: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates, found in foods like sweets, white bread, and sugary drinks, are quickly broken down by the body and can cause spikes in blood sugar levels, as I mentioned in my last article. These rapid increases in energy are usually short-lived and can leave you feeling tired shortly afterwards. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand – such as those found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes – are digested more slowly. They provide a steady source of energy and are often accompanied by valuable fibre, vitamins, and minerals. This slower digestion helps maintain stable blood sugar levels, keeps you fuller for longer and supports long-term health.
While carbohydrates are essential, the type you choose matters. Favouring complex carbs over simple ones can improve your energy levels, support your health, and help you maintain a balanced diet. The choice of carbohydrate is crucial in regulating blood sugar and appetite. Complex carbohydrates are fibre rich and nutrient dense and you can further slow down their release of glucose by adding a fat or protein as an accompaniment. But what if you struggle with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes, both of which are becoming more prevalent in todays’ society?
I particularly like the work of Dr David Unwin in relation to this matter. Dr. Unwin is a UK General Practitioner, who has years of clinical experience in reversing Type 2 diabetes in his patients by prescribing a low carbohydrate diet. It is his breakdown of the effects of simple carbohydrates – which contain hidden sugar – on blood glucose levels that I quoted in my last article. To clarify, it is not of course that there is added sugar in the simple carbohydrates such as white rice, flour and pasta but that the impact of these carbohydrates on our blood sugar needs to be taken into consideration. If we are over-consuming simple carbohydrates, we are over-consuming hidden sugars, a fact that is vital to acknowledge if we have issues maintaining our blood sugar levels. Simple starchy carbohydrates are broken down very efficiently and are rapidly converted to sugar in the body, which is why they are a fantastic pre-performance food for athletes. Instant sugar provides instant energy. However, if we are not burning the energy, it can end up being stored as fat, particularly if we are constantly over-consuming calories. The modern habit of snacking on UPFs, which are engineered to override normal appetite and metabolic signals means to ensure we eat more of them than we need. The dis-regulation of our natural appetite makes it so much easier to over-consume simple carbohydrates because we have been conditioned through our poor food choices to want a quick ‘sugar-fix’. How can we be hungry all the time when we are constantly snacking? We are not in charge of our appetite, rather, it is in charge of us.
Dr. Unwin’s work places an emphasis on simplicity and carbohydrate awareness and as such offers a practical counterbalance to a food system that has grown increasingly disconnected from human nutrition and satiety. Also worth investigating, should this article resonate with you, is the Freshwell low carb project (www.lowcarbfreshwell.com), an initiative set up by medical professionals in the UK to combat the dramatic rise in type 2 diabetes. This project provides online educational material and exploration of why a low carb diet might work for you. You can even download a handy little app, which is free and comes with easy and accessible lifestyle information and low carb recipes. (Freshwell, available in all app stores.) It is of course recommended you speak with your GP if you have any pre-existing health conditions before embarking on a low carb programme.
We are all different in our biology, some of us are more insulin-resistant than others, meaning we struggle to manage the blood glucose impact of certain carbohydrates, particularly refined and starchy foods. The same meal that leaves one person satisfied may trigger persistent hunger, energy swings and cravings in another. Appetite, in this sense, is not simply a matter of willpower, something I often hear from people, but a biological response shaped by blood sugar dynamics, hormonal signals, stress, sleep, and poor dietary choices. Dr Unwin’s work over the years shows how reducing carbohydrate load can, for some people, quieten appetite, rather than intensify it, allowing for our hunger and satiety signals to re-set.
While current guidelines recommend getting about 45-65 per cent of daily energy from carbohydrates, low-carb eating advocates just 26-45 per cent of daily calories from carbohydrates focusing on non-starchy fibrous veg, lean protein and healthy fats. You may be someone who thrives on the higher carbohydrate intake, but if this article resonates it might be worth exploring if a lower carb approach might work for you, even for a short while. This low-carb approach can be very successful in treating diabetes and insulin resistance and has clear mental health benefits. It has to be said though, it’s not for everyone. It does make social engagements more challenging for instance, and it can be time-consuming, as cooking real food from scratch is a non-negotiable given that there is simply so much added sugar in processed foods. We are so lucky though here in West Cork as we have access to good food which is fresh, locally produced, nutritious and abundant.
Taking steps towards simpler choices, real food and appetite regulation is a positive we can all embrace. Begin simply by paying attention to what truly nourishes, steadies and supports your health, as you navigate your busy life. Autonomy and true appetite regulation returns when we learn to listen to our bodies with care and kindness rather than control.