Meaning, they protect us against harmful bacteria in our digestive tract. Saturated fats provide good insulation for our nerve fibers and are required for the production of hormones. Our bodies can produce its own saturated fats, therefore dietary saturated fats are considered to be a non-essential part of one’s diet.
Saturated fats have a stronger chemical bond than unsaturated fats. Thus, having the ability to resist oxidation, thereby providing the body with the time needed to carry any excess back to the liver to be metabolized (converted into usable energy). That said, the same strong chemical bond that resist oxidation also turns out to be responsible for increasing the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body.
This is why having too much saturated fat in your diet can lead to health problems. Even though both fats are required for our survival, what your body doesn’t require is a diet with more saturated fats than unsaturated. IMO, limit your saturated fats to 3-5 grams or fewer per meal and unsaturated fats to 24 grams or fewer per meal.
● Complex Carbohydrates – each meal should be a good source of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are vegetables and a good source of insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber is called cellulose and is the part of the vegetable found in the outer layer of plant foods.
It’s the part of the vegetable that is resistant to our body’s digestive enzymes, hence the word insoluble. It provides the bulk that contracting and relaxing muscles in your digestive tract need to grab onto. Like any muscle in your body, your digestive tract muscles work less efficiently without exercise.
The lack of insoluble fiber results in food moving more slowly through the small and large intestine. When things slow down, digestive health problems arise. Fortunately, this rhythmic contraction with the presence of insoluble fiber keeps the colon muscles toned and your stool (waste) moving more freely, thus decreasing the transit time of food through your digestive track.
Insoluble fiber (which is mildly abrasive) also gently scrubs your intestinal walls clean in the process. The only downside to increasing complex carbohydrates in your diet is that it may cause flatulence (the passing of unpleasant gas from one’s asshole. If this should happen, eating a smaller serving usually helps to eliminate the problem.
● Simple carbohydrates — FODMAP is a compiled and organized database of specific simple carbohydrates. Created to help people with functional gastrointestinal disorders reduce their symptoms. It stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols.
The ‘F’ in the FODMAP acronym stands for Fermentable. Fructans are chains of fructose and galactans are chains of galactose. Both fall under the ‘O’ (Oligosaccharides) in the acronym.
Sucrose, a double sugar (aka table sugar, is composed of glucose and fructose), falls under the ‘D’ (Disaccharides) in the acronym. Fructose and galactose are simple sugars and both fall under the ‘M’ (Monosaccharides) in the acronym. The ‘A’ in the FODMAP acronym stands for And.
Sorbitol, xylitol, etc. (sugar-free sweeteners) are Polyols that fall under the ‘P’ in the acronym. FODMAPs are short-chain carbohydrates that are hard to digest in the small intestine. As a result, they are passed on into the large intestine where they are fermented by bacteria.
Fermentation (the breaking down of indigestible food by bacteria) causes digestive issues like gas and bloating in individuals with colon issues. Reducing bacterial fermentation by lowering the amount of FODMAPs you eat, leads to less bloating, gas and pain. Resulting in regular bowel movements (less diarrhea and constipation).
A diet high in FODMAPs can also stimulate high insulin release. Insulin tells the body to convert whatever macro nutrients it can to fat. Store it and burn whatever sugar it can find for energy.
When the sugar is gone, you feel hungry and the cycle starts all over again. You are now training your body to store, not burn. It’s easy to live in denial and condition your body to store food in an environment plentiful in UPFs and QSR foods.