What is the difference between this…
…and this?
Both sugar and whole grain bread end up as glucose (the type of sugar your body uses) after you eat it, so why is whole grain bread recommended over pure sugar? What exactly is the benefit of one over the other?
Good Question!
3 Big Differences
There are many differences between the way your body processes the two but here are some key points to help you with your nutrition decision making skills:
1. Whole grain bread is digested and absorbed at a slower rate than pure sugar. This happens in part due to the fiber in the bread. That means your your blood sugar levels will go up much slower and less insulin will be released and you won’t be as likely to store those calories as fat. Conversely, if you eat pure sugar, your blood sugar levels will go up much higher eating pure sugar along with insulin and you will be more likely to store those calories as fat.
This is important because it is calorie independent meaning that 100 calories of whole grain bread and 100 calories of pure sugar will have very different effects on your body’s physiology and your fat loss goals.
2. Fiber binds fat. If you also eat fat with your bread, the fiber will bind to some of the dietary fat and carry it out of your body before it is absorbed. This is one of the reasons many nutrition experts recommend getting fiber in your diet. There is no fiber in sugar.
3. Whole wheat bread has vitamins and minerals. These vitamins and minerals help your body digest, absorb, transport, and make other important substances like hormones. This will make you healthier and can help you burn fat. For example, magnesium is a power-house mineral that can help you fight stress, lose fat, sleep better, and possibly even live longer. Read my article on magnesium here. Pure sugar essentially has no vitamins or minerals in it.
Do you need more assistance than what I’ve given you here? Then contact me here and we can get you started on Personal Training or Personalized Program Design that will include a safe and effective exercise, nutrition and supplement program that will get you results.
