by Craig Nybo

Created on: November 11, 2008   Last Updated: December 14, 2008

It's easy to say a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. It is true that your body requires a certain number of calories and it doesn't care where those calories comes from, it will use what it needs and store the rest away for a rainy day. However, this is a dangerous way of thinking and can only lead to voluminous hips and thighs.

The trick is to get your required calorie need, but from foods that are sure to encourage your body to burn away those fat reserves rather than packing away pounds of energy in the form of flabby fat.

We are going to consider two aspects of dieting: quantity, how much you should eat, and quality, what you should eat.

CARBOHYDRATES AND BLOOD SUGAR Carbohydrates, both simple and complex, provide the body with the majority of its most important energy source, glucose. Glucose is a blood sugar that flows through the blood stream and is, hence, available to every cell.

Ultra high or ultra low levels of glucose can be harmful to the body. Your body has safety mechanisms that closely monitors and compensate for incorrect glucose levels (blood sugar levels). In the event that blood sugar rises beyond a safe level. The pancreas secretes a substance known as insulin. Insulin encourages the process of transfer of glucose into cells so that they can oxidize the glucose to produce energy for the body.

Low blood sugar levels can mean a dangerous lack of energy. Again, the body comes to the rescue. Adrenal glands contain a fight or flight hormone known as adrenaline. When a temporary boost in energy is required, the glands secrete this substance into the blood stream. Adrenaline provides a massive energy spike to the system. This spike boosts the metabolic rate, energy levels, awareness, and other functions so the body can react to emergency situations.

The key to controlling your metabolism with diet lies in keeping the glucose levels at a safe, proper level where the body can just churn along safely and smoothly.

CONTROL BLOOD SUGAR WITH QUALITY CARBOHYDRATES You can regulate your blood sugar by consuming only the highest quality carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, grains, and vegetables. There are two kinds of carbohydrates: simple and complex. The difference between simple and complex carbohydrates lies in the difficulty the metabolism has in breaking them down.

Simple carbohydrates, sugars, can be broken down quickly, even released through the stomach lining directly into the blood stream at the rate of up to 30 calories per minute. This

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