by Marty Copeland

Open up just about any magazine that deals with food or exercise and you're likely to see an article about the low-carbohydrate diet craze. Walk down any grocery store isle and the latest "low-carb" products will seem to jump out at you. Listen to the radio long enough, and the discussion eventually turns to the low-carb controversy.

Well, now I would like to weigh in on the debate and settle the controversy once and for all!

I know. You're probably thinking, Marty, how can you be so bold as to say that? How can you be so sure? Because God has already given us His Word on the subject and it's true-no matter what anyone else says!

In Genesis 1:29-31: "God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the land and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food. And it was so. And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely" (The Amplified Bible).

God approved completely of fruits, grains and vegetables. In other words, He completely approved of carbohydrates. They are His idea!

He also approves of us eating meat according to Genesis 9:3: "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green vegetables and plants, I give you everything" (The Amplified Bible).

Our bodies were created to function in a certain way, and God created carbohydrates to meet specific nutritional needs. Their main purpose is to provide our bodies with energy. When you eat carbohydrates, your body converts them into a sugar called glucose. Glucose then circulates in the bloodstream and is consumed by cells to produce energy. Other food sources, such as proteins and fats, can be used by the body for energy, but it prefers glucose.

And more importantly, glucose is the only fuel normally used by your brain! Mental activity actually requires a lot of energy and rapidly uses up glucose. Sufficient amounts of glucose—or carbohydrates—are needed throughout the day in order to learn, concentrate and remember.

There are actually two kinds of carbohydrates: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are found in some natural foods such as fruit juices and honey. But most are found in refined foods containing sugars. Carbs from refined sugars are not on God's "completely approved" list for a number of reasons. Simple carbohydrates are quickly processed and rapidly released as glucose in your bloodstream. They raise your blood sugar level immediately. Too many of these kinds of carbs (found in cakes, candy, sodas, etc.) can be very harmful. They can actually cause too much insulin in your bloodstream which hinders glucose from getting to your brain and muscles. These kinds of foods are basically empty calories and also contribute to weight gain.

If you're still not convinced this kind of junk food is bad for you, then consider the radical statement in Proverbs 23: "Put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of dainties: for they are deceitful meat" (verses 2-3). It might help us to remember that scripture the next time we're offered a gigantic piece of cake!

It only takes a quick look at a nutrition label to discover that most processed foods contain a high percentage of sugar (listed as carbohydrates) but very little fiber or nutrition.

Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are extremely beneficial. They're found in natural foods such as whole grains, nuts, vegetables and legumes (remember the list in Genesis 1:29). Your body gradually breaks down these kinds of foods into the glucose molecules that fuel your brain. Carbohydrates in natural foods don't raise your blood sugar rapidly, but are rather like time-released capsules providing sustained energy over a period of time.

Recent research at the University of Toronto (UT) determined that complex carbohydrates dramatically affect memory. During the study, adults ages 62-80 ate a breakfast of barley, mashed potatoes, or a glucose beverage, after which their memories were tested. The results showed that memory improved by about 37 percent after eating barley, 32 percent after mashed potatoes and 8 percent after drinking a glucose beverage.

(I don't know about you, but I've never had barley or mashed potatoes for breakfast! I would imagine you would get similar results with a breakfast of oatmeal, a high fiber cereal, or a thick slice of whole-grain bread. Of course for a balanced meal, I would also recommend a little protein and fat be included.)

Findings in the study further revealed that "eating carbohydrate foods can improve memory within an hour after ingestion in healthy elderly people with relatively poor memories." The UT study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that while barley was least effective in raising blood glucose levels, it was most effective in enhancing memory.

This research confirms what God already knew—complex carbs are extremely important to our health, even where our memories are concerned!

Feeling sluggish and being irritable are also common affects of low blood sugar. I remember telling a friend of mine who was on a low-carb diet, "Just go eat some carbs, will you? You're not any fun to be around!"

A diet that's too restrictive will cause your body to feel deprived—causing a physiological reaction. You will begin to crave the nutrients you're not getting. If you are on a low-carb diet, you'll probably experience sugar cravings. Why? Because your body knows from experience that refined sugars will quickly boost its energy level. So, typically people will replenish carbs by binging on junk foods instead of complex carbohydrates.

By eating a well-balanced diet, your blood sugar will be more stable. For most of us, that means between 10 and 25 percent of our diets should consist of protein, approximately 55 to 65 percent or our daily calories should be from carbohydrates and about 10 to 30 percent from fats.

Personally, I believe it's good to include fish, chicken and occasionally red meat in your diet. But you can go to God and ask Him what's best for your body. He knows—He created you! James 1:5-6 in The Living Bible says "If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."

It's true that people can lose weight on a high-protein/low carb diet. I've done it myself. It was really wonderful in that I wasn't hungry at all! But at the same time, I couldn't count to four!

My theory is that people often lose weight on this kind of diet not because they give up the healthy carbs, but rather because they give up the empty calorie carbohydrates. They simply stop eating white breads and foods loaded with refined sugars. And anyone can lose weight by omitting sugars and fats.

The truth is, people who eat the most complex carbs are the thinnest people!

I know that may be hard to believe in light of all the publicity about low-carb diets. But it's true according to a recent intensive four-nation study involving more than 4,000 men and women from the United States, UK, Japan, and China ages 40 to 59. These findings were presented at the American Heart Association's 44th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, held in March 2004.

"Without exception, a high-complex-carbohydrate, high-vegetable- protein diet is associated with low body mass," study leader Linda Van Horn, PhD, of Northwestern University said. "High-protein diets were associated with higher body weight."

Not surprisingly, the study also revealed that people who exercised were less likely to be heavy even if their diets consisted of more calories.

So, here's the bottom line. By eating a balanced diet of vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fruits, proteins and fats, our bodies can get the nutrition needed to be healthy and function properly. We can also achieve weight-loss goals by eating a well-balanced diet. The key word is balanced. We must eat the right kind of carbs, and eat them in moderation. Too many calories of any kind can sabotage our greatest weight loss efforts. We must also make sure that the whole grains we are eating are truly "whole," and not "enriched." Eating foods from enriched grains or flours is like eating sugar and can cause us to get hungry and gain weight. Remember, this is why so many people think they can never eat bread—they're eating "enriched wheat" rather than whole grains.

God desires for us to be healthy. You have a responsibility to take care of your body, just as I have a responsibility to take care of mine.

Recently when we went skiing as a family in Colorado, the Lord showed me this truth in a fresh way. During this trip, we stayed in a beautiful vacation home that someone else owned. At the time, it was up for sale. One day I was standing in the kitchen with my mother-in-law, Gloria Copeland, and sister-in-law Kellie Copeland Kutz, when Kellie remembered that the realtor planned to show the house. Immediately, Gloria began cleaning. Kellie and I started picking up things and tidying the place. (Remember we were on vacation, so there was a little clutter!)

It became exceptionally important to us for that house to be clean and orderly before the people came to view it. The owner had blessed us by letting us stay there, and we wanted to be sure it was in the best possible order—that it showed well.

Why?

Because the condition of the house would be a reflection of the owner, not a reflection on us.

Think about this illustration in light of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

"Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, you were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body" (The Amplified Bible).

Now let me ask you this question. If you truly believed this scripture —that your body belongs not to you, but to Him— what would you do differently?

Think about it, and write those things down.

Then just begin to lift those things up to Him in prayer every day. Begin telling Him that you desire to honor Him and bring glory to Him in your body. Ask Him to give you the wisdom and grace you need to make changes. Boldly ask Him to help you—and He will!

Now you may be thinking: Marty, how can you be so sure about that?

I can be so sure because His Word settles all controversy! And Hebrews 4:15 promises: "We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need!" (New King James Version)

I can boldly say He will help you...because He did it for me!