by Cathryn Majorossy
So what's the deal with carbohydrates? There are so many mixed thoughts on
carbohydrates and most of them are contradicting and confusing! I get a ton of
questions per week on carbs. "What are good carbs?" " What are the bad carbs?"
"How many carbs should i eat?" "Can I eliminate carbs from my diet?" etc...
etc...
Carbohydrates are necessary for energy and for fueling many important bodily
processes. It is not necessary to cut them out of your diet, even if you are
trying to lose weight. They KEY to carbohydrates is
moderation. Carbohydrates should be included at each meal, no matter
what your physique goal. You can then adjust your carb intake to meet your goal
(more carbs to gain weight, less carbs to lose weight). If you are trying to
lose weight, you should watch your carb intake carefully and include a small
portion of a complex carb at each meal. Eating more carbohydrates than your body
needs will definitely result in fat storage. Of course there are better carb
choices than others.
Carbohydrates can be broken down into 2 major categories: simple and
complex.
Complex carbohydrates "good carbs" are composed of long chains of
sugar molecules and require more digestion than simple sugars. Complex carbs
provide a more consistent blood sugar level in your body. This is essential to
prevent food cravings and keep your weight in a healthy range. Complex
carbohydrates are the types of carbs we want in our diets.
Examples of "good carbs": vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, whole
grains like oatmeal, brown rice, whole grains. Most complex carbs also provide a
good amount of fiber which makes you feel full, keeps your digestive tract
working properly and helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
Simple carbohydrates "not so good carbs": We all know what happens
after we eat sugar (like soda or candy) we get a sugar high. Lots of energy for
a short period of time then..... crash .... its all over and our body "craves"
more sugar. Hence the vicious cycle of sugar and fat storage. Well here's what
happens. The sugar you eat is quickly digested, goes quickly into your blood
(the "rush") and your body quickly compensates by pulling the extra sugar out of
your blood. Guess where THAT goes? Right on... it's stored as fat!
Some examples of not so good carbs: sweets, soda, processed cereals and snacks,
candy etc.
Examples of "not so good carbs": soda, "white carbs" (white pasta,
white bread, rolls, bagels), sweets, desserts, juice and sweetened drinks,
candy, chips and most snack type foods.
Check out labels and you'll be surprised. Especially items like cereal,
yogurts, condiments, and soups. Many times if something is fat free, they make
up for flavor with the sugar. BEWARE! Rule of thumb: if one serving has more
than 10 grams of sugar, it's fat waiting to be stored.
So what's the deal with bread and pasta? What the problem is, is the
portion size. Restaurant servings are usually 3 times what a "serving" should
be. Look at a box of pasta. Do you get 8 servings from it? I don't think so. How
about when you order a nice healthy turkey sandwich with mustard at the deli?
WRONG! The bread or roll kills that plan. Next time take half the bread away.
Have an open face sandwich or just eat the middle. Might sound crazy but you
won't look so crazy in your bathing suit!
Try to fill up during the day with plenty of fruits, veggies and nuts during
the day andyou will seeyou energy go up and your weight go down.
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