Confusion Over Carbohydrates: Which are Good or Bad in Diet?
There three sources of food energy: carbohydrates, fat, and protein. These reside in all foods and essential for good health, but, you need to know what are good and bad carbs. The bad ones are always linked to obesity and many health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
Bad Carbs
These are just about all processed foods, sweetened beverages and refined grains, like, white bread, pasta, flour and rice. I know, you are thinking, what the heck am I suppose to eat? Bad carbs are easily broken down in the digestive track, actually, too easily. The blood is flooded with surgars and prompts your body to create insulin to carry the sugar to your body cells. Your body becomes addicted to excessive doses of both and craves them. After a period of long time, many chronic health conditions, more fat storage.
Good Carbs
These are foods with high amounts of dietary fibers, how fast your blood sugar rises (you want a slow rise), whole grain content (the more the better) and if its liquid, milled or pulverized(which is bad). So, Cheerios, for example, is good but for the oats are crushed, which weakens their value when compared to raw oats. Pasta, despite the fact can be bad, it is OK for it does not raise the sugar content rapidly like rice and potatoes. Potatoes sort of walk the fence between the good and bad debate. They cause a sugar surge yet also have nutrients.
You want food items will less than 4 grams of sugar per serving. When shopping, select berries, mangoes, melons, oranges, pears,peaches and tangerines. Select any of the following veggies: artichoke, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, mushroom, onion, peas, spinach, squash and tomatoes. For grains, choose barley, brown rice, whole grain bread and pasta, black beans, lentils.
When eating the bad carbs, always do so in moderation for a limited amount of time.