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Carbohydrates – what are they exactly?
Carbohydrates, or carbs as they are commonly called,
are used by the body to make glucose which gives you
energy. If the body doesn’t need it straight away,
the glucose can be stored in the muscles or liver
until it’s needed.
Foods containing carbs include vegetables, bread,
cereals, fruits, milk and processed foods with sugar
added.
These processed foods, like cookies and candy, may
contain carbs, but they also contain unhealthy fats
that will just add extra inches to your waistline!
Not a good idea seeing that your aim in life is to
lose weight, not gain weight.
If you see a reference to bad carbs in diet books,
these are foods containing refined carbohydrates,
made with added sugar and white flour, like white
bread and cakes.
Foods that contain good carbs have more complex
carbs, which take longer to turn into glucose, and
fiber. Good food guides say that carbs that are rich
in fiber are the best choice, like fruit, veges and
grains. And stay away from foods with added sugars.
Complex Carbohydrates
The two different types of complex carbs are dietary
fiber and starch.
Before your body can use starch, it has to be broken
down to glucose during the process of digestion.
Cereals, bread and vegetables contain dietary fiber
and starch.
Dietary Fiber
Dietary fiber has two different types as well…
soluble and insoluble fiber.
The following foods contain soluble fiber…
- Nuts and seeds
- Dry beans and
peas
- Oatmeal
- Fruits
including blueberries, apples and pears
- Oat bran
Foods that contain
insoluble fiber include…
- Whole wheat
bread
- Seeds
- Whole grains
- Couscous
- Wheat bran
- Fruits
- Barley
- Brown rice
- Vegetables
Both types are good
for you.
How much dietary fiber
should one eat?
The general rule is to consume 13 to 15 grams for
each one thousand calories every day.
Try to include more fiber in your diet. Here are a
few tips…
- Eat at least
two vegetables with your main meal
- When you get
the urge to have a snack, skip the weight
gaining cookies and rather nibble on carrots or
celery (yuch, I hear you say, but just give it a
try. It’s tough at first but it grows on you).
- Fruit is a
great source of usable fiber for your body
- Beans too are
a good source of fiber. Try adding dry beans to
your stew. Good source of protein too.
- When buying
bread choose the whole grain option.
- The best way
to start your day is with a bowl of high fiber
cereal with mixed fruit and low fat milk or
yogurt.
What are simple
Carbohydrates?
Natural sugar in fruit, milk and veges are simple
carbohydrates. These are the good guys. Refined and
processed foods also contain simple carbohydrates,
but they don’t have the good quality nutrients like
the fresh foods. So give these a miss.
Which foods have added
sugars?
Added sugar will be listed on the labels of the food
you buy. But it’s not always easy to spot them is
you don’t know all the right words. If you see any
of the following on the label, you know it has added
sugar.
One third of
Americans are obese
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