It seems to me that as a result of the “no carb” craze, we’ve gotten confused about what carbohydrates are and why we need them.? There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex.? Simple carbohydrates are the variety you should avoid.? Simple carbs are sugars without any nutrient value.? You’ll find this type of carbohydrate in candy, jelly, sugary cereals and processed food like crackers and refined white bread.
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Complex carbohydrates are the kind of carbs that you should consume.? Complex carbs have fiber.? Fiber is hard to break down and is therefore slow to digest.? Foods high in fiber will not spike your blood sugar unlike simple carbs.? It’s when your blood sugar drops off after the spike that you crave more simple carbs.? Find complex carbs in wheat bread, brown rice, fruits, vegetables and beans.
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People often tell me that they don’t eat carbs.? I find this hard to believe since carbs are in almost everything we eat, especially if it’s made from a box.? An easy way to tell if you’re eating carbohydrates is to look at the list of ingredients.? Any ingredient that has the suffix “-ose” is a simple carb.? High-fructose corn syrup is in so many processed foods these days.? It’s an added sugar.? Fructose is a naturally-occurring sugar in fruit.? Lactose is naturally-occurring in milk.
Most often what said people mean is they don’t eat bread and pasta.? This is only good if you’re not eating white bread and white pasta (which, by the way, is okay to eat every now and then.)? But, whole wheat bread and pasta are better sources of fiber and iron.? These complex carbs are good for your digestive tract, regulating blood sugar and providing energy for your metabolism.
You need carbohydrates in your daily diet.? Just start putting the right type in your mouth!
