Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs!

Over the years, we have created a stigma that deems carbs as bad foods and ones we should avoid at all costs. When you ask someone to name something that has a lot of carbs in it, they immediately say bread, pasta and sweets..and they're right! But, carbs are also in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, rice, milk, diary etc. The difference is the type of carbs that makes up each food and its glycemic index.

The glycemic index was a scale created to measure the amount of food which raises your blood sugar after eating it. High GIs tend to lead to sugar crushes, leaving you tired and not as satisfied. Low GIs are quite the opposite. These control your appetite and delay hunger since they are slowly absorbed into your body and take longer to digest. By understanding GIs, it will be easier to distinguish good carbs from all the bad ones.

As I briefly mentioned in my nutrition label blog (linked below), bad carbs go under the name of simple carbs. These are ones you want to try to limit and avoid. Simple carbs, as you can tell by the name, these carbs are made up of many, small, simple molecules. These molecules can be quickly digested however if the energy from these carbs is not used right away, it will get converted to fat. Not to mention that they are also low in fiber and nutrients, make you feel lethargic and contain a high glycemic index.

• Most simple carbs are also the processed foods we love to indulge in: candy, desserts, sugary cereal, sodas, and refined breads.

On the other hand, complex carbs are the ones you can benefit from! The complex carbs, as you guessed it, have a very complex structure. Their fibers force the body to work harder to digest them and energy from them is released over a longer period of time. These ARE high in fiber and nutrients, make you feel full with smaller portions and contain a low glycemic index. 

• These carbs are foods often found in a natural or near to natural state such as: fresh fruits, green vegetables, bran cereals and whole grain breads. 

So what have we learned? 

When dealing with breads, go for the wheat bread (GI 50) instead of the baguette (GI 95).

When dealing with pasta, go for the fettuccine (GI 32) instead of the macaroni (GI 51).

When dealing with rice, go for the brown rice (GI 55) instead of the white rice (GI 58).

When dealing with drinks, go for the soy milk (GI 30) or better yet water (GI 0) instead of the coke (GI 63).

When dealing with fruits, go for the cherries (GI 22) instead of the pineapple (GI 66).

When dealing with vegetables, go for the tomato (GI 15) instead of the baked potato (GI 85).

When dealing with snacks, go for the peanuts (GI 15) instead of the pretzels (GI 81).

By making smarter choices and knowing more about the types of carbs you're consuming, you can definitely aim for the FitFlavor of your life!

-xx Kassandra

Information gathered from: Online Nutrition Degrees

Read More About Nutrition Labels: How to Read a Nutrition Label