When I hear people say that they don’t eat carbs, I am like “What?” “Wow, really?” Carbs have gotten a bad rap. There are of course, good carbs and bad carbs. Keep reading to find out more!
Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet, but it’s important to know they're not all created equal. Carbs are your primary source of energy. And the three main types of carbohydrates are sugars, starches, and fiber. I am pretty sure you have heard that carbs are called “simple” or “complex”. This is on the basis of their chemical makeup and what your body does with them.
Simple carbs are composed of easy-to-digest sugars, some which are naturally occurring like sugars found in milk and fruit. Now, refined or processed sugars are usually added to foods like candies, baked goods, and soda. These simple carbs (whether natural, like fruit or dairy, or processed like cake and candy) are quickly absorbed through the gut and can cause a spike in blood sugar levels. On food labels you may have seen different names of added sugars like brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, fructose, glucose, maltose, malt syrup, sucrose, honey, agave nectar, molasses, and fruit juice concentrates. Don’t misunderstand me, simple carbs like fruit and dairy are good for you. In their pure form (like a mango or an apple), fruits offer lots of nutritional value. What you want to avoid or eliminate are simple carbs like cookies, soda, candy and chips (and granola bars that seem healthy but really are like a candy bar).
Complex carbohydrates are found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables. A great benefit of a complex carb is fiber, which is technically a type of carbohydrate, but it's not digested and absorbed. This feeds the good gut bacteria and it also allows for the absorption of the carbohydrate to be slower into the bloodstream, so it won't spike glucose levels and insulin levels like a simple carbohydrate does. So, when you eat complex carbs you ultimately can have a consistent amount of energy.
Foods that are nutrient-dense complex carbs include: 100 percent whole-wheat breads, barley, quinoa, potatoes, oatmeal and beans.
So, why wouldn’t you want to eat carbs- the good kind! Click here for a great recipe using both simple and complex carbs (apples and quinoa!). And for more information, contact me: rachel@livehealthynyc.com