Slow-burning carbs supply you with a sustained and steady delivery of energy. Avoid fast-burning carbs -- white potatoes, white bread and bagels, most breakfast cereals, sweets, white rice and sugary drinks -- which wreak havoc on your blood sugar, leading to energy crashes and ravenous hunger. Instead, choose slow-burning carbohydrates. Not only are they a better energy source; they also provide essential nutrients and fiber, and reduce your risks of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Whole Grains
Whole grains and foods that contain whole grains are digested slowly, which keeps your blood sugar lower and steadier. By contrast, highly refined carbohydrates are not whole; they've been stripped of fiber and other components that slow digestion, and are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. Replace breakfast cereals with slow-cooking or steel-cut oatmeal. In place of white rice, eat pearled barley, millet, brown rice or bulgur. Choose whole-grain bread, bagels, crackers and pasta that list a whole grain as the first ingredient.
Beans
Beans are a good source of slowly absorbed carbohydrates. Beans, like other slow-burning carbs, have a low glycemic index, a measure of how much a particular food causes your blood sugar to go up. Carbs with a glycemic index of less than 55 are best, according to an article titled "The End of the Diet Debates? All Fats and Carbs are Not Created Equal" in the October 2005 issue of "Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine." Lentils, black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, black eye peas and navy beans all have a glycemic index well below 55.
Vegetables and Fruits
Most fruits and vegetables are good sources of slow-burning carbs. Avoid white potatoes and parsnips, which are absorbed into the bloodstream almost as rapidly as pure glucose. Replace white potatoes with yams. Eat whole fruits and vegetables instead of juices. Juices aren't slow-burning carbs; they lack fiber, and are absorbed into the bloodstream quickly. Fiber not only slows the absorption of carbs, it also reduces cholesterol and promotes bowel regularity.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: Carbohydrates: Good Carbs Guide the Way
- Harvard Health Publications: Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load for 100+ Foods
- WomensHealth.gov: Carbohydrates
- "Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine;" The End of the Diet Debates? All Fats and Carbs are Not Created Equal; Arthur S. Agatston M.D.; Oct. 2005
Member Comments