In a world where you're bombarded with contradictory information on the right nutritional choices, how do you determine what's fact or fad? Low carb, high carb, good carb, bad carb - forget the fads and get back to the basics of nutrition, which includes learning what carbohydrates help weight loss - and make you healthy - and what ones hinder it.
The Much Maligned Carbohydrate
Low carbohydrate diets became a hot weight loss trend based on a great deal of misinformation. Some of the myths widely circulated include the common belief that carbohydrates make you overweight and directly cause diabetes. Excess weight is created by consuming more calories than you burn, regardless of their source, and predisposing factors for diabetes include a variety of factors, such as heredity and obesity, but not by eating "simple" or "refined" carbohydrates. However, all carbohydrates are not created equal, and understanding the differences can lead to a healthier diet, and leaner figure.
Don't Keep it Sweet and Simple
Carbohydrates classified as "simple" include sugars - fructose, sucrose, and lactose - that contain no nutritional value, hence their classification as "empty calories." These forms of sugar are found in fruit, table sugar and milk, respectively, as well as added to many processed foods and baked goods. When you eat one of these simple carbohydrates, your blood glucose levels spike, resulting in a surge of energy followed by a release of insulin from your pancreas, causing a subsequent plummet in blood sugar as your body tries to readjust to normal levels. This rapid drop in blood sugar creates further sugar cravings in an almost addictive cycle, often accompanied by mood swings.
When Being Refined isn't a Good Thing
That white bread you eat may be tasty, but the processing, or "refining" of the wheat, strips the fiber out of it leaving white flour. Your body breaks down refined carbohydrates such as white flour or white rice into glucose quickly, resulting in rapid releases of insulin and fluctuating blood glucose levels, much like sugar. While consuming large amounts of anything produces weight gain, food containing refined white flour or sugar is particularly unhealthy and those cravings set up by glucose swings hinder weight loss.
Complex Carbohydrates are Healthy Fuel
Complex carbohydrates, or "starchy" foods, include whole grain breads and cereals, as well as starchy vegetables and legumes. Not only fiber-rich, these foods pack more vitamins and nutrients than simple or refined carbohydrates, and the additional fiber helps you satisfy hunger and feel full between meals. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association reported that one study showed that normal weight adults eat approximately 43 percent more complex carbohydrates daily than over weight people, which translates to about 33 percent more fiber. To add more complex carbohydrates to your diet, look to foods such as whole grain breads, cereals, and pasta, as well as beans, peas, potatoes, corn, and brown rice.
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