Carbohydrates are necessary for your health and wellness. Carbohydrates are your body's major source of energy. Without carbohydrates, your body would not grow or sustain your daily activities. With the advent of processed and packaged foods, dietitians and other health professionals have delineated between good and bad carbohydrates. Eating healthy, or good, carbohydrates along with protein will increase your metabolism and promote healthy, sustained weight loss.
About Carbohydrates
When carbohydrates are digested, they are broken down into glucose, or blood sugar. Glucose is released throughout the body and is used as a major energy source for cells, tissues and organs. As carbohydrates are broken down and glucose is released into your body, your blood sugar levels rise. Some carbohydrates, known as simple carbohydrates, are digested quickly and release large amounts of glucose into the blood quickly. Other carbohydrates are digested slowly and therefore release smaller amounts of glucose into the bloodstream at a much slower rate. These carbohydrates are known as complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates can cause diabetes and obesity. As glucose levels rise, insulin, a hormone produced by your pancreas, is released to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. Eating foods that rapidly increase blood sugar level can contribute to insulin resistance, when insulin does not properly regulate blood sugar level, thus causing diabetes and obesity.
Good vs. Bad Carbohydrates
Simple, or bad, carbohydrates are not as healthy as complex, or good, carbohydrates. However, a balance of both is necessary to maintain proper health. Simple carbohydrates include processed products such as refined sugar and white bread and pasta. Limit your intake of processed grains and refined sugar. However, milk and other dairy products are also considered simple carbohydrates. Dairy products are necessary for a healthy and balanced diet, but don't overconsume. Limit your dairy consumption to one or two servings each day. Complex carbohydrates include whole grains, brown rice, wheat berries, quinoa and millet. Forty-five to 65 percent of your diet should be carbohydrates.
Protein Sources
Beans are a great complex carbohydrate as well as a plant-based protein. Eating more plant-based proteins helps you lose or maintain weight, as many animal sources of protein contain cholesterol and saturated fat. Protein contains amino acids your body needs for muscular development. The more muscle you have, the quicker your metabolism. Therefore, eating protein helps increase your metabolic rate. Focus on eating plant-based sources of protein including legumes, lentils and soy products, which are all complex carbohydrates. Limit your consumption of animal proteins to two to three times a week.
Well-Balanced Diet
Eating a well-balanced diet is the best way to lose weight sustainably. A diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, protein sources and healthy fats gives your body the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to stay healthy. If you are unsure of what to buy at the store, stick with unprocessed, fresh food. According to the American Diabetes Association, shop the rainbow -- pick fruits and vegetables of all different colors to increase your consumption of a variety of vitamins and minerals.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: When Sugar Management Goes Awry: Insulin and Diabetes
- Harvard School of Public Health: Calcium and Milk
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines: Carbohydrates; February 2011
- Mayo Clinic: Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guideline:Protein; February 2011
Member Comments