CARB WARS: Good carbs Vs Bad carbs

Carbohydrate rich foods in their natural state are low in calories and high in fiber. Carbohydrates contain about 4 calories per gram. Fat contains about 9 calories per gram.  Carbs are primarily obtained from plant sources and are the cheapest, most easily obtainable nutrients plus they’re the most rapidly digested forms of fuel for the body.  No human or animal can exist without carbs.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF CARBS

Carbohydrates are divided into 2 groups: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are also called simple sugars. Simple carbohydrates include: fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (table sugar) and lactose (milk sugar), as well as several other sugars. Simple carbohydrates are great sources of quick energy.  Simple carbs are found in table sugar, candy, desserts, sodas and similar foods.  SIMPLE CARBS ARE EMPTY CARBS and have virtually no nutritional value.

Complex carbohydrates include fiber and starches. They can be found in vegetables, whole grain breads, brown rice, oatmeal, whole grains, peas and beans. Complex carbohydrates take longer to be digested, so your body needs more time to release these carbs into your blood as glucose.  COMPLEX CARBS PROVIDE ESSENTIAL FIBER, VITAMINS AND NUTRIENTS WE CANNOT DO WITHOUT.

It is healthiest to obtain carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutrients in as natural a form as possible -- for example, from fruit instead of table sugar.

FUNCTION OF CARBS

Complex carbs are essential for:

1.         Regulation of blood glucose

2.         Providing energy for the body, especially the brain and the nervous system.

3.         A great source of dietary fiber.

When the body doesn't need to use the carbohydrates for energy, it stores them into the liver and muscles. When carbohydrates are stored in your liver and muscles, it is called glycogen. When the liver and muscles cells cannot store anymore glycogen, it is turned into fat.

When your body needs a quick boost of energy, it converts glycogen into energy. When it needs a prolonged burst of energy, it converts fat to energy.

Fiber from carbs is put together in such a way that it can't be broken down into sugar molecules, and so passes through the body mostly undigested.  It is found in complex carbs and helps fight cardiovascular diseases, helps digestion, aids in digestive disorders and is very important to our overall health.

Excessive carbohydrates can cause an increase in the total caloric intake, causing obesity.

Deficient carbohydrates can cause a lack of calories (malnutrition), or excessive intake of fats to make up the

calories needed for energy.

HOW MANY CARBS SHOULD WE EAT?

For most people, between 40% and 60% of total calories should come from carbohydrates, preferably from

complex carbohydrates (starches) and naturally occurring sugars. Complex carbohydrates provide calories,

vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Eat more whole grains, brown rice, whole wheat breads, and unsweetened, whole grain cereals.

Eat more legumes (beans, lentils, and dried peas).

Here are recommended serving sizes for foods high in carbohydrates:

Vegetables: 1 cup of raw vegetables, or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables, or 3/4 cup of vegetable juice

Fruits: 1 medium size fruit (such as 1 medium apple or 1 medium orange), 1/2 cup of a canned or chopped fruit, or

3/4 cup of fruit juice

Breads and cereals: 1 slice of bread; 1 ounce or 2/3 cup of ready-to-eat cereal; 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta, or

cereal; 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, lentils, or dried peas

Dairy: 1 cup of skim or low fat milk

Carbohydrates and the Glycemic Index

 A new system for classifying carbohydrates calls into question many of the old assumptions about how

carbohydrates affect health. This new system, known as the glycemic index, measures how fast and how far blood

sugar rises after you eat a food that contains carbohydrates.

White bread, for example, is digested almost immediately to glucose, causing blood sugar to spike rapidly. So white

bread is classified as having a high glycemic index. Brown rice, in contrast, is digested more slowly, causing a

lower and more gentle change in blood sugar. It has a lower glycemic index.

The most comprehensive list of the glycemic index of foods was published in the July, 2002, issue of the American

Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A searchable database maintained by the University of Sydney is available online at

www.glycemicindex.com.

Diets filled with high-glycemic-index foods, which cause quick and strong increases in blood sugar levels, have

been linked to an increased risk for both diabetes and heart disease. On the other hand, lower GI foods have

been shown to help control type 2 diabetes.

One of the most important factors that determine a food's glycemic index is how highly processed its

carbohydrates are. Processing carbohydrates removes the fiber-rich outer bran and the vitamin- and mineral-rich

inner germ.

Although the fine points of the glycemic index may seem complicated, the basic message is simple: Whenever

possible, replace highly processed grains, cereals, and sugars with minimally processed whole-grain products. And

only eat potatoes - once on the list of preferred complex carbohydrates - occasionally because of their high

glycemic index.

No Carbohydrates?

 Some popular diets, particularly the Atkins diet, treat carbohydrates as if they are evil, the root of all body fat

and excess weight. While there is some evidence that a low-carbohydrate diet may help people lose weight more

quickly than a low-fat diet, no one knows the long-term effects of eating little or no carbohydrates. Equally

worrisome is the inclusion of unhealthy fats in some of these diets.

If you want to go the lower carb route, try to include some fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain carbohydrates

every day. They contain a host of vitamins, minerals, and other phytonutrients that are essential for good health

and that you can't get out of a supplement bottle.  The South Beach Diet is preferred over Atkins.

(from HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH)

Small List of carbohydrates with glycemic Index

The scale rates carbohydrates and classifies them as either good or bad. 

Remember, low glycemic index = good!