Weight Loss And Carbs
Carbs have been yanked back and forth across the line between weight loss and weight gain many times. Here you can learn what carbs are, how they work, and how they affect weight loss.
What are Carbs?
Carbohydrates (or carbs) consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. This sounds healthy, even though “carbohydrate” is a fancy way of saying “sugar.” Hold on – you need sugar. Your body breaks down carbs naturally and converts them into vital blood sugar called glucose.
Glucose to your cells is like gasoline to your car. It’s your body’s energy source. The key to weight loss and overall health is to eat the right carbs.
Which Carb is Which?
Carbs are usually divided into two groups: complex and simple. These have been popularly referred to as good and bad. These labels aren’t completely accurate. All carbs are broken down the same way.
Here’s what you need to know.
Complex Carbs — These are digested slowly, which means they don’t cause the unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels. They also typically provide more energy than simple carbs.
Here are three other benefits of complex carbs:
1. They help with weight management. Foods with complex carbs have less calories than other foods, which means less fat to burn off.
2. Fiber helps you feel full. Fiber is a type of complex carb that’s well known for cleansing your intestines of waste (including fats and bad cholesterol). But before it leaves, fiber helps manage hunger by balancing sugar in your body. Less hunger means you’ll eat less food.
3. Complex carbs are packed with nutrition. Foods with complex carbs deliver important ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.
Examples of Complex Carbs Complex carbs are found in vegetables and fruits, as well as in seeds, nuts and grains.
- Foods with starchy complex carbs include brown rice and beans.
- Whole grain foods and cereals are rich in fiber.
Simple Carbs Because simple carbs are simple sugars, your body converts them into glucose very quickly.
The potential downside is unhealthy spikes in your blood sugar level.
On the other hand, some people consider natural simple carbs to be the best for weight loss diets.
The bad reputation really belongs to processed simple carbs. They carry empty calories, which means little or no nutritional value. Processing breaks them down and re-assembles them into unnatural products.
These include refined sugars and starches – major ingredients in convenience foods.
Examples of Good, Simple Carb Foods These include berry and citrus fruits.
They also include apples, kiwis, and melons, and pit fruits like plums, cherries, and peaches.
Bad Simple Carb Foods: You know these: refined and processed foods, such as white breads, white rice, sugary beverages, and candy.
Watch out for holiday favorites, too, such as chutneys, pickled snacks, tinned fruits, and puddings.
So what’s the verdict with weight loss and carbs?
Avoid the bad ones, and eat plenty of the good ones, both complex and simple.
This means lots of freedom to create healthy, delicious meals – and enjoy losing weight at the same time.
