Bad Carbs Good Carbs
- Article posted by Editor
Bad Carbs, Good Carbs: Which Foods Are Which?
Carbs have been in the news a great deal lately. Some of the information can be confusing. One source tells you carbs are bad; another touts the health benefits of carbs.
Which one is right? Are carbs bad or good?
The reality is there are both bad carbs and good carbs. So how do you tell which one is which?
The Bad Carbs
Bad carbs are simple sugars that your body digests much more quickly. The bad carbs are essentially simple sugars that rapidly turn into glucose in the digestive system and will generally score high on the Glycemic Index (GI).
Note: The Glycemic index or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels.
The Good Carbs
Good carbs are more complex, and digest much more slowly and generally score low on the Glycemic Index (GI). Good carbs tend to provide you with a full feeling longer, and allow you to eat less during the day.
Processed Foods = Bad Carbs
One simple rule of thumb in determining if a food is full of bad carbs or good carbs is the more processed the food is, the more likely it is to be laden with bad carbs. Things like white bread, soda, white rice, or candy are loaded with bad carbs. The speed of digestion of bad carbs can create spikes in blood sugar, and can lead to weight gain. Instead, look for whole grains, things like brown rice or long grain rice, whole grain bread, or whole oats. Good carbs digest more slowly, and do not produce the blood sugar spike you find with bad carbs.
Carbs Cooking Tip: When cooking high carbohydrate foods such as rice and pasta, be careful not to overcook them. The softer these foods are, the faster they are digested and metabolized into sugar. What you want is a nice firm or ‘plump’ texture (‘al dente’ as the Italians say) and you will end up with a lower GI meal that will leave you feeling fuller longer.
Natural, Colorful Foods = Good Carbs
A second simple rule of thumb in determining bad carbs from good carbs is color. When you sit down to your next meal, step back and just look at your plate. Does it look like a rainbow, full of vibrant naturally colorful foods; is it fairly monotone and mostly white, or even filled unnaturally loud colors? What you are looking for is a plate of food filled with natural color, the pyrotechnic orange of cheese-flavored chips does add color to a plate, but it is not a natural color. Instead opt for things like a sweet potato, some lean meat, and a salad filled with lettuce or fresh spinach, tomato and cheese.
Always Read The Label
One thing to be careful of however, is misleading labels. When purchasing something like a whole grain bread or pasta, there are two places you should look at on the label.
First is the ingredient list. The ingredient list should not have refined or enriched anything as the first thing. If the primary ingredient is refined, it is full of bad carbs, no matter what the package says.
Second is the fiber content. Higher fiber content usually means more good carbs than bad. Look for at least three grams of fiber per serving, more is better.
Eat Mostly Good Carbs = Good Health
Good carbs are found in natural foods that have been through none very little processing.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, or whole oats are some good sources.
Instead of digesting quickly, good carbs take longer to digest, and leave you feeling fuller longer. They are also a good source of many vitamins and minerals that are essential to the body, and to your health.
Ultimately you need not be too concerned with the whole bad carbs good carbs thing. Just focus on filling your diet with natural foods with high fiber content (and protein) and you will have made an excellent choice for your long-term health.
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