Low Carb Crib - Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates

Who needs carbohydrates? We all do! But knowing the difference between the good carbohydrates and the bad can keep you from gaining weight, or help you lose weight.

The Complexity of Carbohydrates

We want to make this as simple as possible. Good carbohydrates (also known as complex carbohydrates) are found in foods that generally have a lot of fiber and take a long time for your body to break down and digest. This keeps you feeling full longer and gives your body a constant supply of energy. Bad carbs (also known as simple carbs) are easy for the body to break down, so when you eat sugary foods or drink sugary drinks, you might have a temporary burst of energy, but then you'll crash hard later.

People on a low carbohydrate diet limit their carbohydrate intake dramatically. Since your body uses carbohydrates for energy, it will burn fat and protein in the absence of carbohydrates. That's how people lose so much weight. But you lose so much more than that on a low carb diet. You have bad breath, you're tired and irritable, you are at higher risk for osteoporosis and cancer, and you risk kidney damage. So what's the happy-medium? Since low carb diets limit your carb intake to anywhere from 20-60 grams of carbs a day, and people need 130-150 grams a day, find a range in between that. Need a little help counting? Get a carbohydrate counter.

Are you a carb addict? Then start small. Replace your white bread, pasta and white rice with whole wheat or whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta and long grain or brown rice. Eat oatmeal for breakfast. Skip sugary cereals and go for whole grain instead. (In fact, General Mills recently announced that all of their cereals are now whole grain.) What if you have a daily snack attack? Keep fresh, precut veggies on hand or eat fruits. And if you simply must have a bad carb, that's fine. Just do it in moderation.