When we add carbohydrates to our daily food routine, we are enriched with the feeling of fullness and energy. We won’t feel the need to fill our appetite for an extended period because they take time to digest and reduce the urge to eat frequently.
It is essential to add carbohydrates to your food to keep you healthy and going every day. The eating of carbohydrates further leads to our body breaking it into glycogen or sugar, which is then used up as energy for the better functioning of all parts of the body.
People who are into fitness activities or are regular in the gym need energy for performing such exercise. Carbohydrates best help them to do that. It is not wise to leave carbohydrates or be on strict restriction against it as it could cause the feeling of dizziness, fatigue, weakness in you.
Now, there are ‘fad diet’ tips available online that differentiate carbohydrates into good and evil. But one should not go for such kind of differentiation. Remember, everything has a downside to it; you need to know the quantity and the correct source to obtain your nutrient, as mentioned above.
According to a source, there are nothing called good or bad carbohydrates; rather, the better way to differentiate carbohydrates would be Simple or Complex ones. One can try to reduce his carbohydrate intake from all the processed food because it contains refined carbohydrates. But it is always beneficial to obtain a nutrient from natural sources, and in the case of carbohydrates, it is fruits and vegetables.
Let us understand this differentiation between carbohydrates and what is the best foods to obtain them from.
The Good and The Bad Carbs
As mentioned above in the article, there is nothing known as good or bad carbohydrates. There are refined carbohydrates in the food, but some of them do have little nutritional value. So it would be better to understand the categories of carbohydrates as Simple and Complex.
The three most essential macronutrients in our body enable our system’s better functioning- fats, protein, and carbohydrates. Foods with complex and simple carbohydrates define this role in our body by providing all of these nutrients.
Simple Carbohydrates
A simple carbohydrate means that the food has only one or two molecules of glucose/sugar. It is also known as monosaccharides and disaccharides. As we know, these foods contain naturally obtained or added sugars, which makes them easy to digest, such as fruit juices, milk, fruits, sugar soda, etc.
Some of the foods with simple carbohydrates do have enough nutritional value, such as slim or non-fat milk, fruits, naturally obtained juices, etc. But all the packaged or processed foods such as chips, crackers could do more harm than good.
The white bread or pasta you eat are whole grains that are complex and contain enough fiber, but when they are processed and converted, all their nutritional value is lost, making them harmful.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are those foods that contain more than three molecules of glucose/sugar. It is also known as polysaccharides. Complex carbohydrate foods are also rich in fiber and starch, making them a little complex to digest.
The digestion process is mainly a slow release of energy and keeps you full for a longer duration. It also keeps your energy intact for a longer time. These slow release of energy foods also helps regulate blood sugar and has enough vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
The foods that contain complex carbohydrates include legumes, oats, brown rice, whole grains, etc. Since these foods are rich in fiber, they are also suitable for your bowel movement.
Foods that are rich in Carbohydrates
You need to be aware of refined carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates because switching from one to the other can help solve half of your health problems, especially when it comes to constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
It is essential for you to keep your gut healthy and find out the right foods with carbohydrates and are naturally enriched with them. As a source mentions, it is better to eat baked potatoes instead of grabbing a packet of chips with no fiber or micronutrients to provide to your body.
It is necessary to understand that processed foods are the first natural foods that have gone through a lot of converting, and the first thing that completely strips out of that natural ingredient is fiber. It is then sugar and sodium added to them for taste enhancement and flavors. The food is mainly processed to increase its shelf life, but it doesn’t have many nutrients to offer to your body.
Instead, go for foods with a shorter shelf life and have fewer ingredients added to them to make them taste better instead of natural. Prefer eating whole foods than going for their processed version. Here are some tips to add organic carbohydrates into your everyday eating plan and some rich foods in carbohydrates, fiber, and the other micronutrients essential for your body.
Carbohydrate Foods:
- Whole grains such as brown rice, oats, whole grain bread
- Fruits rich in fiber such as banana (Also, remember not to peel off the skin over these fruits as they have the most nutritional value).
- Sweet potatoes (Again prefer eating them with skin when you cut them)
- Green beans and legumes should be added to your food.
- Add fats too in your daily meal, such as nuts.
Tips for eating complex carbohydrates instead of refined ones:
- When you drink fruit juices squeezed at home, remember to add some water to it so that the sugar could be diluted as they are simple carbs.
- Avoid eating all the processed snacks such as crackers and chips that have some nutritional value, but they won’t matter much. It is always good to know your limit.
- Avoid all the sweeteners such as sports drinks, soda, or chocolate milk. These contain hidden sugars that could harm your health and cause the accumulation of extra fat in your system.
- Switch to brown bread instead of the white ones as they lack vitamins and fibers. Remember to eat them at moderate levels.
