Everything You Need to Know about Carbs?

Carbohydrate (Carb) is one of the three macronutrients the body needs to stay healthy. Although we get most of our energy from carbohydrates, many fad diets profess to be effective by eliminating or significantly reducing carbs in their diets.

Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap. However, all Carbs are not bad.

Carbohydrates have many health benefits and have their rightful place in the diet. In fact, the body needs carbs to work well. That is why Corrective Lifestyles advocates the daily use of complex carbohydrates to fuel your body so you can do more of what you love.

There are three main types of carbohydrates:

Sugar. Sugar is the simplest form of carbohydrate. It occurs naturally in some foods, including fruits, vegetables, milk, and milk products. Sugar in the form of fructose is found in fruits, table sugar (sucrose), and milk sugar (lactose).

Starch. Starch is a complex carbohydrate. This means it is made up of many sugar units bonded together. They provide vitamins and minerals. It takes your body longer to break down complex carbohydrates. This keeps blood sugar levels stable and you stay full longer. Starch occurs naturally in vegetables, grains, and cooked dry beans and peas.

Fiber. Fiber is a complex carbohydrate. Your body can’t break down fiber. Most of it passes through the intestines, stimulating and aiding digestion. Fiber also regulates blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, and keeps you feeling full longer. It occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and cooked dry beans and peas. Animal products, including dairy products and meats, have no fiber. Experts recommend 25 to 30 grams of fiber every day. Most of us don’t even get half that amount.

Despite their bad reputation, carbohydrates are vital to your health for many reasons.

Health Benefits of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates supply Energy to fuel the Body

Carbohydrates are the body's main fuel source. During digestion, sugars and starches are broken down into simple sugars. They're known as blood sugar (glucose). Glucose fuels your body to do more. Whether it's going for a jog or simply breathing and thinking you need energy, carbohydrates supply this passive energy. Glucose not used for energy is stored in the liver, muscles and other cells for later use or converted to fat.

Carbohydrates help Protect against Disease

There is evidence that whole grains and dietary fiber from whole foods help lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Fiber may protect against obesity, colon, and rectal cancers, and type 2 diabetes. Fiber is essential for optimal digestive health.

Eat more beans, peas, and lentils. Beans, peas, and lentils are among the most versatile and nutritious foods. They are typically low in fat and high in folate, potassium, iron, and magnesium. They have useful fats and fiber and are a good source of protein. Peas and beans can be a healthy substitute for meat, which has more saturated fat and cholesterol

Carbohydrates may help Control weight

Evidence shows that eating plenty of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains can help you control your weight. Their bulk and fiber content aids weight control by helping you feel full faster and stay full longer. Despite what proponents of low-carb diets say, few studies show that a diet rich in healthy carbs leads to weight gain or obesity.

To get the most out of eating Carbs, choose whole grains:

• Whole grains are foods like whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole cornmeal, and oatmeal. They offer lots of nutrients that your body needs, like vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

• To determine whether a product has a lot of whole grains, check the ingredients list on the package and see if a whole grain is one of the first few items listed.

• Refined grains are foods that have had some parts of the grains and nutrients that are good for your health removed.

You may have been thinking of carbohydrates as either "good" or "bad." As with all foods, the secret to eating carbohydrates is to make smart decisions and limit the ones that aren’t as healthy for you. Your best bet is to choose nutrient-dense carbs that have fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Stay away from bagged or boxed carbohydrates that have been processed, and have nutrients removed, and then added back.

Reset your body to slow aging and manage your weight with the Five Day Fast Mimicking Diet. For more info visit www.correctivelifestyles.com.

Corinthia Loblack, MSN,APRN

Health Coach

Corrective Lifestyles