Good Carbs Vs Bad Carbs

Are you cutting back on carbs to lose weight? It’s important to know the best ones to eliminate. There are good carbs and bad carbs. Good carbs play a crucial role in healthy eating. Carbohydrates are macronutrients that provide energy. You get carbs from plant-based sources, like vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. There are simple carbs and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbs are easier to digest and complex carbohydrates are, as the name states, more complex and take longer to digest.

Simple carbs release sugar quickly into the bloodstream.

Simple carbs, such as sugar, or highly refined or processed food often contain little nutrition but are loaded with calories. They digest fast, providing a burst of energy. What goes up must come down and just as quickly, your energy levels drop. The sudden increase of glucose—blood sugar—creates a dramatic increase in insulin. When that happens too often, it can cause insulin resistance, weight gain, and other health issues. Besides sugar or food with added sugar, bad carbs are in white bread, white rice, and other highly processed foods.

Good carbs are often in the produce section of the grocery.

Fruits and vegetables are complex carbohydrates containing fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. The fiber in good carbs causes them to move slower through the digestive process. Fiber also blocks some of the sugar from being absorbed. The slow digestive process maintains a steady energy level without spikes or excess glucose pumped into the body. Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruit comprise the selection of good carbs. They fill you up, are lower in calories, provide a wide variety of nutrients, and keep you feeling full longer.

You need carbohydrates in your diet, and eating the right ones can help you lose weight.

Your body needs energy. Carbohydrates provide it. Knowing the difference between healthy—good carbs and unhealthy—bad ones can make all the difference in the world whether you lose weight and are healthy. Unfortunately, much of the food you find in groceries and at fast food restaurants contains mainly bad carbs. If you’re unsure whether you’re making a good choice, read the label when selecting food at the grocery. You can’t go wrong by choosing whole foods.

• Eating too many bad carbs can take a toll on your health. It can increase the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. It can also lead to the risk of malnutrition and conditions caused by that.
• When you choose good carbs, you’re choosing food high in fiber. A diet rich in fiber can help prevent constipation and digestive issues. It can improve your gut microbiome that affects many aspects of your health.
• Eating healthy isn’t about deprivation. It’s about making better decisions when you select food. Instead of grabbing a candy bar as a snack, choose healthier options like apple slices with peanut butter.
• It’s hard to quit eating food with added sugar, especially since sugar is addictive. It may be uncomfortable for a week or two, but after that, you’ll notice how much better food tastes. Too much sugar dulls the sense of taste.

For more information, contact us today at Thrive Fitness!