Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a source of energy for your body, and are a necessary part of your daily food intake. Even though we are constantly told by the media that carbohydrates are bad for you and cause weight gain, the fact is that this is only half of the truth. This is the half that has made the low carbohydrates/high protein diet industry very popular (and therefore very rich)! Before you swear off of all carbohydrates, consider some facts that the diet industry does not want you to know. First let?s look at carbohydrates in the most basic terms: simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are digested by your body very quickly and therefore cause you to feel hungry sooner. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates take longer for your body to digest and therefore leave you feeling fuller longer. While it is good to understand the distinction of the two, it is more important to understand the Glycemic Index (GI) in relation to carbohydrates to make nutritious choices. The GI can be thought of as a scale to describe how fast the carbohydrates are digested. The scale is based out of 100. The higher the number, the higher the GI, the faster it will be digested. The lower the number, the lower the GI, the slower it will be digested. High GI --> Fast Digestion --> Early hunger Low GI --> Slow Digestion --> Delayed hunger Keep in mind that not all fruits and vegetables provide low GI benefits. For this reason, please consult a GI table from a reputable source and consult your doctor before making such changes to your diet. When you eliminate carbohydrates or opt for low carbohydrate diets, you are robbing your body of fiber, minerals and vitamins. Instead, make a conscious decision to reduce or eliminate processed foods from your diet, and make healthier food choices. Here is a perfect example: as the latest news tells us, rice is considered to be a high fat food, with little nutritional value. However, there is more to this story; in its natural state, brown rice is covered with husk which is loaded with vitamins and minerals and of course fibre. After rice is processed, it becomes white rice. In this process, the rice is stripped of the husk, and therefore stripped of most of the nutrients. Rice, in its natural form contains vital vitamins and minerals that your body needs. However, rice in its processed form, is stripped of many of the vital vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Just remember some key facts: Unprocessed is better than Processed food Low GI is better than High GI.

Author: Naureen T.