A lot of people have been asking for some simple rules when it comes to diet, especially Carbohydrates, which is what we will focus on in this article. This isn’t too hard to understand seeing as there are so many cool sounding diets out there touting results by eliminating Carbs…we won’t name any names here ;)
The fact is, Carbohydrates are a necessary nutrient for the body, one of three macronutrients that supply calories to our bodies (the other two being protein and fat). Why do Carbs have such a bad rap? Well, one of the reasons is the misunderstanding between Simple Carbohydrates and Complex Carbohydrates…or not even knowing there is a difference to begin with. However, there are plenty of great articles out there outlining the differences and giving several examples…one of which is below:
Be sure to scroll to page 2 and 3 of the article where it gets real juicy in relation to what we really want to know about.
In Summary:
1) Bad diet + no exercise = weight gain and a growing chance of any number of physical ailments such as DIABETES.
2) Complex Carbohydrates often contain necessary vitamins, minerals, and fibers while most Simple Carbohydrates (basically sugar) just provide calories without all the good stuff.
3) Refining whole grain foods end up stripping many of those nutrients out, so while some foods fall into the complex carbohydrate category, they may not have all the nutrients from pre-processing.
4) Simple Carbohydrates enter the blood stream much quicker giving your blood sugar levels spikes and then downers afterward while Complex Carbohydrates, due to their added nutrients like fiber, allow for a slower more steady entry into the blood stream helping to regulate blood sugar levels - - mucho important for Diabetics!
5) Excess Carbohydrate intake, regardless of simple or complex, your body doesn’t burn will be stored as glycogen with any extra your body converting to FAT
6) Foods touted as “Low Fat” on the shelves at the grocery store are usually a BIG TRICK. The manufacturers replace the fat with more Carbs...usually the simple ones to augment taste…tsk…tsk! Many people think that because it’s low fat it must have fewer calories (Fat is 9 Calories per gram as opposed to Carbs and Protein which are 4 Calories per gram)…however replacing the fat with double the Carbs…does not solve the calorie problem many people are struggling with.
Examples of Simple Carbohydrates: Fruit Juices high in sugar; Candy; Cake; Table Sugar; Soda; Corn Syrup; Pastries; Pizza
Examples of Complex Carbohydrates which have been refined…and in the process may lack many of the nutrients the list below contains: White Flour; White Pasta; Pizza; Biscuits; Pastries; White Bread; White Rice.
Examples of Complex Carbohydrates that are good for you: Whole grain pastas; Whole grain bread; Wild Rice; Brown Rice; Nuts; Sweet Corn; Yams; Beans; Veggies
Milk and Fruit fall into weird categories. Simple Carbohydrates are found in both of them…but are naturally occurring sugars…such as Fructose and Lactose. They also contain various minerals and vitamins making some of the Carbs found in them to be Complex as well. They are a good mix of the two balancing themselves out…a good addition to any diet.
So, how do you need to adjust the Carb Intake for your results? That depends on what type of results you are looking for and what type of exercises you are doing. Carbs are still a vital nutrient and aid in the body’s process of producing glucose, which further interacts with the body to produce ATP – the body’s energy source…i.e. Carbs equal energy. By starving your body of Carbs, like some diets suggest, your body will produce ATP through other means, such as available fat stores and protein…both of which are also vital to your body during exercise. Everyone’s body is different and reacts to exercise and diet differently…again there is no one size fits all, though it’s easier to categorize something and put it in a box…our own world is much more controllable when we do this. All it takes from you is a little experimentation under the proper guidance and a little fortitude to reach your fitness goals. How important is your health to you…to your loved ones? Are you willing to make that investment of time and energy into yourself?
