Are Your Carbs Good For You?

Carbs have been the target of some bad advertising in recent years. As the body’s main source of energy, carbohydrates are essential to maintaining a healthy diet. There are plenty of great sources for healthy carb consumption; unfortunately these are often overshadowed by heavily refined, processed carbs that might be packaged to look like they’re good for you but are actually huge empty-calorie traps. But how can you tell the difference?

First, step away from the white: bad carbs are present predominantly in foods that have a lot of whites in them. “Whites” include white flour, white sugar, and white rice. These ingredients are stripped of any nutrient value and are therefore just empty-calorie traps. They digest quickly and can cause spikes in insulin and blood sugar levels, leaving you more hungry and tired than you were before. Stay away from the white!

Second, check out the label. Good carbs can be found in many sources: whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables are chock full of ‘em.  Whole wheat, brown rice, millet, barley, whole oats and other grains are excellent sources of energy, because they digest slowly, without causing spikes and crashes like white carbs do. This is where the label comes in: unless you’re eating raw whole beans, grains, fruits or vegetables, make sure that the product’s ingredient label matches its description. Many processed foods are now using enticing wording like “stone ground”, “multi-grain”, “bran” and even “100% wheat” but are chock-full of white carbs. Check the ingredient label and make sure the words “whole grains” or “whole wheat” are in the ingredient list, preferably towards the top.

Finally, congratulations! That’s pretty much all you need to know to tell good carbs from bad. Enjoy your healthy choices!

Filed Under Diet Q&A, Diet Tips 

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