What are the differences between bad and good carbs?

The quick answer is that good carbs, often known as carbohydrates, are beneficial to your health. Carbs that aren’t good for you aren’t.

White bread, white rice, pastry, sugary sodas, and other highly processed meals are heavy in carbohydrates, which can make you fat. These so-called bad carbs will raise your risk of disease if you consume a lot of them.

Good carbs, on the other hand, such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, keep you healthy by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a variety of other nutrients. As a result, excellent carbs should be a part of every healthy diet.

Carbohydrates are your body’s most significant source of energy. Carbohydrates are converted into blood sugar by the digestive system (glucose). The glucose is used by your body, and any excess sugar is stored for later use.

Carbohydrates were formerly divided into two types: simple and complex carbohydrate. Sugars like fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose), and table sugar were examples of simple carbohydrates (sucrose). Everything made up of three or more linked sugars was considered a complex carbohydrate. Complex carbs were once regarded to be the healthiest type of carbohydrate to consume. That assumption is now being questioned.

The glycemic index is a novel approach that categorizes carbohydrates based on how quickly and how much they raise blood sugar. Foods having a high glycemic index, such as white bread, cause blood sugar to surge quickly. Low-glycemic-index foods, such as whole oats, are absorbed more slowly, resulting in a more gradual rise in blood sugar.

Diabetes, heart disease, obesity, age-related macular degeneration, infertility, and colorectal cancer have all been linked to diets high in foods with a high glycemic index. Low-glycemic-index foods assist in diabetes management and weight loss.

Other research, on the other hand, have discovered that the glycemic index has minimal impact on health or weight. As a result, more glycemic index study is required.

A diet cannot be solely based on the glycemic index. Use it as a broad guide instead. Meanwhile, consume foods with a low glycemic index, such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.

From the Harvard School of Public Health, here are five fast carb-related tips:

  1. Eat whole grains first thing in the morning. Try a hot cereal with healthy grains, such as old-fashioned oats, or a cold cereal with whole grains as the first ingredient.
  2. For lunch or snacks, use whole grain breads.
  3. Place the potatoes in a bag. Instead, serve your entrée with brown rice, bulgur, wheat berries, whole wheat pasta, or another whole grain.
  4. Instead of juice, choose entire fruit. A 12-ounce glass of orange juice contains twice as much fiber and half as much sugar as an orange.
  5. It’s time to start cooking the beans. Beans are a fantastic source of protein and a good supply of slowly digested carbs.

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