The Carbohydrate Debate by Renee Kennedy

To eat or not to eat carbohydrates. that is the question.

There are good carbs and there are bad carbs.

How can we tell the difference and how do we know

what to eat?

The old way of classifying carbohydrates:

Complex Carbohydrates provide fiber, vitamins,

minerals and energy. Some foods that contain complex

carbohydrates are whole grain bread, legumes like peas

and beans, pasta, rice, and starchy vegetables.

Simple Carbohydrates are broken down quickly to

provide energy. Simple carbohydrates are found

naturally in milk, fruits and vegetables. Simple carbs

are also found in processed foods like syrup, soda,

and refined sugar found in many processed baked goods.

In this way of classifying carbs, it is recommended that

we limit our intake of simple carbs and get most of our

carbohydrates from complex carbs.

The new way of classifying carbohydrates:

The Glycemic Index (GI) measures how quickly blood

sugar rises after ingesting a food with carbohydrates.

Eating a diet full of foods that have been rated with a

high GI may contribute to an increased risk of diabetes

and heart disease.

Highly processed or highly refined carbohydrates have

been found to have a high GI - foods like white bread,

white rice, white pasta, french fries and refined

breakfast cereals.

Whole foods will have a lower GI - legumes, whole

fruit, and whole grains like wheat, oats, barley, and

brown rice.

However, there are exceptions to this rule. Many other

factors influence the GI of a food. Fiber content,

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BIO:

Renee Kennedy is the editor of the monthly ezine NutriCounter
Update. Come and visit the NutriCounter web site at
http://www.nutricounter.com/news.htm for an extensive selection
of articles on health, nutrition and exercise.

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