Good Carbs - Bad Carbs - Know the Difference - Your Health Depends on It

When it comes to carbohydrates in the diet and how healthy they are for you, the types of carbohydrates you consume, whether they are good carbs or bad carbs, becomes more relevant than how much you consume. Carbohydrates carry out important functions in our bodies such as providing cells with energy and allowing us to engage in physical activities. They provide necessary nutrients for cells to perform effectively. Without enough nutrients from carbohydrates you will become susceptible to disease just as you would if you were missing any other vital nutrient from your body. The important thing to understand is how to separate the good carbs from the bad carbs. Understanding the difference can make a major positive difference in your health.

How do we understand the difference between good carbs and bad carbs? Bad carbohydrates cause a high rise in blood sugar levels. They are usually referred to as high glycemic foods. The glycemic index (GI) is a qualitative assessment of carbohydrates based on their effect on blood sugar levels. When glucose levels increase in the blood the body releases a hormone, insulin, in an attempt to regulate them. Insulin converts and stores the excess sugar in the blood as fat.

Obesity and diabetes are common diseases that are caused by eating too many bad carbs. You definitely want to avoid bad carbohydrates if you are trying to lose weight and improve your overall health. Bad carbs are usually processed and refined and have lots of additives in them. They include refined flour, breads and pastas, and grains such as white rice and table sugar.

Good carbs are typically unprocessed and unrefined and have low glycemic indexes. These good carbs release very slowly into the blood so blood sugar levels do not spike too high. Whole grains such as brown rice, millet, whole oats, and whole wheat pasta are good examples of low glycemic good carbs. Vegetables and fruits are also excellent sources of good carbs. It is a good idea to add nourishing fats and protein to your healthy carbohydrates. Good fats and proteins help to maximize the absorption of nutrients in carbohydrates and ensure a slow, gradual release of sugars and starches into the blood.

Whole, intact grains are beneficial to you but they contain a substance known as phytic acid which blocks the absorption of vital minerals and enzymes in the intestinal tract. Soaking grains for at least seven hours before preparing them helps to neutralize their phytic acid content so that the nutrients they provide become more easily absorbed. Soaking is essentially a way of predigesting the grains. Many people who would otherwise have allergic responses to grains find them more digestible after they have been soaked.