Five Carbs That Are Good For Your And Five That Are Not
Almost every food item in the world is made up of carbs. Why so? That’s because carbs are vital for good health. They are needed for energy by everyone. Moreover, carbohydrates facilitate the proper functioning of vital organs like the brain, kidneys, and nervous system.
Everyone needs some amount of carbs to function optimally. But that does allow us to gorge on unhealthy carb foods like cakes, pastries, candies, chips, etc. People are quick to cut carbs when they are focussing on their health. It is one of the major mistakes that they make, which costs them heavily afterwards.
Carbohydrates are of two types. Understanding the difference between them is the key to making better food choices and optimizing your health in the long run.
Good and Bad Carbs – What Are They?
Unhealthy and healthy carbohydrate food items, Credits: Pixabay
Carbohydrates are naturally occurring sugars found in many food items like whole grains, cereals, fruits, and vegetables. They are broken down quickly in your digestive system into glucose. This glucose is what provides you with sustained energy throughout the day.
Good carbs or natural carbs are those which take longer to get digested by your body since they have huge amounts of fibre in them. They are found in natural, unprocessed, and unrefined foods. Carbs in oats, carbs in roti (made of whole grain flour) are the prime examples of such ‘good’ carbs.
Good carbs are called good because apart from being fibre rich, they are also packed with essential vitamins and minerals needed for your body to function efficiently. Fibre keeps you full and promotes healthy bowel movement, which leads to good digestion. These slow energy releasing carbs stabilize your blood sugar levels and effectively protect you against developing heart diseases, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
On the other hand, bad or refined carbs are those that have less fibre and more sugar. Common examples include cakes, biscuits, ice cream, etc. They have no nutritional value and are calorically high. As they lack fibre, they get digested by your body within seconds, leaving you hungrier than before. Naturally, you reach out for more of them, which makes you consume more calories than usual, leading to weight gain.
Good Carbs and Their Benefits
Healthy carbohydrate food items, Credits: Pixabay
There are lots of good carbs that you can eat daily to get essential nutrients in your body. Some of the best ones include whole wheat flour, bread, pasta, potatoes, legumes like pulses, barley, quinoa, and corn. They offer several benefits like:
They are unprocessed and made up of natural ingredients. As they are minimally processed, eating them will ensure that you get all the benefits that they have to offer.
They are gradually digested by your body, thus keeping your energy levels stable throughout the day.
They prevent you from developing chronic health conditions like diabetes and obesity. They are low in cholesterol and thus are a boon for maintaining your heart health.
Bad Carbs and Their Effects
Unhealthy carbohydrate food items, Credits: Pixabay
Bad carbs are found in all the packaged products that have undergone a high degree of processing. They include bakery items like biscuits, cakes, sweets, chips, white bread, etc. Here’s how they wreak havoc on your health.
They are highly processed, having zero nutritional value. They only provide your body with calories without any nutrition.
Their rapid digestion by the body causes a spike in your insulin levels. It makes your pancreas produce more insulin. More insulin production prompts your body to store more fat.
As they’re high in sugar, people who consume them are prone to develop conditions like type 2 diabetes and obesity.
You might wonder about carbs in milk and carbs in paneer after knowing about good and bad carbs. Dairy products like milk, paneer, yogurt are primarily made of fat and proteins. They have a minimal amount of carbohydrates in them. You must pair them up with a source of good carbs like whole wheat or starchy vegetables.
Carbohydrates are not bad for your health. You only need to make a conscious decision to eat more good carbs and avoid bad carbs if you want to achieve your health goals over time.