Eat Plenty of Complex Carbohydrates
Myths and Truths About the Power of Carbs
We get the question a lot: "Why do you recommend so many carbs?" In this age of low-carb diets, there’s a lot of confusion and misleading info about the benefits and drawbacks of carbohydrates. Let’s clear it up once and for all.
The FDA suggests that 55% of our daily calorie intake should come from carbohydrates. For all of those math majors out there, that means more than half. But here’s the confusion that many low-carb diets don’t spell out. What the FDA does not quantify is how much of that 55% should come from complex carbohydrates as opposed to simple carbohydrates.
There is a very real difference between simple and complex carbohydrates. Let’s look at them.
Simple carbohydrates, found in rice, pasta, white potatoes and some dairy products, contain sugars that are broken down quickly by your body. This will provide your body with a quick burst of energy, but if the carbohydrates are not used quickly, the sugar will turn to fat.
So in the long run, simple carbs make it harder to lose weight. Simple carbs and the sugar overload may also lead to type 2 diabetes. That’s why low-carb diets cut them out. But those diets often lump all carbs together.
Complex carbohydrates also contain sugars, but ones that contain longer, more complex chains. Because of these longer, more complex chains, the human body takes longer to break them down. This allows the body more time to use the carbohydrates, and as a result fewer of the carbs turn to fat. Vegetables, whole grain pastas and breads and beans all contain complex carbohydrates.
This means you can get the fueling benefits of carbohydrates and still lose weight – as long as they’re the right kinds of carbs.
Another key advantage of complex carbohydrates is fiber. Fibrous foods have more bulk than low fiber foods, warding off hunger and keeping you satisfied. That means less eating and fewer calories! A fiber rich diet is also beneficial in alleviating and preventing conditions including constipation, diverticulosis, colon and rectal cancer, heart disease, breast cancer, diabetes, and obesity. And the best foods to get fiber from are complex carbohydrates.
It's recommended that you get 6-11 daily servings of carbs. Of course, we recommend that most if not all of them are complex carb servings like whole grains. Try to get 4-6 servings to start with and build from there. It might not be as hard as you think; a whole wheat bagel, for example, is actually two servings.
Finding room in your diet for complex carbohydrates can be very easy, because many of us already are eating plenty of carbohydrates. Now it’s just a matter of replacing your simple carbohydrates with complex ones. Here are a few complex carbohydrates that can fit snugly into your diet without missing a beat:
Bran or shredded wheat cereals
100% whole grain bread
Brown rice
Sweet potatoes
Whole wheat pasta
Spinach
Bran muffins
We all know it can be hard to give up white bread or your Lucky Charms cereal, but just a few substitutions in your diet can make a huge difference and get you rolling toward improved health. |