Good Carbs/ Bad Carbs

mjshorty5

Everytime I make a weight loss attempt, well in the past anyway, I have done so by reducing carbs drastically. It works, for a while, then it all comes raging back at me.

This time I want to include healthy carbs. Here is my dilemma:

I have NO idea what Good carbs are and what BAD carbs are.

Could someone give me guidance on how to distinguish these things?

I assume whole grains are good, but I need more specific advice.

UponThisRock

The labeling of carbs, or any other food, as "good" or "bad" is a simplistic way to get people to think about eating a healthier diet, but the reality is that no food is inherently "good" or "bad" outside the context of the overall diet.

Acg67

The labeling of carbs, or any other food, as "good" or "bad" is a simplistic way to get people to think about eating a healthier diet, but the reality is that no food is inherently "good" or "bad" outside the context of the overall diet.

^ A perfect answer

yarmiah

You want to avoid processed foods made with "enriched"/white flour and sugar.
(Steer clear of things in bags or boxes without reading the label VERY carefully!)

Whole wheat versions of bread, tortillas, pastas are great complex carbs
High protein cereals and old fashioned oatmeal are other options.
Many veggies and legumes too contain complex carbs. Most fruit have
carbs of the more simple variety, but at least they will contain other nutrients
and/or fiber/

As i understand it, simple carbs have little or no nutritional benefit and are absorbed quickly-
whatever you don't burn gets stored as fat. Complex carbs on the other hand, are absorbed
slowly, filling you up and staving off hunger- PLUS has nutritional value.

bcattoes

From the Harvard School of Public Health
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates/index.html

Choose the best sources of carbohydrates—whole grains (the less processed, the better), vegetables, fruits and beans—since they promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients. Skip the easily digested refined carbohydrates from refined grains—white bread, white rice, and the like— as well as pastries, sugared sodas, and other highly processed foods, since these may contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote diabetes and heart disease.

Try these five quick tips for adding good carbs to your diet:

1. Start the day with whole grains. Try a hot cereal, like steel cut oats, or a cold cereal that lists a whole grain first on the ingredient list.

2. Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks. Confused about how to find a whole-grain bread? Look for bread that lists as the first ingredient whole wheat, whole rye, or some other whole grain —and even better, one that is made with only whole grains, such as 100 percent whole wheat bread. Or try this recipe for hearty whole grain bread.

3. Bag the potatoes. Instead, try brown rice, bulgur, wheat berries, whole wheat pasta, or another whole grain with your dinner. Read "Health Gains from Whole Grains" for a list of whole grains and their health benefits, or check out these whole grain recipes.

4. Choose whole fruit instead of juice.An orange has two times as much fiber and half as much sugar as a 12-ounce glass of orange juice. Looking for juice alternatives? See six ideas for low-sugar drinks, a recipe for a low-sugar fruit cooler, and a recipe for sugar-free sparkling iced tea.

5. Bring on the beans. Beans are an excellent source of slowly digested carbohydrates as well as a great source of protein.

jacksonpt

Good carbs are ones that fit into your daily calorie/macro goals. Bad carbs are ones that don't.

Don't get too hung up on what they are or where they come from. Get yourself dialed into your daily goals, then tweak from there if you need/want to.

PercivalHackworth

The labeling of carbs, or any other food, as "good" or "bad" is a simplistic way to get people to think about eating a healthier diet, but the reality is that no food is inherently "good" or "bad" outside the context of the overall diet.

Everything has been said

Sidesteal

The labeling of carbs, or any other food, as "good" or "bad" is a simplistic way to get people to think about eating a healthier diet, but the reality is that no food is inherently "good" or "bad" outside the context of the overall diet.

/applause. ^ Excellent answer.