Carbs: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly?

LFDBabs

OK...so I'm still on the learning curve. Trying to undo a lot of years of not thinking about what I'm eating. I know that when I do Atkins or South Beach, I drop weight fast and furious with little to no exercising needed. BUT...that weight never stays off. The light bulb finally went off that "diets" don't work. I need to change my way of thinking about food.

It's that thought process that has me wondering.... and I've googled to my hearts content and would like some feedback from my MFP peeps....

Is there a difference in how carbs are processed based on their origin. What I'm getting at is this: If I eat a piece of Italian Bread, for instance and let's say for arguments sake said piece of bread has 20g of carbs. If I eat a red bell pepper and that pepper has 20 carbs, do they process in my body differently due to the fact that one is a whole/natural food (veggie) and the other is processed?

Just curious if there are good carbs and bad carbs or if it's all the same and just proportionate to calories/fat/carbs. Thanks in advance for any and all opinions on this topic!!

bcattoes

Carbs are processed differently by the digestive system based on the package they come in. By that I mean what else is included in the food besides carbohydrates. Here is a really good science based but easily understandable explanation of the good and the bad of carbohydrates.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates-full-story/index.html#what-are-carbohydrates

Acg67

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/a-primer-on-dietary-carbohydrates-part-1.html

outtanms

bump for later. thanks!

salxtai

Carbs are just a macronutrient.
They get a bad rep from diets a lot of the time, and some people avoid "white" ones etc.

essentially, there's not really a "bad" and a "good".

low GI (glycemic index) is generally better because it takes longer to break down (based on its biochem), so it keeps you going for longer (think of burning twigs vs. a massive log in the fire.)

high GI foods give you a faster release of hormones but you also "flat line" faster, so to speak because you burn through them faster (ie. the twigs)


You could, barring all nutritional requirements from other macros, have a diet that is 100% carbs and still lose weight as long as calories in < calories out.

Carbs are also your primary source of fuel for your brain and muscles - which is why you can feel unwell when doing diets that restrict carbs and send the body into ketosis (body burns ketones to fuel brain / muscles etc. Still fuel, but its like burning the type of wood that chucks up thick gag-inducing smoke).

Alexstrasza

There is a difference in how they affect the body.

Carbs from fruit/veggies are complex carbs and are great for your body, especially if you are a runner!

Carbs from processed sugary foods, not so great. Yes the body can use the carbs just the same, but all the other stuff in that food item is what is going to bring you down, not the carbs.