Good carbs?

longhaul64

What foods contain good carbs?

BCSMama

Fruits and vegetables
Whole grains like quinoa and brown rice
beans

Looking at my food diary I always seem to eat a lot of carbs, but they are like 90% from things like that.

neanderthin

What are bad carbs? Context and dosage goes a long way to make that determination, sans medical issues.

Firefox7275

IMO fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, natural dairy.

LoraF83

What are bad carbs? Context and dosage goes a long way to make that determination, sans medical issues.

^Totally agree.

longhaul64

What are bad carbs? Context and dosage goes a long way to make that determination, sans medical issues.

That's my point exactly ...... I hear people talk about good carbs and bad carbs, but what I am trying to figure out is which foods contain "good carbs". When logging my foods for the day my total carb count contains both. I want to try and increase the amount of "good" carbs in my diet.

Railr0aderTony

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats form the three main macronutrients that are essential in every balanced diet. While proteins and fats may be responsible for bodily functions such as the creation of body tissues and insulation, carbohydrates provide calories that are necessary for the production of energy. In fact, carbs provide more than 60 percent of the amount of energy required by the body. The energy is mostly used for normal body functions such as heartbeat, digestion, breathing and body movement. Carbohydrates can be classified according to their chemical structures, and under such classification, they are divided into simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.

Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are simple sugars with a chemical structure that is composed of one or two sugars. They are refined sugars that have very little nutritional value to the body, and therefore, it's advisable that their consumption be limited to small quantities. In comparison to complex carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates are digested by the body more quickly, because they have a very simple chemical structure.

There are two types of simple carbohydrates: monosaccharides and disaccharides. Monosaccharides consist of only one sugar, and examples include fructose, galactose and glucose. Disaccharides consist of two chemically-linked monosaccharides, and they come in the form of lactose, maltose and sucrose.

Foods that contain simple carbohydrates include table sugar, products with white flour, honey, milk, yoghurt, candy, chocolate, fruit, fruit juice, cake, jam, biscuits, molasses, soda and packaged cereals. Despite the fact that simple carbohydrates do not contain enough essential nutrients, some foodstuffs such as fruits may still be good for you.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates consist of a chemical structure that is made up of three or more sugars, which are usually linked together to form a chain. These sugars are mostly rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Due to their complexity, they take a little longer to digest, and they don't raise the sugar levels in the blood as quickly as simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates act as the body's fuel, and they contribute significantly to energy production.

Similar to simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates are divided into two categories: oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. Oligosaccharides consist of a small number of monosaccharides, which does not exceed 10. They are important in the absorption of certain minerals and the formation of fatty acids. Polysaccharides are often made up of a large number of monosaccharides and disaccharides. Examples of polysaccharides include cellulose, dextrin, glycogen and starch.

Complex carbohydrates are commonly found in vegetables, whole-meal bread and cereals. Examples of foods that contain complex carbohydrates include spinach, yams, broccoli, beans, zucchini, lentils, skimmed milk, whole grains and many other leguminous plants and vegetables.

Complex carbohydrates have a higher nutritional value than simple carbohydrates. It may be confusing to differentiate simple and complex carbohydrates due to the fact that complex ones contain certain elements of simple ones. Nevertheless, differentiating the two should not be a problem since their chemical structures are very different, and therefore, they can be distinguished by their nutritional properties. The consumption of simple carbohydrates is not recommended, especially for diabetics.

Railr0aderTony

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats form the three main macronutrients that are essential in every balanced diet. While proteins and fats may be responsible for bodily functions such as the creation of body tissues and insulation, carbohydrates provide calories that are necessary for the production of energy. In fact, carbs provide more than 60 percent of the amount of energy required by the body. The energy is mostly used for normal body functions such as heartbeat, digestion, breathing and body movement. Carbohydrates can be classified according to their chemical structures, and under such classification, they are divided into simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.

Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are simple sugars with a chemical structure that is composed of one or two sugars. They are refined sugars that have very little nutritional value to the body, and therefore, it's advisable that their consumption be limited to small quantities. In comparison to complex carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates are digested by the body more quickly, because they have a very simple chemical structure.

There are two types of simple carbohydrates: monosaccharides and disaccharides. Monosaccharides consist of only one sugar, and examples include fructose, galactose and glucose. Disaccharides consist of two chemically-linked monosaccharides, and they come in the form of lactose, maltose and sucrose.

Foods that contain simple carbohydrates include table sugar, products with white flour, honey, milk, yoghurt, candy, chocolate, fruit, fruit juice, cake, jam, biscuits, molasses, soda and packaged cereals. Despite the fact that simple carbohydrates do not contain enough essential nutrients, some foodstuffs such as fruits may still be good for you.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates consist of a chemical structure that is made up of three or more sugars, which are usually linked together to form a chain. These sugars are mostly rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Due to their complexity, they take a little longer to digest, and they don't raise the sugar levels in the blood as quickly as simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates act as the body's fuel, and they contribute significantly to energy production.

Similar to simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates are divided into two categories: oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. Oligosaccharides consist of a small number of monosaccharides, which does not exceed 10. They are important in the absorption of certain minerals and the formation of fatty acids. Polysaccharides are often made up of a large number of monosaccharides and disaccharides. Examples of polysaccharides include cellulose, dextrin, glycogen and starch.

Complex carbohydrates are commonly found in vegetables, whole-meal bread and cereals. Examples of foods that contain complex carbohydrates include spinach, yams, broccoli, beans, zucchini, lentils, skimmed milk, whole grains and many other leguminous plants and vegetables.

Complex carbohydrates have a higher nutritional value than simple carbohydrates. It may be confusing to differentiate simple and complex carbohydrates due to the fact that complex ones contain certain elements of simple ones. Nevertheless, differentiating the two should not be a problem since their chemical structures are very different, and therefore, they can be distinguished by their nutritional properties. The consumption of simple carbohydrates is not recommended, especially for diabetics.

even though this is way oversimplify this, simple=bad complex=good but there is room for both, I said when I started that I am not "giving up" anything and I havent, neither have you Mark and you have lost a bunch of weight. for me I need to eat like I plan on eatting for the rest of my life, No diets no fads, Real food.

bcattoes

Generally the amount of fiber and added sugar determines whether a carb heavy food is deamed good or bad.

Vegetables and fruits are good. When eating grains go for minimally processed (unground) grains or if choosing a product made with flour, look for a 10:1 ratio of total carbs to fiber and low sugar content.

LoraF83

What are bad carbs? Context and dosage goes a long way to make that determination, sans medical issues.

That's my point exactly ...... I hear people talk about good carbs and bad carbs, but what I am trying to figure out is which foods contain "good carbs". When logging my foods for the day my total carb count contains both. I want to try and increase the amount of "good" carbs in my diet.

I don't think it's something you need to worry too much about. You consistently make good choices and you've been very successful so far.

Make whole grain choices most of the time. Eat fruits and veggies and beans. Then, it's no big deal if you want some pizza on the weekend or a white bun on your hamburger.

The main thing is to eat like you can imagine eating for the rest of your life. If you say "NO WHITE FLOUR EVER!!", what are you going to do when you go to a friend's birthday party? Are you really going to say "no, I can't eat that cake because it has bad carbs"? Or, are you going to eat a small piece and enjoy it and count it in your calorie goal? I vote for the second choice!

neanderthin

What are bad carbs? Context and dosage goes a long way to make that determination, sans medical issues.

That's my point exactly ...... I hear people talk about good carbs and bad carbs, but what I am trying to figure out is which foods contain "good carbs". When logging my foods for the day my total carb count contains both. I want to try and increase the amount of "good" carbs in my diet.

I don't think it's something you need to worry too much about. You consistently make good choices and you've been very successful so far.

Make whole grain choices most of the time. Eat fruits and veggies and beans. Then, it's no big deal if you want some pizza on the weekend or a white bun on your hamburger.

The main thing is to eat like you can imagine eating for the rest of your life. If you say "NO WHITE FLOUR EVER!!", what are you going to do when you go to a friend's birthday party? Are you really going to say "no, I can't eat that cake because it has bad carbs"? Or, are you going to eat a small piece and enjoy it and count it in your calorie goal? I vote for the second choice!

Sounds like context and dosage is alive and well.

moustache_flavored_lube

Here is what I have done that has worked well.

Try to eliminate high fructose corn syrup and added sugars from your diet (natural sugars such as honey, fructose in fruit, lactose in dairy ... are ok when timed correctly)

Try to eliminate processed wheat / enriched flower (when buying bread ect look for the first ingredient to be whole wheat)

reduce or eliminate starchy foods
substitute brown rice or qinoia (sp) for white rice
substitute mashed cauliflower, or sweet potatoes for white potatoes ...

look for carbs that also contain high fiber

try to consume the majority of your carbs around workouts this will help fuel your workout / replace glycogen stores.

Kmenczynski88

Here is what I have done that has worked well.

Try to eliminate high fructose corn syrup and added sugars from your diet (natural sugars such as honey, fructose in fruit, lactose in dairy ... are ok when timed correctly)

Try to eliminate processed wheat / enriched flower (when buying bread ect look for the first ingredient to be whole wheat)

reduce or eliminate starchy foods
substitute brown rice or qinoia (sp) for white rice
substitute mashed cauliflower, or sweet potatoes for white potatoes ...

look for carbs that also contain high fiber

try to consume the majority of your carbs around workouts this will help fuel your workout / replace glycogen stores.

While i agree with removing processed foods, fake sugars etc. There is nothing wrong with white rice, potatoes etc for that matter...