Please explain different carbs to me

Options
Barracuda365
Barracuda365 Posts: 37
in Food and Nutrition
Good Afternoon.

I was wondering if someone could please explain this question in easy to understand terms.

Q. What is the different between carbs in say legumes etc to carbs in bread , rice and other similar foods.

Q. So why is it the certain people say eat low carbs but still eat legumes etc

thanks

Replies

  • shmoony
    shmoony Posts: 237 Member
    Options
    There is no difference when it comes to weight loss. Calories are calories. Refined sugars in candy and white rice, white pasta, bread, etc, with a higher "glycemic" index, apparantly cause a spike in insulin which they say can stimulate fat storage. That would be the only difference if it's true.

    I think it has more to do with the quality of calories wherin you're getting more efficient influx of nutrients into your body for the same amount of calories. Therfore you can eat less calories with the same amount of nutrition, and theoretically be more satiated.
  • EdgyMcSterious
    EdgyMcSterious Posts: 51
    Options
    Legumes have a ton of protein.

    I'm not a nutrition expert but the way I understand it is like so: Your body responds differently to different foods. Processed foods like bread is a source for carbohydrates but your body turns these carbs, (because they are processed) into sugar more rapidly. So you get a sugar spike followed by a crash. A complex carb like the legume will not break down as quickly in your system and it also has other nutritional value like fat and protein so it's better for a few reasons. 1. It's not processed so it will stay in your system longer, keep you more full for a longer time. 2. It doesn't turn into sugar in your system quickly so you won't be put you on the sugar crash and burn roller coaster. 3. It's a cleaner source of fuel for your body.

    I'm sure there are other, more scientific explanations but this is how I understand it.
  • Sarah0866
    Sarah0866 Posts: 291 Member
    Options
    Legumes tend to contain more protein than complex carbs like multigrain bread (with the exception of some double protein or high-protein breads), but both legume and whole grain/multigrain breads and the like are beneficial in that they contain fiber and slow the digestion process, making you feel fuller longer.
  • NaurielR
    NaurielR Posts: 429 Member
    Options
    There are two types of carbs: complex and simple.

    Complex carbs are found in unrefined grains (whole wheat products, brown rice, basically grains that still have the outer bran on them). Chemically, these carbs are chains of three or more sugars. They take longer than simple carbs to be broken down, thus don't spike and crash your blood sugar like simple carbs can.

    SImple carbs are found in refined grains, fruits, and sugar. Chemically, they are sugars that are either on their own, or only linked to one other sugar. They are broken down very quickly and can cause blood sugar to spike and crash.

    The problem with spiking and crashing blood sugar is that it can lead to poor eating habits, because of the sudden loss of energy leads some to give into cravings.

    Also, whole grains have more fiber in them, adding to their ability to keep a person fuller for longer.

    But here's where it gets tricky. The simple sugars in fruits don't cause a crash in blood sugar like other simple carbs do. I'm not quite sure of the reason (I read a scientific paper on it awhile ago, and some of the results slip my mind) but I think it has something to do with the higher fiber content of fruit when compared to other simple carb foods.
  • Barracuda365
    Barracuda365 Posts: 37
    Options
    Thanks for the replys

    So if i ate chickpea, legumes etc that had the same carb content as say 4 slices of white or wholemeal bread

    would i achieve greater fat loss or would i have to remove carbs total
  • Sarah0866
    Sarah0866 Posts: 291 Member
    Options
    Spikes in insulin promote fat storage and sugar cravings, and that's exactly what white and refined carbs in general will do, so I would stick to legumes and complex carbs


    Check out this article, it gives a basic explanation of this..hope this helps :)

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20040803/too-much-white-bread-giving-you-big-belly?page=2
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Options
    I wouldn't worry about it. All that matters is calories and making sure you have enough protein. Of course veggies and fruits are healthy and some fruits are low calorie. If you do that and stick to a budget it will all fall into place Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be. Eat food you like. Good Food vs. Bad Food mantra just makes people deny themselves, go insane, binge and feel guilty. Just eat foods you like, mostly healthy, within a calorie budget. If you are low on protein one day and high on carbs it won't kill you, just try to focus on protein the next day. Don't make this complicated.

    I actually lost weight eating a slice of good sourdough bread almost every day. I still love eating it. So what? I mostly eat healthy. Everyone comments on all the veggies and fruit I eat. I'm successful because I don't drive myself crazy with all these silly complications.
  • JBennis1013
    JBennis1013 Posts: 377 Member
    Options
    Interested in this as well
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Options
    Yes it wont really Impact on your weightless. But it might have an impact on how your body feels- and bear in mind that everyone has a different carb tolerance level, so there's no one magic number.

    Another factor that people consider is "net carbs" which takes into account the fibre content. So yes legumes are better than white bread cos they have fibre.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the replys

    So if i ate chickpea, legumes etc that had the same carb content as say 4 slices of white or wholemeal bread

    would i achieve greater fat loss or would i have to remove carbs total


    That is a personal factor. Some people do OK on the *average* diet of 200g+ of carbs a day, other people, not so much. When I ate as many carbs as MFP allotted me, my weight loss was horribly slow (7lbs in 3 months, lots of yo-yo loss/gain). When I cut down to about 100g net ( total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols) I lost much quicker (21lbs in about 5 months). Obviously, my body responds better to few carbs in total....
  • kyosborne
    kyosborne Posts: 9
    Options
    the sugar in fruit doesn't cause major spikes in blood glucose levels because of the type of simple sugar it contains - fructose. fructose is released to the blood stream slower than other sugars because it is metabolised in the liver. Fructose has a GI of 19 compared to 100 for white bread
  • JossFit
    JossFit Posts: 588 Member
    Options
    There are two main types of carbohydrates, simple and complex.

    Simple Carbohydrates

    These are made up of a single basic sugar. Simple carbohydrates provide the sweet taste in our food. Fruit sugar, table sugar or corn sugar are all types of simple sugars. On consumption, these sugars are directly absorbed in the blood as glucose requirements of the body. Glucose provides instant energy as it reaches different parts of the body via blood. Simple sugars are occur in plenty in natural foods like fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products. In addition to these, honey, molasses brown sugar, corn syrup and maple syrup are rich sources of simple sugars.

    Complex Carbohydrates

    Complex carbohydrates, as the name suggests, are a combination of different types of sugars. These take a longer time to break down into their elementary form and hence, require more time for digestion. The slow break down process, supplies us with constant energy for a longer duration. Since these carbohydrates require more time for conversion, they are constantly used up by the body. Therefore, sugar converted to fat is not stored in a large quantity unlike the simple carbohydrates. These provide instant energy because they are broken down in lesser time as compared to complex ones. This increases the storage of broken down fats, which if not burned or used up, may lead to health issues.

    Complex carbohydrates are abundantly found in foods like cereals, bread, pasta, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds.
  • wazzanz
    wazzanz Posts: 78
    Options
    carbs for exercise => sugar => energy

    carbs without exercise => sugar => fat

    The more complex and less refined the better.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Options
    What is the different between carbs in say legumes etc to carbs in bread , rice and other similar foods.
    Primary difference is in the rate of transfer to glucose in your blood - 80% of the carbs in white bread will be in your blood within 2 hours, but maybe only 10% of those from green beans.

Categories