What are good carbs?
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This probably sounds like a silly question, but when going low carb, what carbs are good? Sweet potatoes, bananas, and butternut squash have carbs but are also loaded with nutrients. Am I simply avoiding carbs like white bread and cereal? Can you help clarify? Thanks in advance.
Sounds like you need to do A LOT of research before going low carb.
Usually a "good" carb is nutrient dense, high in fiber, naturally low in carbs, and, for a low carb diet, often green. Do your homework, and good luck!
Join this group:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group0 -
This probably sounds like a silly question, but when going low carb, what carbs are good? Sweet potatoes, bananas, and butternut squash have carbs but are also loaded with nutrients. Am I simply avoiding carbs like white bread and cereal? Can you help clarify? Thanks in advance.
If you are interested in low carb dieting, I highly recommend checking out the low carb group here on MFP. It's a really active group of users with long term experience in low carb dieting, and you'll be able to find plenty of information of about what types of foods people eat, as well answers to pretty much any question you could have about the diet.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group0 -
I don't get this "I don't have diabetes, high blood pressure - pick your ailment - so I don't have to watch my "carbs, sugar, etc". Maybe if people did watch these things before they get something, and made better choices in carbs, sugars, fats, ate less sodium to start with, they won't get it these ailments. I'm sorry, but I eat complex carbs because they are better for your blood sugar, and have more fiber.
Hmm. But from your prior post, as pointed out, you don't seem to understand the actual distinction between complex and simple carbs (which doesn't mean much from a nutrition POV).
Also, I didn't object to the claim that pasta, potatoes, and rice are bad carbs because I don't have diabetes, etc. (although I do not), but because they are foods that are staples in plenty of healthy diets. Focusing on overall diets, and how they eat in blue zones, is, IMO, more helpful than putting labels on foods based on current fads.
As for IBS (which I don't have, but my sister does), what works for people differs, and to suggest that what works for others is bad because it's different than what works for you isn't particularly sensitive. My sister avoids certain "good" foods because they have a negative effect on her, but eats an overall healthful diet. Similarly, I eat pasta and potatoes and bananas (not all of these every day, obviously), and yet am regularly way over my fiber goals, because there are numerous other foods I eat that have fiber (beans, lentils, berries, avocado, many vegetables, etc.). The idea that if someone eats pasta (which I normally eat with lean meat and lots of vegetables) or rice or potatoes, etc,, that one can't have a healthy diet is pretty offensive and just wrong.0 -
Good carbs = carbs that taste good (as opposed to carbs that don't taste good like beets). That's my definition and I stand by it.
What some people mean by that though is non starchy vegetables. That's the only carb people agree on. Some add legumes and starchy vegetables to the list and stop there, others go further and include fruits and whole grains in their definition. The most lenient group would also add whole grain flour.
In my personal opinion, all these labels are unnecessary and serve no purpose.0 -
Complex carbs are better for you overall than simple carbs.
Common Complex Carbohydrates
Dairy
Low fat yogurt
Skim milk
Nuts, Seeds and Legumes
Lentils
Kidney beans
Chick peas
Split peas
Soy beans
Pinto beans
Soymilk
Whole Grain Breads and Pastas
Breads and pastas made with the whole grains listed below provide more fiber resulting in feeling full sooner, and longer.
Whole Grains
Buckwheat
Brown rice
Corn
Wheat
Barley
Oats
Sorghum
Quinoa
Fruits and Vegetables
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Onions
Okra
Dill pickles
Carrots
Yams
Strawberries
Peas
Radishes
Beans
Broccoli
Spinach
Green beans
Zucchini
Apples
Pears
Cucumbers
Asparagus
Grapefruit
Prunes
Simple carbohydrates to limit in your diet include:
Soda
Candy
Artificial syrups
Sugar
White rice, white bread, and white pasta
Potatoes (which are technically a complex carb, but act more like simple carbs in the body)
Pastries and desserts
White rice is not a bad source of carbs.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Complex carbs are better for you overall than simple carbs.
No, and your categorization is way off.
Simple carbs are sugars (this has to do with the molecular structure) and include fruits and veg.
Complex carbs are starches and include all grains and of course potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Pastries and desserts have both simple and complex carbs and get about half their calories from fat. Calling them "carbs" makes no sense when they are as much "fats."
I don't believe in claiming that foods are "bad" or "good" on their own anyway, but claiming that potatoes are "bad" (and same with pasta and rice) is weird -- they are staples in perfectly healthful diets, and potatoes are for many people quite satiating and contribute micronutrients. Demonizing them makes no sense.
Complex carbs are not starch. Starch is long chains of glucose that begin being digested when they enter your mouth through salivary amylase. Starchy foods, when eaten alone, cause rapid blood sugar spikes because they quickly and easily digested, as well as taken up by the blood.
Non-starchy Fruits and vegetables tend to be a mix of sugars, mainly glucose and fructose, and will cause a lower/slower blood sugar spike.2 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Complex carbs are better for you overall than simple carbs.
No, and your categorization is way off.
Simple carbs are sugars (this has to do with the molecular structure) and include fruits and veg.
Complex carbs are starches and include all grains and of course potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Pastries and desserts have both simple and complex carbs and get about half their calories from fat. Calling them "carbs" makes no sense when they are as much "fats."
I don't believe in claiming that foods are "bad" or "good" on their own anyway, but claiming that potatoes are "bad" (and same with pasta and rice) is weird -- they are staples in perfectly healthful diets, and potatoes are for many people quite satiating and contribute micronutrients. Demonizing them makes no sense.
Complex carbs are not starch. Starch is long chains of glucose that begin being digested when they enter your mouth through salivary amylase. Starchy foods, when eaten alone, cause rapid blood sugar spikes because they quickly and easily digested, as well as taken up by the blood.
Non-starchy Fruits and vegetables tend to be a mix of sugars, mainly glucose and fructose, and will cause a lower/slower blood sugar spike.
I think the world is changing the definition of "simple carbs". Vegetables and fruits are not "simple" in my book. Especially vegetables.
But then, I think "simple" and "complex" aren't particularly useful as terms.
Hell, these days I'm not finding "carbohydrate" all that useful, given that a cup of spinach has virtually none.1 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Complex carbs are better for you overall than simple carbs.
No, and your categorization is way off.
Simple carbs are sugars (this has to do with the molecular structure) and include fruits and veg.
Complex carbs are starches and include all grains and of course potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Pastries and desserts have both simple and complex carbs and get about half their calories from fat. Calling them "carbs" makes no sense when they are as much "fats."
I don't believe in claiming that foods are "bad" or "good" on their own anyway, but claiming that potatoes are "bad" (and same with pasta and rice) is weird -- they are staples in perfectly healthful diets, and potatoes are for many people quite satiating and contribute micronutrients. Demonizing them makes no sense.
Complex carbs are not starch. Starch is long chains of glucose that begin being digested when they enter your mouth through salivary amylase. Starchy foods, when eaten alone, cause rapid blood sugar spikes because they quickly and easily digested, as well as taken up by the blood.
Non-starchy Fruits and vegetables tend to be a mix of sugars, mainly glucose and fructose, and will cause a lower/slower blood sugar spike.
lemurcat12 is correct. Simple carbs, or simple sugars, are monosaccharides and disaccharides, and fruits contain many of these. They also contain fiber, in the form of cellulose and lignin. Chemically speaking, complex carbs are starches (amylose and amylopectin) and cellulose - all are long chains of glucose. We can digest the starch, but we cannot digest the cellulose. We do not have the enzymes to do so.
Complex carbs in the nutrition world usually indicate foods that have sugar and/or starch + fiber.0 -
geneticsteacher wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Complex carbs are better for you overall than simple carbs.
No, and your categorization is way off.
Simple carbs are sugars (this has to do with the molecular structure) and include fruits and veg.
Complex carbs are starches and include all grains and of course potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Pastries and desserts have both simple and complex carbs and get about half their calories from fat. Calling them "carbs" makes no sense when they are as much "fats."
I don't believe in claiming that foods are "bad" or "good" on their own anyway, but claiming that potatoes are "bad" (and same with pasta and rice) is weird -- they are staples in perfectly healthful diets, and potatoes are for many people quite satiating and contribute micronutrients. Demonizing them makes no sense.
Complex carbs are not starch. Starch is long chains of glucose that begin being digested when they enter your mouth through salivary amylase. Starchy foods, when eaten alone, cause rapid blood sugar spikes because they quickly and easily digested, as well as taken up by the blood.
Non-starchy Fruits and vegetables tend to be a mix of sugars, mainly glucose and fructose, and will cause a lower/slower blood sugar spike.
lemurcat12 is correct. Simple carbs, or simple sugars, are monosaccharides and disaccharides, and fruits contain many of these. They also contain fiber, in the form of cellulose and lignin. Chemically speaking, complex carbs are starches (amylose and amylopectin) and cellulose - all are long chains of glucose. We can digest the starch, but we cannot digest the cellulose. We do not have the enzymes to do so.
Complex carbs in the nutrition world usually indicate foods that have sugar and/or starch + fiber.
Starch is glucose. Glucose is a monosaccharide.
The most readily digested and the only sugar that matters when looking at blood sugar for the human body, is glucose. If a potato is 100% starch and an apple is 50% glucose and 50% fructose when both have roughly the same fiber content, which would you consider to be simple?
"Complex carbs" are supposed to be those that cause a smaller blood glucose spike (GI Index). These carbs are supposed to take longer to digest, which causes glucose to be released slower than those with a high GI rating. With pure glucose being the baseline, food items such as white rice, white bread, white pasta, and potatoes (all starch heavy) have some of (if not the highest) GI ratings. Example: a baked potato (potato only) on average has a GI rating of 85 while an apple has a rating of around 40.
All of that being said, potatoes are awesome. And delicious. The GI index can be lowered for them by adding fats and proteins to your potato.
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lemurcat12 wrote: »Complex carbs are better for you overall than simple carbs.
No, and your categorization is way off.
Simple carbs are sugars (this has to do with the molecular structure) and include fruits and veg.
Complex carbs are starches and include all grains and of course potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Pastries and desserts have both simple and complex carbs and get about half their calories from fat. Calling them "carbs" makes no sense when they are as much "fats."
I don't believe in claiming that foods are "bad" or "good" on their own anyway, but claiming that potatoes are "bad" (and same with pasta and rice) is weird -- they are staples in perfectly healthful diets, and potatoes are for many people quite satiating and contribute micronutrients. Demonizing them makes no sense.
Complex carbs are not starch. Starch is long chains of glucose that begin being digested when they enter your mouth through salivary amylase. Starchy foods, when eaten alone, cause rapid blood sugar spikes because they quickly and easily digested, as well as taken up by the blood.
Complex vs. simple is not a value judgment, as people seem to think sometimes. They refer to the molecular structure. That starch is a long chain is why it's complex. Sugar molecules are simpler, and so they are simple carbs. This has zero to do with nutritional value or effect on blood sugar (which is only an issue for some and if the foods are eaten alone, anyway).Non-starchy Fruits and vegetables tend to be a mix of sugars, mainly glucose and fructose, and will cause a lower/slower blood sugar spike.
No, sugars DON'T cause a lower/slower spike, the fact that foods -- whether the carbs are mainly from sugar or starch -- also have fiber tends to slow down the reaction of the body to them. Other things that slow it down are fat and eating them with other foods with fat, protein, and fiber.
People seem really confused about this simple vs. complex thing, I think just because "complex" sounds better, so they assume it refers to more nutrient dense foods. Some pop nutrition sources have unfortunately made this error, so it's become common, but check out a reputable nutrition textbook for better information.
People like Walter Willett will just say that the distinction between complex and simple does not matter.0 -
"Complex carbs" are supposed to be those that cause a smaller blood glucose spike (GI Index).
No, this is where you are misunderstanding. The original distinction between simple and complex was about molecular structure and had nothing to do with GI at all.
GI doesn't matter anyway if you don't eat foods alone (and even if you do it's GL that matters). And GL mostly matters for people with IR, which is not most of us. A better focus for most (and how I personally approach it) is nutrient density. Based on that measure, I think high GI fruits can be great, sweet potatoes and potatoes are perfectly fine foods to include in a diet for most people, and pasta can be a useful food -- as I mentioned, I use a moderate amount of pasta as a base for a sauce made of lean meat, olive oil, and lots of vegetables, so a healthy and calorie-appropriate meal. I normally use whole grain at home, but I don't actually think it's a huge difference, as I don't rely on pasta for fiber or micros.1 -
You (not you, lemurcat12) are also misunderstanding the digestion of starch. Salivary amylase only begins the digestion of starch - breaking it down into disaccharides, trisaccharides, and alpha-limit dextrins. The rest of the digestion occurs in the small intestine where it is finally broken down into glucose monomers.
It is not BOOM - ingest starch and glucose immediately floods into your bloodstream.
And has resistant starch been mentioned?
Depending on preparation methods, some starches are not digested. 1 -
I don't know that there is a "good" or "bad" carb. There are nutrient dense and less nutrient dense carbs for sure as well as carbs that are calorie dense and less calorie dense.
The goal is to stay within your macros (on grams) of carbs and still get a proper level of nutrition.
Veggies (think non tuber/non grain) tend to universally be considered "good"
Fruits are also a good source of carbs, some are lower calorie than others (30g of berries will have less sugar and calories than 30g of Banana, but the banana has a lot of vitamins and some healthy fat). They can be high in sugar though, so definitely put those bad boys on a food scale.
When thinking about grains/tubers, most people will suggest wild rice, brown rice, corn, quinoa, barley, sweet potatoes and other "dark" grains before they suggest white pasta, white rice, or white potatoes. Most of this has to do with fiber content, high fiber foods are great because they keep you full. Less processed grains (wild rice, sweet potatoes) also have a lot of vitamins and minerals. The more processed the food, generally the less nutritionally complete it is, but this isn't always the case. You just have to read and compare labels.
Dairy can be a good source of carbs, due largely to the sugar in milk. This is one I watch carefully, mostly because I'm lactose intolerant, but also because I find that dairy products sometimes have a lot of saturated fat and/or added sugar.
I eat "low carb" and generally avoid pastas and breads, rice, cereals etc. I also tend to avoid high sugar foods- including most fruits, and most dairy products. It works for me because I'm lactose intolerant, and sugary foods (even fruit) and most grains/tubers (even sweet potatoes and quinoa) make me feel really unpleasant. Its a personal choice for me. I highly recommend that you experiment with what works for you. If you love pasta and can keep it in your macros, do it! You'll get used to reading labels pretty quickly. My boogeyman is the extra added sugar that I find in the weirdest places (why, yogurt??? why???? WTF Almond Milk?), as those are the foods that personally blow up my macros.
Best of luck!0 -
geneticsteacher wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Complex carbs are better for you overall than simple carbs.
No, and your categorization is way off.
Simple carbs are sugars (this has to do with the molecular structure) and include fruits and veg.
Complex carbs are starches and include all grains and of course potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Pastries and desserts have both simple and complex carbs and get about half their calories from fat. Calling them "carbs" makes no sense when they are as much "fats."
I don't believe in claiming that foods are "bad" or "good" on their own anyway, but claiming that potatoes are "bad" (and same with pasta and rice) is weird -- they are staples in perfectly healthful diets, and potatoes are for many people quite satiating and contribute micronutrients. Demonizing them makes no sense.
Complex carbs are not starch. Starch is long chains of glucose that begin being digested when they enter your mouth through salivary amylase. Starchy foods, when eaten alone, cause rapid blood sugar spikes because they quickly and easily digested, as well as taken up by the blood.
Non-starchy Fruits and vegetables tend to be a mix of sugars, mainly glucose and fructose, and will cause a lower/slower blood sugar spike.
lemurcat12 is correct. Simple carbs, or simple sugars, are monosaccharides and disaccharides, and fruits contain many of these. They also contain fiber, in the form of cellulose and lignin. Chemically speaking, complex carbs are starches (amylose and amylopectin) and cellulose - all are long chains of glucose. We can digest the starch, but we cannot digest the cellulose. We do not have the enzymes to do so.
Complex carbs in the nutrition world usually indicate foods that have sugar and/or starch + fiber.
Starch is glucose. Glucose is a monosaccharide.
The most readily digested and the only sugar that matters when looking at blood sugar for the human body, is glucose. If a potato is 100% starch and an apple is 50% glucose and 50% fructose when both have roughly the same fiber content, which would you consider to be simple?
"Complex carbs" are supposed to be those that cause a smaller blood glucose spike (GI Index). These carbs are supposed to take longer to digest, which causes glucose to be released slower than those with a high GI rating. With pure glucose being the baseline, food items such as white rice, white bread, white pasta, and potatoes (all starch heavy) have some of (if not the highest) GI ratings. Example: a baked potato (potato only) on average has a GI rating of 85 while an apple has a rating of around 40.
All of that being said, potatoes are awesome. And delicious. The GI index can be lowered for them by adding fats and proteins to your potato.
FYI... White pasta actually has a low GI rating, ranging from 30-60, averaging 45, not much higher than an apple, kept lower by cooking it al dente, not anywhere in the range of bread. People seem to think that anything white is automatically a high GI rating. That is incorrect.0
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