Is there such a thing as good carb/bad carb??

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zippitydo
zippitydo Posts: 62
in Food and Nutrition
So I was wondering if there is a difference between carbs. Yogurt and fruit are healthy, but have carbs. Are they better for you than say pasta, bread, etc? I would love a bowl of fruit tonight for dessert(peaches, blueberries and cheeries) but they say not to eat carbs before bed. Any ideas? Comments?
Thanks for any advice!!

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  • marm1962
    marm1962 Posts: 950 Member
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    I don't know who "they" are, but I eat carbs before bed and do just fine. Fruit is good for you in moderation, whole grains are better than white flour products. As far as I'm concerned you still need to watch how many carbs you eat (at least I do). It's just better for your health to get them from better foods.
  • VballLeash
    VballLeash Posts: 2,456 Member
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    Yes! You want to avoid white bread, white flour and pasta and such.... wheat and whole grain are complex carbs which are much better because they take longer to break down and digest. I hope this helps! Oh, and fruit is ok just watch the amount because the sugar can be very high... good luck!

    ~Leash :heart:
  • zippitydo
    zippitydo Posts: 62
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    But it is natural sugar isnt that okay?
  • VballLeash
    VballLeash Posts: 2,456 Member
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    But it is natural sugar isnt that okay?

    Yup exactly... you just don't want to go overboard :happy:

    ~Leash :heart:
  • margaretthedevil
    margaretthedevil Posts: 215
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    Even if it's natural sugar, it's still not okay to eat all that at once...Look up how much sugar you would be consuming if you ate that bowl if you want a good idea. You don't need it either! My throat would start hurting because of all the sugar. I would stick to one as you're eating it for a dessert not for fuel after a workout. :smile:
  • zippitydo
    zippitydo Posts: 62
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    Its only like a cup of fruit total. Is that too much at once? And all I have had today is a Mcdonalds grilled chicken salad, balsmaic vinegrette dressing, 1 cup rice a roni, 1 cup peas, and 3 oz salmon. Plus I walked for 30 min at 3.0 and did 150 situps.
  • sschrock
    sschrock Posts: 114 Member
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    I try my best to follow what I call the "BRPPS" rule. Pronounce this abbreviation as "burps," and it stands for "Bread," "Rice," "Pasta," "Potatoes," and "Sugar." These are the foods with your highest "bad" carbs and should be avoided or eaten in strict moderation with whatever diet you're following. Eating brown rice and whole wheat bread and pasta are great alternatives as long as you're sticking with the portion size on the package. Good luck!
  • sschrock
    sschrock Posts: 114 Member
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    Congratulations Marm1962 on quitting smoking. Your stats on money saved and cigs not smoked are a real eye opener. Keep it up!!:smile:
  • margaretthedevil
    margaretthedevil Posts: 215
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    Oh I thought you were eating a bowl of fruit. When I imagine a bowl, I don't think a cup. And when I saw that you listed blueberries, peaches, and cherries I got concerned about the sugar content since cherries and peaches are extremely sweet in themselves. I thought you meant a whole peach, many cherries, and many blueberries in a big bowl. Looks like you didn't have any sugar today so I would go for it.
  • zippitydo
    zippitydo Posts: 62
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    Isnt there a difference between white sugar, syrup,etc, and natural fruit or honey?
  • margaretthedevil
    margaretthedevil Posts: 215
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    I'm learning now that there isn't really a different between the sugars themselves just a huge difference between the foods that contain them. The good thing about fruits is that they contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc that's actually well good for you. But sugar (whether it's from white sugar, syrup, fruit, honey, et.) by itself is really just empty calories. Eating too much sugar will increase the risk of insulin resistance which causes diabetes. It's much easier to go over daily sugar intake when it's in the form of white sugar, syrup, even honey (one tbsp honey = 9 grams sugar as it's in candy, drinks (!) and other processed foods that we eat!

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