"Carbs" don't just come from bread, rice, pasta and sugar. Carbs come from a variety of sources such as vegetables, fruits, juices, beans, dairy foods, whole grains, and other foods. They exist in the form of sugars and starches. So why do carbs get such a bad rap? The negative connotation developed during the Adkins diet phase when many people would lose weight from a dramatic drop in dietary carbohydrates. Carbs were then looked at as the enemy and some people started avoiding them like a person with swine flu.
When you eat anything more than your body can use, you will store it as fat but if you eat the right amount, your body doesn't have to store fat from the extra calories. Let's say "Sally" eats a carbohydrate-containing meal. Her body first uses the carbs to fill up the muscles and liver with glycogen. This is great for her body. It's like, filling up a car with gas for the trip you will take that day. If Sally fills her muscles with the right amount of carbs (glycogen), she will store only what she needs. If she eats more of the carbohydrates than her body needs, then she will then convert the extra carbs into fat stores.
The amount of carbohydrates a person needs for the day mostly depends on physical training, basal metabolic rate, and regular eating habits. If your goal is to lose extra body fat, then you can tweak the diet in a way that is beneficial to your goals. Schedule your carbohydrates in your diet around the time of the day that you are the most active. This way, the body can utilize the energy quickly, plus you will feel more energized during the most active parts of your day because your body will not be lacking in its energy nutrient!
Choose your carbohydrates from the healthiest sources. Good, starchy carbs are great around your workout time (in the right amount), and watery, non-starchy carbs are great for the rest of your day.
Here is a list of your good carbs:
| Spinach | Whole Barley | Grapefruit |
| Turnip Greens | Buckwheat | Apples |
| Lettuce | Buckwheat bread | Prunes |
| Water Cress | Oat bran bread | Apricots, Dried |
| Zucchini | Oatmeal | Pears |
| Asparagus | Oat bran cereal | Plums |
| Artichokes | Museli | Strawberries |
| Okra | Wild rice | Oranges |
| Cabbage | Brown rice | Yams |
| Celery | Multi-grain bread | Carrots |
| Cucumbers | Pinto beans | Potatoes |
| Dill Pickles | Yogurt, low fat | Soybeans |
| Radishes | Skim milk | Lentils |
| Broccoli | Navy beans | Garbanzo beans |
| Brussels Sprouts | Cauliflower | Kidney beans |
| Eggplant | Soy milk | Lentils |
| Onions | Split peas | |
| Tomatoes |
Here is a list of some carbs to use sparingly:
| Table sugar |
| Corn syrup |
| Fruit juice |
| Candy |
| Cake |
| Bread made with white flour |
| Pasta made with white flour |
| Soda pop, such as Coke®, Pepsi®, Mountain Dew®, etc. |
| Candy |
| All baked goods made with white flour |
| Most packaged cereals |
When you hear someone say, "I'm going to cut my carbs", ask if they know exactly how to do it and if they are planning on cutting down on their simple carbs. To cut out carbohydrates all together is unhealthy and can be dangerous. There is a healthy variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients from carbohydrates and can be extremely beneficial to the body and its defense system.
Plan your carbohydrate intakes so that you can burn your body fat stores, have energy doing it, and be able to keep it up for a long period of time without burning out! Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog where we will address how to determine how many carbohydrates you need in your meals.
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