Healthy Eating Rule No 8

8. More Complex Carbs – Less Simple Carbs:


Complex carbs = rice, wheat bread, oats/oatmeal, potatoes, beans, anything
WHOLE GRAIN. Simple carbs = cake, candy, whole milk, chips, crackers, anything made by
HOSTESS or FRITO LAY, etc.
Carbs receive a bad rap. The Atkins diet which preaches no carbs is a way to
lose weight fast, but unfortunately robs your body of a primary source of
energy – Carbs. Carbs give you the power to work a full day and still have
energy when you get home to do the things you like to do. Carbs are the fuel
your body needs to function throughout the day. It is important to understand
the difference between Complex Carbohydrates and Simple Carbohydrates.
Complex carbs are a better choice than Simple carbs because they digest
slowly and give you body a slow/steady supply of ‘fuel’. Simple carbs are
quickly digested and give you a surge of energy, but wear off quickly. If you
eat a candy bar for lunch, you feel great – for about five minutes, then you
probably become tired because your body has quickly used and digested the
simple carbs. This is known as a ‘carb-crash’ or ‘sugar crash’. This is why
eating that large piece of cake right after dinner makes you tired. You have
just consumed a lot of sugar laden calories and now your body has no
business working any of those calories off – it wants to sleep. Fruit and a
handful of walnuts would have been a better choice for a late night snack.

Posted in: Healthy Eating