Carb Talk

I eat carbs. I lose weight. People tell me they're going to remove ALL carbs from their diet. I don't. I embrace the goodness of complex carbs and I feel better from doing so.

I think it's important to understand carbs and how they interact with our bodies.

First, there are two kinds; Simple and Complex.

Here's a clip from the Documentary, Fed UP:



And this video from Healthy Nation Food explains in simple terms the difference between what is considered SIMPLE/BAD vs. what is considered COMPLEX/GOOD carbs.

Simple carbohydrates are sugars. All simple carbohydrates are made of just one or two sugar molecules. They are the quickest source of energy, as they are very rapidly digested.
 Some food sources of simple carbohydrates:

• Table Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Honey
• Maple Syrup
• Molasses
• Jams, Jellies
• Fruit Drinks
• Soft Drinks
• Candy

Complex carbohydrates may be referred to as dietary starch and are made of sugar molecules strung together like a necklace or branched like a coil. They are often rich in fiber, thus satisfying and health promoting. Complex carbohydrates are commonly found in whole plant foods and, therefore, are also often high in vitamins and minerals.

• These whole plant foods are great sources of complex carbohydrates:
• Green vegetables
• Whole grains and foods made from them, such as oatmeal, pasta, and whole-grain breads
• Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and pumpkin
• Beans, lentils, and peas 

Source: http://www.nutritionmd.org/nutrition_tips/nutrition_tips_understand_foods/carbs_versus.html  

Some of my go-to complex carbs:

Brown rice

Quinoa (cooks just like white rice, 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water; easy)

Ezekiel bread (sprouted flourless bread)

Whole rolled oats (I like bobs red mill)

Whole wheat

Sweet potatoes

Lentils

Split Peas

Nuts

Spinach

Corn on the Cobb

Squash

Sweet potatoes are amazing and pretty easy to make:

Sweet potatoes: Heat oven to 400° F. Pierce each sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

For me the strategy was to embrace the carbs in my daily diet. Avoid the bad ones or the simple ones, and switch to complex. They’re higher in fiber which is good for my digestion. There are many choices so I don’t feel limited at all. And I can still have BREAD! Woo Hoo!!!!! That’s good news to this carb-junkie. Now I can have it all, and you can too.

What new complex carbs are you going to try first???

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