Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the past few years with the advent of low carb diets, but the truth is that not all carbohydrates are "bad" and, in fact, your body needs carbs to survive.
Many people mistakenly believe that eating bacon, eggs and steak will set them on the road to a thinner body with increased energy and good health, but this is not the case. While cutting out the simple carbohydrates found in processed foods is a healthier way of eating, neglecting the complex carbs found in fruits and vegetables can be hazardous to your health.
Fruits and vegetables are packed with enzymes, vitamins, minerals and fiber. All key ingredients to your health. They also contain antioxidants which can help your body fight disease and may even help ward off certain kinds of cancer.
Picking The Best Carbs
The old saying "you are what you eat" has a lot of truth to it. You get the energy that your body uses as well as your nutritional needs such as vitamins, minerals and fiber from the foods you eat. Doesn't it make sense, then to eat foods that will provide your body with the best fuel possible?
You want to avoid foods that are processed. I'm sorry to say that most foods that can be found in packaged in your supermarket like cookies, cereals and even white bread are filled with "bad carbs". These foods are often processed to taste better and all the nutrients are stripped out in the process. Then chemicals are added in to prolong shelf life and add to color and taste. Your body has no use for these empty calories so when you eat these foods it is a big drain on the body to digest them and try to salvage any nutritional value from them.
The fruits and vegetables, on the other hand are filled with nutrients. When you eat these, your body gets lots of high energy fuel that it can use to keep up your energy levels and help your body fight off disease. In addition, the enzymes found in the fruits and veggies aid your body in the digestion process, thus freeing it up for more important activities.
So, in reality, carbohydrates are both good and bad. It is up to you to make sure you fuel your body with more of the good carbs for optimum health. A good rule of thumb when shopping is to stick to the outside aisles of the grocery store and avoid the middle. Buy as many fresh fruits and veggies as you can (organic if possible) and frequent your local farmers market to purchase locally grown produce if you are lucky enough to have one near you.
Lee Dobbins writes for various websites including sites about health, pets and even carbohydrates visit http://www.carbzine.com to learn more about carbohydrate and your health.
Copyright © 2004 Priya Shah Glutathione, the body's... Read More
Imagine you're a cell.Inside your body runs the machinery that... Read More
Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What... Read More
In parts 1-4 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
For the executive, maintaining the much-needed balance between career, family,... Read More
Have you ever felt like you were completely losing your... Read More
Diet nutrition physiqueToday, learning about diet nutrition physique isn't all... Read More
OmegaRx Fish Oil, quoted as being close to a Medical... Read More
Summer brings a lot of fantastic things with it, but... Read More
Fat is a nutrient that is a contributor to the... Read More
There seems to be fairly poor tracking by any formal... Read More
This free list of fat burning foods will help you... Read More
Ambrotose® - the Nutritional Alphabet of the "Sweet Language of... Read More
Acid Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common disease which... Read More
Could it be possible that our beloved chocolate may actually... Read More
You must add some fresh cherries, which are now in... Read More
Did you know the average American gains 5-7 pounds every... Read More
The Omega Zone Diet and specialists' opinion"Omega RX Zone -... Read More
Dr. Barry Sears revolutionized nutritional thinking around the world with... Read More
In large part, you're in control of your health, not... Read More
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the healthiest of them... Read More
America's major dietary deficiency - EFA a panacea for good... Read More
Who suffers from Eating Disorders?Eating Disorder sufferers are male and... Read More
When Helen Boardman was still a girlish 99, she fell... Read More
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in... Read More
People who consume too much alcohol have good chance of... Read More
Aging occurs when the body's cells die at faster rates... Read More
You can trust me that I make sure to take... Read More
The Health and Nutrition Industry has come about as peoples... Read More
The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More
Despite the fact that accurate nutrition information can be accessed... Read More
You would probably think that I was writing a lot... Read More
Factory FarmingThe big names in American agriculture would like you... Read More
America's focus on nutritious eating began to receive national attention... Read More
For most people, the concept of capsulized food? usually conjures... Read More
Information on potassiumWhen you read about potassium and senate document... Read More
I know that the headline is a oldie, but it... Read More
Because all of us have been brought up eating junk... Read More
Many of us, probably even you, want this thing called... Read More
Approximately 30 years ago, food manufacturers were competing against the... Read More
Some fats are good for you. Your body can't function... Read More
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in... Read More
The total calories that you should be consuming depend on... Read More
It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has... Read More
Glucosamine is readily produced in the human body and is... Read More
AgingHow did aging appeared?If mechanism of Death was chosen by... Read More
Initially discovered as a new element in 1811 by Barnard... Read More
Much controversy and argument surrounds the idea that food may... Read More
We all need fat in our diet on a daily... Read More
I'd like to explain an important concept that most online... Read More
When it comes to food, we can't ignore the facts... Read More
Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad... Read More
Your magnificent machine is, in fact, a symbiotic collection of... Read More
Most recipes end with instructions to "serve immediately." You could... Read More
The proliferation of fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and vending... Read More
The body is a marvelous creation, a carbon, oxygen combustion... Read More
Despite the fact that accurate nutrition information can be accessed... Read More
The latest tallies show that over three million people in... Read More
Here's food for thought! Did you know the average restaurant... Read More
Do we really need a home water filter? Can't we... Read More
Incorporating these fat loss tips will improve your nutrition program.... Read More
This free list of fat burning foods will help you... Read More
While there are many effective ways to get more energy... Read More
The concept isometric has been a part of the health... Read More
According to the National Institute of Health, Magnesium is needed... Read More
I had finally come to a place in my life... Read More
Nutrition |