Just What Is A Carbohydrate Anyway?

During a recent discussion with my father about low carb diets, he pointed to the butter on the table and said "is that a carbohydrate?" when I started to explain, he then pointed to the sugar and said "well, what about that?"

Unfortunately, you cannot just point to a food and label it a "carbohydrate" as each food is made up of protein, carbs and fats in varying degrees. Some foods are almost all carb, and some, like meat, eggs and fish have none.

To make matters even more complicated, there are simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. For matters of nutrition, you should always pick the complex carbs which have a low glycemic index.

The simple carbohydrates include foods like desserts, sugar, white bread, candy. Typically, these foods have a little nutritional value. Though they may taste good, they are basically empty calories and are digested quickly causing a high blood sugar spike and then a quick drop off. This is the reason these foods don't really satisfy your hunger and you get cravings for more shortly after having eaten them.

By contract, the complex carbohydrates are extremely nutritious, these are foods like legumes, whole grains, vegetables and most fruits. They are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Calorie for calorie, complex carbohydrates will fill you up more and leave you full longer then the simple carbohydrates.

When choosing which carbohydrates to put on your plate, you should try to load up on whole grains, fruits and vegetables but if they are not available in plentiful enough amounts, you should try to balance your simple carbs with your complex carbs and proteins. Use the simple carbs as more of a side dish - maybe filling ¼ of your plate with them and fill up on the lean protein and complex carbs. This will have a net effect of a more nutritious and filling meal as well as leave you satisfied longer.

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.

---

An Apple a Day, Does Keep the Doctor Away

Increasing the fiber in your diet has been shown to:... Read More

Eating to Gain Mass

This is usually the forgotten element of most mass programs.... Read More

Startling New Evidence: You Can Slow the Aging Process, Scientists Say

What if you could actually slow your rate of aging,... Read More

Enjoy The Holidays Healthfully

How To Have A Healthy ThanksgivingEnd of the year holidays... Read More

Gift of Health

People want to get the very best they can when... Read More

Mangos: Treat Your Skin and Your Taste Buds

Mango is my favorite fruit next to pineapples. They're sweet,... Read More

Hypertension -Twelve Simple Things You Can Do To Lower Your Blood Pressure

Headlines:Nearly a quarter of American adults just got diagnosed with... Read More

Functional Foods: What They Are And How They Work

In the brain, a typical protein can live for approximately... Read More

Grains That Cause Illness

Eating grain products - breads, cakes, cereals - have long... Read More

Understanding Vegetarianism

Like the Sun, Moon, and Earth, there are three kinds... Read More

Fluoride Damages Childrens Bones, Study Says

White-spotted or yellow splotched teeth may reveal more than needed... Read More

Lawsuits on Foods and Diets

The dangers of processed foods and diets Why is that... Read More

How Can Fat Be Essential?

How Can... Read More

The Many Benefits of Green Tea Extract

The Benefits of Green Tea Extract: Anti-Aging, Anti-Cancer, Weight Control... Read More

Nutrition Know-how: Seven Simple Ways to Eat Healthier (with Strawberry Orange Sorbet Recipe)

The key to better health is learning the difference between... Read More

4 Important Facts You Should Know About Whey Protein

Are you concerned about taking care of your body before... Read More

How to Use Flax Seed

You can eat whole flax seeds but you need to... Read More

What is a Healthy Eating Plan?

Healthy eating is important for everyone, from babies to the... Read More

Understanding Glyconutrients

You say you don't know what glyconutrients are? You are... Read More

What A 6-Month Old Can Teach Us About Our Eating Habits

Recently, I had the pleasure of seeing my 6-month old... Read More

Food Selection for Gastric Bypass Patients

Dieters who dejectedly complain they are figuratively "stuck" with their... Read More

What Really Happens To The Food You Eat

After we have eaten a meal -- and often we... Read More

Most of Us Talk and Think About Nutrition and Exercise as a Distant Activity to be Started Some Day!

If you do not take time to stand back at... Read More

Physical Health is Attainable Through Proper Nutrition and Exercise

Obesity is epidemic in this country for both children and... Read More

Can Chronic Pain Come From Food Additives?

It is always amazing to me when I find a... Read More

Why Fad Diets Don?t Work

Fad diets have been around for more than 50 years... Read More

Avoiding High Cholesterol Foods

Cholesterol finds its way into our bodies in two main... Read More

Eating Instinctively

I start from the premise that eating instinctively means eating... Read More

Sleep for Joy

Better sleep = better metabolism. I have been saying it... Read More

How Does Glucosamine Chondroitin Help Your Body?

Glucosamine is readily produced in the human body and is... Read More

Creating Your Target of Health

Creating Your Target is easy.What I use to help create... Read More

Guidelines to a Healthy Diet

The American Heart Association recommends that you eat a variety... Read More

Enzymes and Raw Food ? Can You Cheat Time and Stay Young for Longer?

I'm going to be a bit radical here, but know... Read More