Carbohydrates – A Quick Guide
First, allow me to give you a simple method of determining if what you are eating is a carbohydrate or not. Simply ask one question…
Did it have a mother?
If the answer is “yes” then it is probably a protein. If the answer is “no” then it is probably a carbohydrate. By this definition then meat, eggs, milk (for our argument we will say it “came from” a mother) are all proteins. Lettuce, apples, oranges, grains carrots, etc. all do NOT have a mother and therefore are considered a carbohydrate.
A simple carbohydrate is a food that has been processed in such a way to remove almost all of the fiber and nutrients. I would also include any food with added sugar as a simple carbohydrate. A list of simple carbohydrates would include:
- Bread (wheat and white)
- Pasta
- Cake
- Candy
- Cereals
- Puddings
- Pastries
- Sugar
- White rice
- Honey
- Agave nectar
- Jams
- Chutney
Complex carbohydrates are foods that typically are less refined and thus contain more fiber and nutrition. They have a tendency to resemble what nature produced and thus are typically lower in calories, slower absorbing (Low Glycemic Index) and more filling:
Fruit (Low Glycemic Index)
Vegetables
High Fiber, Minimally Processed Cereals
Whole, Minimally-Refined Grains such as steel cut oatmeal
this article sums up carbs. not that carbs are the enemy, but (and i mention this in a podcast we’ve done) i equate white bread to sugar and many other things people may consider healthy carbs… make sure you read labels and stay away from breads especially containing high fructose corn syrup! we’ll have to write an article on that too, Ray!
I know Blythe! I was trying to find a good bread to make a turkey sandwich yesterday and it was nearly impossible to find one that did not use high fructose corn syrup! It is simply ridiculous for the FDA to allow such widespread use of such a damaging compound.