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We’ve always had it drilled into us that white carbs are the bad carbs and that we must do our best to ensure they don’t make a regularly appearance, if at all in our diet.
Carbs (that’s carbohydrates for those who don’t know the lingo) are an extremely important part of our diet because they are what give our body energy. Not only do they give us energy but they also help improve our stamina, concentration, speed and recovery – so you need to make sure you’re giving your body enough of the right ones. You wouldn’t expect a car to run without giving it fuel first would you? Equally, our bodies need carbs to run efficiently.
However, that doesn’t mean that everyone is free to load up on as many carbs as they want, simply because they fuel our body. There is a thing as too much of something and that’s certainly the case where carbs are concerned. If you stuff your body full of them, you’ll soon end up popping the buttons off your jeans or worse – going up a clothes sizes or two.
There is a daily amount each individual should be meeting and depending on what you’re wanting to achieve (someone who is looking to shed some unwanted fat should be on a different diet to someone who wants to bulk up), you should be reaching that daily amount and giving your body what it needs. But unfortunately, that doesn’t mean eating whatever carbs you want in order to meet that requirement. If you’re unsure of what the difference is between good and bad carbs, we’re going to break it down for you here…
If you’ve ever heard the terms ‘simple’ and ‘complex carbs’ then you might already know a thing or two about how it all works. Simple carbs are often referred to as the bad ones, whereas complex carbs are seen as the one’s you should be putting into your body.
Complex carbs are those such as whole grains and legumes. It takes the body longer to break down the sugar molecules in these sorts of carbs and therefore you are left feeling more energetic for a lot longer.
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Simple carbs are easy to digest and are basic sugars. They don’t really do much for your body and you’re essentially putting ‘bad fuel’ into your body as they don’t really do anything. Ironically, fruits and vegetables are actually in the simple carb category but they are far more nutritious for your body than the rest of the carbs usually found in this category, such as candy, soda and cakes.
The problem is, often, simple carbs taste so much better. It’s hard to deny a deliciously tasty sandwich stuffed to the brim with all your favourite fillings in favour of vegetables, nuts and fruits.
All things ‘white’ are usually deemed bad, but there are healthy white rice brands out there. It’s also worth bearing in mind that they are a lot better than fried food, chips and cookies, right?
No one really expects you to sacrifice simple carbs for eternity, but if you are going to be consuming them, at least try to go for the better options. Your figure will thank you for it.
