Carbohydrates – what are they exactly?

Carbohydrates, or carbs as they are commonly called, are used by the body to make glucose which gives you energy. If the body doesn’t need it straight away, the glucose can be stored in the muscles or liver until it’s needed.

Foods containing carbs include vegetables, bread, cereals, fruits, milk and processed foods with sugar added.

These processed foods, like cookies and candy, may contain carbs, but they also contain unhealthy fats that will just add extra inches to your waistline! Not a good idea seeing that your aim in life is to lose weight, not gain weight.

If you see a reference to bad carbs in diet books, these are foods containing refined carbohydrates, made with added sugar and white flour, like white bread and cakes.

Foods that contain good carbs have more complex carbs, which take longer to turn into glucose, and fiber. Good food guides say that carbs that are rich in fiber are the best choice, like fruit, veges and grains. And stay away from foods with added sugars.

Complex Carbohydrates

The two different types of complex carbs are dietary fiber and starch.

Before your body can use starch, it has to be broken down to glucose during the process of digestion.

Cereals, bread and vegetables contain dietary fiber and starch.

Dietary Fiber

Dietary fiber has two different types as well… soluble and insoluble fiber. The following foods contain soluble fiber…

• Nuts and seeds
• Dry beans and peas
• Oatmeal
• Fruits including blueberries, apples and pears
• Oat bran

Foods that contain insoluble fiber include…

• Whole wheat bread
• Seeds
• Whole grains
• Couscous
• Wheat bran
• Fruits
• Barley
• Brown rice
• Vegetables

How much dietary fiber should one eat?

The general rule is to consume 13 to 15 grams for each one thousand calories every day.



Try to include more fiber in your diet. Here are a few tips…

• Eat at least two vegetables with your main meal
• When you get the urge to have a snack, skip the weight gaining cookies and rather nibble on carrots or celery (yuch, I hear you say, but just give it a try. It’s tough at first but it grows on you).
• Fruit is a great source of usable fiber for your body
• Beans too are a good source of fiber. Try adding dry beans to your stew. Good source of protein too.
• When buying bread choose the whole grain option.
• The best way to start your day is with a bowl of high fiber cereal with mixed fruit and low fat milk or yogurt.

What are simple Carbohydrates?

Natural sugar in fruit, milk and veges are simple carbohydrates. These are the good guys. Refined and processed foods also contain simple carbohydrates, but they don’t have the good quality nutrients like the fresh foods. So give these a miss.

Which foods have added sugars?

Added sugar will be listed on the labels of the food you buy. But it’s not always easy to spot them is you don’t know all the right words. If you see any of the following on the label, you know it has added sugar.