Carbohydrates, sometimes called carbohydrates, are the main source of energy for the body and include both simple sugars and larger complex carbohydrates. Your body can use carbohydrates right away or convert them to a storage form called glycogen. Excess carbohydrates can also be converted to fat.
Carbs are an important part of a healthy diet, but there is a lot of discussion about good and bad carbs. So how do you know which is which? The answer is simple and complex.
Carbohydrates can be simple (nicknamed “bad”) or complex (nicknamed “good”) depending on their chemical makeup and what your body does with them. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains and potatoes, contain longer chains of sugar molecules; these generally take longer for the body to break down and use. This, in turn, provides you with a more even amount of energy.
Simple carbohydrates are made up of easy-to-digest basic sugars with little real value to your body. The higher in sugar and lower in fiber, the worse the carb is for remembering those leading indicators when trying to figure out if a carb is good or bad.
Fruits and vegetables are actually simple carbohydrates that are still made up of basic sugars, even though they are drastically different from other foods in the category, like cookies and cakes. The fiber in fruits and vegetables changes the way the body processes their sugars and slows down their digestion, making them a bit more like complex carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates are considered “good” due to the longer series of sugars that make them up and take longer for the body to break down. They typically have a lower glycemic load, which means you’ll get lower amounts of sugars released at a steadier rate instead of peaks and valleys to keep you going throughout the day.
Choosing complex carbs over simple carbs is a matter of making a few simple substitutions when it comes to your meals. “Eat brown rice instead of white rice, eat whole wheat pasta instead of plain white pasta
Complete abstinence from carbohydrates is not a long-term healthy option. A necessary nutrient, carbohydrates supply the body with energy and fiber. The bulkier carbohydrates that are low in calories fill you up. Even the human brain reacts to the ingestion of carbohydrates, releasing chemicals upon absorption. A certain amount of carbohydrate is needed to function properly, and insufficient intake can cause fatigue, muscle cramps, and poor mental function. Although carbohydrates are an important part of our diet, the body can produce energy only from fat and protein; While this may last for short periods of time, avoiding all carbohydrates will negatively affect the body.