Important Things You Should Know About Carbohydrates

Important Things You Should Know About Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates -What Are They?

Carbohydrates are our body’s source of fuel or energy and it can be found within food sources like dairy products, veggies, fruits & grains too. Carbs supply our bodies with sugar for the needed energy. The excess sugar that our bodies don’t need are then stored inside our muscles as well as in our liver in the form of glycogen (energy reserves of our body).

Carbs are classified into 2 parts: complex and simple carbohydrates.

The Simple Carbs

Simple carbs (plain sugars) are the carbs that our bodies absorb pretty fast and they’re the ones that give energy quickly to our body too. These simple carbs usually are in food sources that contain only a bit of nutritional value or nothing at all. Examples are sugary cereals, candy bars, cookies and soda but they’re also found in milk and fruits too.

The Complex Carbs

Complex carbs are the carbs that require a longer digesting time but these carbs are the ones that makes you feel full a bit longer. These carbs are excellent sources of fiber too. They’re normally found inside cereals, white pastas, white rice, white breads and refined grain products.

Eating Carbs – Are They Healthy?

Carbs have been present in most of the foods which we have been eating. From milk, grains, beans, veggies and fruits. Carbs give our body their energy. It’s a myth to say that carbs contributes to weight gain. This only happens if you’re eating them excessively. Like other nutrients that are eaten in excess, then the excess is going to be stored inside our body as fats.

Carbs actually have high levels of fibers which prevent chronic disorders of our bowels, reduce the risk of colon cancer as well as reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Lots of great nutrients are present inside carbohydrate rich foods.

Those individuals who are doing a low-carb diet might be depriving themselves of some really great nutrients that might be beneficial for their body so if you don’t have these nutrients you might increase your bad health issues.

Low-Carb Diet – Are They Safe?

Our bodies need carbs for energy. If our body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates then it will use the ones stored inside our fatty cells or in our muscles.

To achieve a well-balanced diet, our body needs fats and proteins to function properly. If you’re doing a low-carb diet, chances are that you might be taking in excessive proteins & fats – more than our body actually needs.

If you have a high-protein diet, your diet might consist of really high amounts of saturated fats that are unhealthy for our body because the main protein source in a low-carb diet are butter, cheeses, eggs, milk, meats and etc.

Also remember that our body will need calcium to really digest proteins so this is actually added work for our kidneys so it’s really not advisable to stay on your low-carb diet in long periods of time.

Always think that a healthier diet is one where you’re eating foods with that good balance of vitamins and nutrients then make sure that it’s really balanced because it might only be bad for the health if it’s otherwise