My previous articles have covered calories, fats and protein. What's left? Today - the focus in on carbs!
Carbs have certainly received plenty of attention from the media – from the low-carb phase promoted by Atkins and other high protein diets to more recently putting the focus on incorporating more whole grains.
Fortunately carb phobia has been put on the back burner. But from my experience, people are still confused about carbs and how to include them in a healthy diet. Get ready to dish up some healthy carbs – we’ll learn what carbs are, how much you need and how to decipher between health and not-so-healthy carbs.
What are Carbs?
Carbohydrates chemical makeup consists of chains of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Some chains are longer than others, for example, a sugar molecule is shorter than a starch molecule. There are four types of carbs: sugars, starches, fibers and gums. Each gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories.
Carbs are a very important part of your diet - they are the primary source of energy for your body. In fact, your brain, organs and muscles rely on carbs for fuel. And, if you are active, carbs are essential - they are stored in the liver and muscles to provide energy for working muscles and to keep blood sugars stable. Contrary to claims made by popular fad diets, carbs are not responsible for weight gain. Any food (carbs, protein or fat) eaten in excess will be stored as fat and lead to weight gain.
Carbs are handled in the same way by the digestive system. All types of carbs are eventually broken down by the digestive system into glucose (or sugar). One exception is fiber, the body can’t break down fiber, it passes through the body undigested (helping with regular bowel movements, lowering cholesterol and feeling full).
What is the Recommended Intake for Carbs?
The Institute of Medicine recommends that 45-65% of total calories come from carbs. For a 1,500 calorie diet, this is equal to 169-244 grams carbs.
Renew your Relationship with Carbs:
Carbohydrates have sure had their fare share of criticism these days- but they don’t deserve it! Fad diets tend to label foods as “good” and “bad” which in turn sets you up for overly restricting foods and consequently craving them. It is not realistic to give up an entire food group or food groups. This is one reason why you may initially lose weight and then regain it. Plus, by eliminating food groups you are missing out on key nutrients that your body needs to function!
Instead of viewing carbs as “good” or “bad”, think of them in terms of quality and health. Or, what you get to include instead of exclude. High quality, healthy carbs are nutrient-rich and fiber-rich. Lower quality, not-so-healthy carbs are refined or processed, nutrient poor and cause fluctuations in your blood sugar.
Sort the “Good” from the “Bad”:
• Include Healthy Carbs: Whole grains, beans, low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables. These foods are a good source of fiber and contain important vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. They help keep you satisfied longer by keeping your blood sugar levels stable.
• Limit Not-So-Healthy Carbs: Refined grains, processed foods and sugary drinks. Think “empty” calories such as chips, cookies, white bread, white rice, sugary cereals and soda. In addition, some of these are also high in fat, including unhealthy trans fats. They cause a rapid rise and fall in your blood sugar leaving you hungry soon after eating them. This doesn’t mean they are off-limits, rather they should be a very small part of your day! Occasional treats will not sabotage your efforts.
Bottom Line:
You need carbs for health! They are your body’s primary source of energy. Your brain and body have a hard time functioning without them! They also help prevent constipation, heart disease and cancer. When dishing up your dinner plate, imagine an empty picnic plate. Now, fill the top half with veggies, one bottom quarter with lean protein and the other bottom quarter with healthy carbs. Choose wisely and you’ll be well on your way to feeling satisfied, controlling calories and staying healthy!
What about Whole Grains?
“Whole grains” has become a popular buzzword lately! We hear we should eat more of them and choose whole grain bread, cereal, crackers, rice and pasta. But, just what are they anyhow? Let’s define what a whole grain is and is not.
Whole Grains: “Whole” means the whole grain is intact. Think of them as having many layers. This is where the fiber, naturally occurring vitamins and minerals as well as disease fighting phyto-nutrients are kept.
Not Whole Grains: Most other grains are called refined or processed grains and compromise many of the choices out there. Refined grains have been stripped of their precious nutritious layers. You will notice they contain less fiber and are “enriched”, meaning vitamins and minerals are added back in.
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 3 servings of whole grains a day. As a response, more and more companies are incorporating more whole grains into their foods.
Deciphering the Food Label
It’s great that the we as a society are bringing carbs back into our life, however, this also brings on a slew of label claims on everything from cookies to bread. To separate the whole grains from the others, all you need to remember are two easy steps and one key word.
Green Light – 100% Whole Wheat or Whole Grain:
1.) Look at the label: It’s whole grain if the front label says 100% whole wheat or whole grain.
2.) Look at the ingredient list: It’s whole grain if the first ingredient reads “whole” such as whole wheat flour, whole grain flour, whole oats or whole rye flour.
Whole grains include whole grain or whole wheat breads, brown or wild rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat couscous, whole bulgur, barely (not pearled or hulled), oats, whole wheat or rye crackers and quinoa.
And, remember that fiber isn’t a sure fire indicator of whole grains. Some refined products add fiber back in, natural whole grains are still king!
Red Light - Not Whole Grain:
Even if the label says made with whole grains or multi-grain, it doesn’t mean it is 100% whole grain. Use the same methods above to decipher if it is whole or refined.
1.) Look at the label: It’s mostly refined grain if the front label says: cracked wheat, made with whole wheat, seven-grain, nine-grain, wheatberry, 12-grain, oatmeal, stoned wheat and oat bran.
2.) Look at the ingredient list: It’s mostly refined if the ingredients read: wheat flour, unbleached wheat flour, cornmeal or malted barely flour.
The color of bread isn’t always an indicator of whole grains. Many breads use molasses or brown sugar to darken breads to give them a healthier appearance, kind of like a wolf in sheep’s clothing!
Yellow Light – Label claims that state: “Made with Whole Grain”, “Whole Grain”, “Good or Excellent Source of Whole Grain”:
“Made with whole grain”: You might recognize these claims from countless boxes of cereal – yep, even the sugary cereals! Typically this means a product may be made with a little or a lot.
“Whole Grain”: may mean that only 51% of the flour is whole-grain.
“Good source of whole grain”: means there may be as little as 8 grams of whole grains per serving. This means that only about 15-25% of the grains per serving are whole grain – that’s not that much!
“Excellent source of whole grain”: means as little as 16 grams of whole grains per serving.
*Just adding more whole grains doesn’t always make the product healthier – it could still have too much sugar, too much fat and too little fiber! “Excellent” or “Good” source of whole grains may seem like a nutritional bargain but 8-16 g of whole grains isn’t that much when the serving size is 50+ grams! So, aside from the label claims plastered all over the place, still do your nutrition facts and ingredient detective work.
To revisit calories, fat and protein:
http://www.lestout.com/article/health-beauty-fitness/diet/the-fact-about-fats.html
http://www.lestout.com/article/health-beauty-fitness/diet/understanding-calories.html
http://www.lestout.com/article/health-beauty-fitness/diet/the-protein-debate-how-much-is-enough.html
Please note: The information in this article is not to be followed asmedical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with your physicianor primary health practitioner for information regarding your own personalhealth and necessary treatments.
