Good Vs Bad Carbs – What Makes Them Different?

There is a common misconception that carbohydrates should be totally avoided in order to lose weight. That is the reason why you can easily find literally hundreds of low carb diet plans on the internet and in the fitness books that are believed to be effective for weight loss. However, the truth is completely different because all macro nutrients have their own benefits for our body and none of them can be completely eliminated for any reason.

What are Carbohydrates?

They are the compounds that consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are the primary source of energy for our body. Each gram of carbs contain 4 calories and is either stored as glucose or fat in our body.

Good vs Bad carbs?

All carbohydrates are not created equal. The factor that determines whether certain types of carbs are good for us or not is their Glycemic Index.

The longer it takes for our body to digest certain carbohydrates the lower their GI will be and the better they will be for weight loss. This is due to the reason that we will feel less hunger if the food stays longer in our stomach. Our pancreas also secretes less insulin to digest foods with low GI.

Here is a list of carbohydrates with low GI that should be part of your daily nutrition for optimum weight loss.
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Whole grain bread
• Brown rice

Here is a list of those foods that should be avoided because of their high GI rating.
• Rice cakes
• Honey
• Candies
• White bread