Carbohydrate Dieting
Everyone by now has heard it from advertisements, news, etc... that carbohydrates are bad and you should eliminate them from your diet! Well, unfortunately there is only a half truth to that. In fact, a healthy diet is one which is usually composed of 50% carbohydrates. The reason for this is because there are basically two types of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Your body really prefers the complex from of carbohydrates, as they are its preferred source of energy. These types of carbohydrates are generally found in natural foods while simple carbohydrates are mostly found in processed foods like junk food.
It is important to understand and make this distinction when choosing what to eat. You should never attempt to eliminate carbohydrates from your daily meals, it will result in poor health and a significant lack of energy. Most people have heard of the glycemic index, which is a rating system of 1 to 100 that places "simple" carbohydrates at the higher end numbers and complex carbohydrates at the lower end. You want to consume more of the foods that fall at the lower end of the GI and less of the ones that are near the top.
Glycemic Index : Complex Carbohydrates : Consume more of these
- (30-50) Apples and Bananas
- (36) Pear
- (40-60) Baked beans and Lentils
- (40-60) Pasta
- (52) Grapes
- (46) Skim Milk
- (54) Sweet potato
- (55-56) White & Brown Rice
- (61) Oatmeal
- This last can go on and on, if you wish to find more perform a search on google.com of "glycemic index
Glycemic Index : Simple Carbohydrates : Consume less of these
- (100) White Bread
- (93) Couscous
- (87) Ice cream
- (84) Digestive cookies
- (83) Table sugar
- (76) Waffles and Donuts
- (72) Bagels
There are many foods that frequent both ends of the glycemic index. Keeping a conscious note to consume fewer of the simple carbs and more of the complex carbs will do your body a world of wonder and make your carbohydrate dieting techniques pay off. We prepare fitness plans equipped with full diet plans and workout routines, all online within 24 hours. If you would like to learn more about our services please take our tour and visit our free physical analysis page.
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1 = Worse | 5 = Best