The most baffling of the food groups

Carbohydrates - Good, bad, indifferent?

First of all, there's no 'good' or 'bad' foods so let's not go down that route (you can of course, have a good or bad diet overall).  But one of the most popular questions I get asked is "what carbs should I be eating and how much of them?"

Basic carb facts:

• Found in foods such as bread, rice, cereals, fruit, starchy vegetables and sugars foods.
• Contain 4 calories of energy per gram.
• Simplest form is glucose but carbs range from a mix of simple sugars to hundreds of individual sugar chains which form complex carbs such as wholegrain breads and cereals.
• Also grouped according to their GI (glycaemic index) which is how quickly a carb releases glucose into the bloodstream.

How much:

Let's keep this really simple without having to use a scientific calculator to work out how much you need - it largely depends on how much you MOVE!

• If you spend all day on your feet, moving around and are not overweight, you will need more carbs than someone who sits down all day.
• Similarly, on days where you are exercising for an hour or more, you'll need more carbs than on a sedentary day when you barely leave the sofa.
• A high-carb diet is useful for those people who are exercising two hours or more each day.
• A low-carb diet is useful for those people who have a sedentary job / lifestyle, exercise for less than one hour each day, or are wanting to lose weight.

How do carbs affect weight loss:

It's a common belief that eating fewer carbs will mean you burn more fat.  This is kind of true - if carbs are significantly restricted your body will shift to burning fat HOWEVER, over time this approach will slow your metabolic rate and your body will burn less calories overall.  This is why it's really important not to severely restrict or cut out whole food groups unless there are medical reasons.

It's all about balance:

• Grain-based breads, cereals or crackers are digested slowly so will leave you feeling fuller for longer.  
• Rice, pasta, noodles, breakfast cereals are not the evil characters we are led to believe, it's how much of them we eat that is the problem  Aim for just 1/2 - 1 cup of cooked carbs with your meals.
• Go small or go home!  Simple changes like cutting smaller slices of bread can easily reduce the number of carbs (and therefore calories) you are consuming.
• Steer well clear of gimmicky breakfast cereals which are often loaded with sugar.
• Ensure you eat some protein with carbs as this will lower their GI response and will slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream.  Fish, vegetables and a small portion of rice is a perfectly balanced meal.

I hope this has given you a brief insight into the bewildering world of carbs.  Boring, but as with everything else when it comes to diet, it's a simple case of making healthy choices and keeping portion sizes in check.

Next week we'll be at the end of Quarter 2 so we will be undertaking a half year review of the goals we set at the start of the year.  Eek!  Half way through the year.

#joyfuljune