|
What Are Complex
Carbohydrates?
In the world of nutrition, you hear a lot about
carbohydrates. The terms complex carbohydrates, simple
carbohydrates, and then carbs for short, are used to
describe foods. But, what do all those terms mean? We get
many patients in here who ask what exactly a complex carb is
when we're going over the breakdown for their Hauser Diet.
This is an important concept to grasp, so read on to make
sure you are truly aware of the nutritional quality of your
food choices.
Carbohydrates
Carbs are the macronutrient that is composed of sugar! This
includes breads, pastas, vegetables, fruits, sugar itself
and anything that contains sugar. No matter what
carbohydrates you eat, you need to remember that they all
break down into sugar in the body. Some may take longer to
get there, but that's the end result. The difference in
their make up and metabolism is why it is important to
divide carbs into categories.
Simple Carbs
Think white! White breads, pastas, rice, and sugar all fall
under this category. And yes that means, sugary treats like
soda and candy that although aren't white, are still
considered simple. The reason they are simple is because
they either enter the body as sugar, or are quickly
metabolized into sugar.
While these are the carbohydrates that need to be kept to a
minimum, Lions and Otters need to be especially careful to
stay clear of them all together. They will drain your energy
and possibly increase your hunger. Bears can indulge every
once in a while, and Monkeys and Giraffes shouldn't
experience much of a negative effect from taking in a small
amount of sugar during the day.
Complex Carbs
Look for brown! Whole grain breads, whole wheat pastas,
brown rice, legumes, and vegetables would all be considered
complex, meaning they take longer to break down into sugar.
If you have a choice, this is the group to choose from when
it comes to carbs. They have much more nutritional value
than simple carbs. These foods play a big role in the
Giraffe and Monkey Diets. Lions and Otters can have them,
but it is extremely limited.
Now fruits can technically fall under this heading too, but
they are kind of in a group by themselves. Because even
though they do contain some fiber which makes their
breakdown process a little slower, their sugar content
compared to protein and fat is high. So, this is the one
complex carb that is limited in the same way that simple
carbs are. In fact Lions should not have any fruit in their
diet at all!
There is a lot of information on carbohydrates, and it can
get confusing. The best thing to do if you are still
confused is to sit down and talk about it with me. The foods
that are considered carbs pop into our diet multiple times
each day, and if you don't know which ones to eat, or how
much, it could have a huge impact on your health. By getting
Hauser Diet Typing done, we can easily make the carbohydrate
confusion disappear for you.
|
