Carbohydrates – Heroes or Villains?

Some people eat a low carbohydrate diet believing that all carbs are evil but that’s not the case. We need carbohydrates to fuel our bodies, most importantly the brain which only uses energy from carbohydrates. So we need carbs but not all carbs are created equal!

Carbohydrates come in two main groups, “simple” and “complex”.

Simple carbs have fewer nutrients, are less satisfying and more fattening than complex carbs.

Complex carbs contain fibre, minerals and vitamins that help to keep levels up.

Simple carbs give people insulin spikes and then an energy crash! This sets people off on a roller coaster ride of eating simple carbs to keep levels up.

Below are two lists; the one on the left you should eat regularly from and the one on the right, try to never eat from! These lists are not exhaustive but a good guide when it comes to carbs is to think how pure is it? The more it is messed about with the less nutrients they have.

Complex Carbs

Spinach, Whole Barley, Grapefruit, Buckwheat, Apples, Lettuce, Buckwheat Bread, Prunes, Watercress, Oat Bran Bread, Apricots, Oat Bran Cereal, Plums, Artichokes, Museli, Strawberries, Okra, Wild Rice, Oranges, Cabbage, Pinto Beans, Potatoes, Dill Pickles, Soya Beans, Radishes, Lentils, Broccoli, Navy Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Kidney Beans, Aubergine, Brown rice, Carrots, Cucumbers, Yoghurt, Low Fat Skimmed Milk

Simple Carbs

Table Sugar, Corn Syrup, Fruit Juice, Sweets, Cake, Bread made with White Flour, Fizzy Drinks, All baked goods made with white flour, most packaged cereals