Let Better Health Kare’s healthy carbs list help you stay on course in your diet.
Getting the right information about healthy carbs intake can put you on the right course for good health. Regardless of what you may have heard, a healthy body needs carbohydrates to function well. Eating healthy high carb foods not only fuels your body but also your brain.
So be smart and learn more about healthy carbs with these tips:
Important Functions of Healthy Carbs
You may not realize the many great benefits you get from eating healthy high carb foods. Healthy carbs provide energy for the body and reduce the need for the body to use proteins to supply that energy. Carbs also help to regulate blood glucose levels, aid cognitive functions, and add dietary fiber to your diet. In addition, they aid in the breakdown of fatty acids, help to prevent ketosis, improve gut health, and assist in delivering vitamins and minerals throughout the body.
Healthy high carb foods are highly beneficial to the brain, heart and gut, providing essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants that sustain the body. Other benefits of carbohydrates in the body include enhancing physical activity, and aiding in the function of the heart, central nervous system, muscles and kidneys.
There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbs include sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup that are often used in processed foods. Complex carbs contain starch and dietary fiber, and include: potatoes, grains, oatmeal, fruits and vegetables.
Healthy Carbs List
Our healthy carbs list can help you learn what type of carbs are best for you, and include minimally processed foods. Simple carbs are sugars that our body processes quickly, and can aid in getting an energy boost when you are in a slump or before a rigorous work-out. While providing a quick pick-me-up, they can also upset blood glucose levels which can negatively affect diabetics. Milk and whole fruits (not juice) are healthy simple carbs that provide fiber and also contain complex carbs.
Simple carbs include:
- Table sugar, brown sugar
- High fructose corn syrup
- Glucose
- Sucrose
- Milk (lactose)
- Fruit (fructose)
- Agave
- Honey
Complex carbs provide starches, and fiber that aids in the elimination of wastes from the body. Insoluble fiber moves throughout the digestive tract binding to fats and cholesterol that needs to be eliminated. Complex healthy carbs perform their functions slowly in the body, causing minimal upset to blood glucose levels.
Our complex healthy carbs list includes:
- Whole grains
- Whole wheat products
- Whole fruits
- Vegetables
- Legumes
- Nuts
Healthy High Carb Foods
It is healthier to eat whole foods and avoid processed foods, and substitute fruit juice for a whole fruit. Fruit works slowly in the body and minimizes blood glucose fluctuations, while fruit juice does just the opposite. The same holds true for processed grains where all the fiber is removed, so instead choose whole grains and whole wheat.
It is a good idea to combine macronutrients when eating, such as adding protein, carbs and fat together. A good example of this is pairing yogurt with fruit; the yogurt adds fat and protein, while the fruit adds fiber. Combining macronutrients helps to balance carb portion size, and also provides sustained energy, fiber and antioxidants.
Understanding how simple and complex carbs work in the body will help you select the right choices for better health. If you need a daily reminder, pin our healthy carbs list to your refrigerator until you get the hang of it. Learn more at www.BetterHealthKare.com
