Carbs are Needed in Our Lives to Give Us Energy. Find Out Which are the Healthiest Carbs
Our bodies need carbs in a sense to survive, whether we are craving them or need some extra energy, carbs can be a staple item in keeping our brains sharp and our bodies going. That doesn’t mean that all carbs are good for you, here we’re going to go over a healthy carbs list as well as healthy carbs for weight loss and how much intake you should have of them. Carbs are needed in our lives to give us energy, vitamins and minerals, fiber as well as helps with gut health and brain functioning.
What are the healthiest carbs to add to your diet? Continue reading to learn about our healthy carbs list.
Types of Carbs
Were you aware that there are different types of carbs that affect our bodies in different ways? There are simple carbs, complex carbs some carbs that are a mixture of the two.
Simple carbs are made with sugars and are digested and processed by the body quickly. When they are eaten in large amounts they cause instability in the blood stream leaving room for ups and downs in energy levels. Here are a few simple carbs:
- Sugar
- Brown sugar
- Glucose
- Sucrose
- High fructose corn syrup
- Honey
- Agave
- Milk with lactose
- Fruit- fructose
Not all of these simple carbs are bad for you, milk and fruits both have health benefits as well as honey. When it comes to the fruit you eat, make sure it is whole fruit and natural because fruits are both simple and complex carbs providing many benefits for the body.
Complex carbs are full of starches and fiber which can help us get rid of waste, depending on the type of fiber the complex carb contains. If you are eating a complex carb with insoluble fiber this means that this fiber builds up in our stool and collects particles of other food along the way. Insoluble fibers are made from whole grains and vegetables. On the other hand soluble fiber travels through our digestive system attracting water and binds with nasty elements such as cholesterol and fat along the way helping to eliminate it. Here are a few types of complex carbs:
- Whole fruit
- Vegetables
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Whole grains
- Whole wheat products
When it comes to choosing carbs, make sure you are choosing the right type of carbs that will not only make going to the restroom easier on your body but will also keep you full longer.
Healthy Carbs for Weight Loss and Healthy Carbs List
What are the healthiest carbs? Here we will outline a few (some are repeats from above) carbs that should be on your healthy carbs list.
- Vegetables – any sort of vegetable should be included in your daily meals, eat as many vegetables as you like. Green vegetables are the best but adding cauliflower or carrots to your daily routine can only help you.
- Whole Fruit – not canned, no juices, actual whole fruits such as apples, bananas, grapefruit etc.
- Legumes – these are your beans, make a lentil soup for dinner or make a chili with kidney beans or eat your peas.
- Nuts – nuts are a great snack when you’re hungry. Try eating some almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts or others. We recommend that you eat them plain or with a bit of salt, not honey roasted or spicy because that add many other ingredients.
- Seeds – seed can be added to parfaits, yogurts, and desserts or just eaten as a snack. Try chia seeds or pumpkin seeds.
- Whole Grains – whole grains should be the type of bread and pastas that you are eating. These can also be oats, quinoa, rice and more.
- Tubers – we all love potatoes, although they should be eaten in moderation potatoes such as regular and sweet are safe carbs when moderated.
When you are deciding on making major changes to your diet, speak to a medical professional before doing so to make sure that you are doing what is best for your unique body.