Are Carbs Evil? Part 3: The "Good" Guys

"Good” Carbs:

OK, we’ve spent so much time talking about the bad guys that it looks like Carbs might be evil after all. But no, there are good guys! These are the Carbs that, when eaten, will not cause dangerous insulin spikes. They contain fiber so they will fill you up without making you feel like you need to take a nap. They also have all their natural vitamin and mineral content- including iron and some essential amino acids. And as if that’s not enough, they’re packed with protein!

• Whole Grains- Some of the most popular are brown rice, whole barely, quinoa, “Old Fashioned” Oatmeal (Steal Cut is even better!), bulgur and buckwheat. These grains are unrefined and because they still have their “shell” they keep all their fiber and essential nutrition. No pesky insulin spike and sugar crash and you’re not going be reaching for a snack in a couple hours because you’re not satisfied.

• Real, fresh baked bread- if it’s made with whole grains and lacking all the preservatives can be a great alternative. I’m not talking about processed whole wheat either, that’s still processed. I’m talking about the kind where you can see all the grains in there (because they didn’t mill it down to powder). The difference here, slower absorption and digestion, more filling, more nutrition and no preservatives.

• Veggies, fruits, beans, legumes and yams- Yup of course these are Carbs, complex Carbs. What’s the difference here? Fiber! When’s the last time you heard someone say they gained weight eating too much broccoli? That’s because it’s virtually impossible to overeat when there’s this much fiber involved. So you’re full, keeping your blood sugar stable and adding vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and with the exception of fruit and most veggies, more protein!

• Natural alternatives, like honey, agave, stevia and cane sugar. In an effort to decrease our sugar consumption and as a reaction to consumer demand for healthier products, a lot soft drinks, juices, teas and foods are now switching over. I can go on for days about the pros and cons of each one of these alternatives, but I won’t bore you with that (for now). I will say this, if given a choice between sugar, artificial sugar and one of these, go with the natural alternative. Cane sugar, agave and honey are still a form of sugar so you’re still consuming calories. Stevia is calorie free, but as with all these alternatives, the body will respond with insulin, but at a much more efficient rate. No spike, no crash.

So everyone knows sugar is bad, so why is it so hard to quit the white stuff? Next up, sugar addiction.