The Diet Dilemma: Simple vs. Complex Carbohydrates
We all want to eat healthier, feel great and live longer. We know that a proper diet is fundamental to a lifetime of health and well-being. The foods we choose help to determine our level of health and longevity. Sometimes it is difficult to know what to eat and why.
Choosing the right carbohydrates is important. There are three forms of carbohydrates – simple, complex and dietary fiber. The difference between these three is the amount of sugar units and how these sugars are combined.
Simple carbohydrates have a either one or two units of sugar. An example of a simple sugar, one with a single unit of sugar (called a saccharide), is fructose. An example of a double sugar, one made with two units of sugar (called a disaccharide), is sucrose. If you look at the ingredients on the labels of ordinary foods you buy at the supermarket, you will find these sugars in many of the every day items you buy. Some of these foods are table sugar, candy, soda, juices, syrup and jellies. Simple sugars are broken down quickly into the blood stream giving you a sugar rush. Although these foods may taste great, they have no nutritional value and are empty calories. These are the foods to avoid.
Complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) have a string of simple sugars linked together. A starch is a complex carbohydrate that comes from plants such as seeds, beans, legumes, vegetables and grains. Whole grain breads are included in this category if they contain no refined flour. Complex carbohydrates fill you up, increase your energy and make you more resistant to illnesses. They take longer to be broken down so take longer to enter the blood stream. This gives you energy over a longer period of time, not a sugar rush. So when you eat complex carbohydrates, you help to regulate your blood sugar levels.
Dietary fiber is a polysaccharide like complex carbohydrates but unlike complex carbohydrates it does not get broken down by digestive enzymes. Dietary fiber comes from plants but is not digestible. Eating dietary fiber is important because it helps to maintain proper blood sugar levels. Some examples of dietary fiber are oatmeal, beans, peas, sweet potatoes, squash, grapefruits and oranges.
By eliminating or greatly reducing our intake of simple carbohydrates we are well on our way to a healthy diet. Complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber provide the nutrients essential to a healthy lifestyle. Simple carbohydrates lead to a sugar rush; complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber fill you up, give you more energy and provide the necessary nutrition vital to your body’s health. For a healthy diet, make the switch from simple carbohydrates to complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.
For further information on living a healthy lifestyle, please sign up for our FREE NEWSLETTER.
Choosing the right carbohydrates is important. There are three forms of carbohydrates – simple, complex and dietary fiber. The difference between these three is the amount of sugar units and how these sugars are combined.
Simple carbohydrates have a either one or two units of sugar. An example of a simple sugar, one with a single unit of sugar (called a saccharide), is fructose. An example of a double sugar, one made with two units of sugar (called a disaccharide), is sucrose. If you look at the ingredients on the labels of ordinary foods you buy at the supermarket, you will find these sugars in many of the every day items you buy. Some of these foods are table sugar, candy, soda, juices, syrup and jellies. Simple sugars are broken down quickly into the blood stream giving you a sugar rush. Although these foods may taste great, they have no nutritional value and are empty calories. These are the foods to avoid.
Complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) have a string of simple sugars linked together. A starch is a complex carbohydrate that comes from plants such as seeds, beans, legumes, vegetables and grains. Whole grain breads are included in this category if they contain no refined flour. Complex carbohydrates fill you up, increase your energy and make you more resistant to illnesses. They take longer to be broken down so take longer to enter the blood stream. This gives you energy over a longer period of time, not a sugar rush. So when you eat complex carbohydrates, you help to regulate your blood sugar levels.
Dietary fiber is a polysaccharide like complex carbohydrates but unlike complex carbohydrates it does not get broken down by digestive enzymes. Dietary fiber comes from plants but is not digestible. Eating dietary fiber is important because it helps to maintain proper blood sugar levels. Some examples of dietary fiber are oatmeal, beans, peas, sweet potatoes, squash, grapefruits and oranges.
By eliminating or greatly reducing our intake of simple carbohydrates we are well on our way to a healthy diet. Complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber provide the nutrients essential to a healthy lifestyle. Simple carbohydrates lead to a sugar rush; complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber fill you up, give you more energy and provide the necessary nutrition vital to your body’s health. For a healthy diet, make the switch from simple carbohydrates to complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.
For further information on living a healthy lifestyle, please sign up for our FREE NEWSLETTER.
posted by Sharon at 10:48 AM
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