Low-carb diets are all the rage right now, but there are different kinds of carbohydrates and they don’t all provide lasting energy. Here’s what you need to know in order to include the right carbs in your balanced diet.
Unprocessed carbohydrates
Carbs that aren’t processed contain fiber, vitamins and minerals and can provide lasting energy. Once carbs are refined, they can lose their nutrients and turn into empty calories. These types of carbs can cause your blood sugar to spike.
Examples of unprocessed foods that are generally more healthy and lower in refined carbs include brown rice, whole grain bread, fruits and vegetables, beans and pulses (e.g., peas, lentils and chickpeas).
Processed or refined carbs
There are multiple ways to process foods to turn them into refined carbs:
Method #1 involves removing the brain from around the grain so you can grind up the grain in order to make flour.
Method #2 involves taking sugarcane or sugar beet in order to make table sugar. This is called extraction.
Method #3 involves crushing or blending them item (e.g., an orange) and then concentrating it by removing the water.
Without a decent amount of fiber, these foods do nothing to keep blood sugar stable. Examples of processed foods include pasta sauce, granola, flavored yogurt and condiments, such as barbecue sauce.
Ultra processing
Ultra processed foods may include things like cookies and soda. Generally, these are items that contain five times more sugar than other foods. Foods that go through ultra processing may include other additives and preservatives.
Names for refined sugars
As a general rule, try to avoid purchasing foods that may have refined sugars. You may find the following on the label that can provide a hint bout added sugar:
- sucrose
- maltose
- dextrose
- syrup
- molasses
- fructose
- sweetener
When in doubt, choose whole grain bread over white bread, oatmeal over breakfast cereals, brown rice over white and natural yogurt over flavored yogurts.
