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 By John Destacamento Lori Morimoto Reducing carbs may NOT be the healthy solution to weight loss. Your body prefers to use carbohydrates as your primary fuel for energy from day to day. The Institute of Medicine recommends that carbohydrates account for 45%-65% of your total daily calories. Weight loss is not necessarily achieved by reducing carbohydrates in your diet. Many experts and nutritionists believe that the concept to altering body weight is counting the amount of calories versus the amount you burn at the end of each day. The Law of Thermodynamics states that the total calories consumed versus the total calories expended will result in weight loss or gain not the specific nutrient (carbohydrates). Classify your good carbs and bad carbs: Carbohydrates come in two forms, simple and complex. Some are considered to be high in calories, therefore monitoring your intake is important to achieve fat loss. Eat more whole grains such as whole-grain breads, cereals, fruits, and vegetables. These carbohydrate foods not only provide great nutrition to the diet but are slowly digested to keep your appetite satisfied for longer periods, making it easier to stay with your eating plan and eventually lose weight. Try to reduce refined sugars and white flour carbohydrates because they usually have added fats and extra calories. Some examples of bad carbs are sodas, and white bread. High Protein Diets?: Why are some high protein diets successful? Some believe that your body will require more energy to digest protein than carbs or fats, thus your energy expenditure increases during the day. Protein is great for muscle growth however too much can eventually lead to heart disease,and many other health problems. FAQ's -CNN interactive
Carbohydrates are any of a large group of sugars, starches, cellulose and gums that are similar because they contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in similar proportions. Your body uses carbohydrates by converting them into glucose, a simple sugar, for fuel. Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram.
Simple carbohydrates, also called simple sugars, are found in processed and refined sugars including table sugar, honey and candy, and in fruits, vegetables, and milk products. Simple carbohydrates are more easily digested by the body than complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates, which are basically long chains of simple carbohydrates, are combinations of starch and fiber. Any food with starch contains complex carbohydrates: Examples are bread, cereals, pasta, rice, and starchy vegetables like potatoes.
Complex carbohydrates, because they contain fiber and some minerals, will do more for your body than simple carbohydrates. However, when comparing sugars for health value, the sugar in an apple isn't any better or worse for you than honey, or table sugar for that matter. Your body digests it and uses it the same way regardless of where it came from.
Nutritionists suggest that 55 to 60 percent of our daily calories come from carbohydrates; when eaten in normal amounts, they are not bad for you. And this goes for simple carbohydrates too -- a 1986 FDA Report of Sugars Task Force found that sugar, when consumed in normal quantities, cannot be linked to any disease, nor does it create a dependency. If you eat too much of any sugar, including the sugar found in dried fruits, you may develop cavities, and you could become obese. But no scientific study has linked sugar to hyperactivity in children, and some have found that sugar may actually have a calming effect on both children and adults.
Some foods high in carbohydrates
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What is a carbohydrate?