Thursday, January 29, 2009

Important Facts to Consider About Carbs

By Ricardo d Argence

Carbs will be one of the first things you will have to face when trying to lose weight, whether you're trying to lose just a few more pounds or are going to make a serious lifestyle change. Diets say that they are a specifically low carb diet and there are lot of foods out there that proudly proclaim that they are low in carbs.

What are carbs and what do you need to know about them before you make a decision one way or the other? Does cutting them out really cause you lose weight?

Initially, it is important that you are aware of what carbohydrates actually are. Carbohydrates, generally referred to as carbs, are very important in providing energy to the body.

There are two kinds of carbohydrates. Sugars -simple carbohydrates- are the first. There are also starches, also called complex carbohydrates. The difference between them is that your body spends more time digesting one than the other. Sugars are processed through your digestion much faster than starches. Simple carbs are foods such as pizza, chocolate, cake, and other processed food with sugar additives. Certain highly nutritious fruits such as apples, bananas, grapes, and raisins fall in the category of simple carbohydrates too.

Complex carbs are found in breads, cereals, nuts, pasta, and vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and corn. Since starches take longer to digest, they release energy more slowly and will make it last longer throughout your body.

Both simple carbs and complex carbs are necessary for your body to function correctly. You will agree with me that, there are times when you need a short burst of energy, but you also need energy stored to keep you going.

Here is a simple way to use carbs. In the morning, have some fruit. To sustain the energy through the day, have nutritious meals that comprise of good complex carbs. If you consume too many carbs, your body will tend to store it as fat instead of burning off the energy, and subsequently you will gain weight.

Bearing this in mind, diets that claim to help cut your carb intake need careful scrutiny. People's problems with carbohydrates arise when they eat to much of them.

Generally speaking, it is not feasible or wise to eliminate an entire food group from your diet; with the exception of your body's intolerance to that particular group of foods. It is true that carb reduced diets do help to a certain extent, but frequently, they help simply because you are cutting back. You will maybe lose some weight, but that's not a healthy way. Carbohydrates are used by the body for good as well as bad things, as we have explained above.

A good route to go is to turn your energy towards getting exercise and eating carbs in moderation. Exercise can go a long way towards getting you the right kind of weight loss that you need, particularly when you are eating well, and it will help you get toned up and looking great. This is an important part of getting the body you want. - 17944

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