Good Carbs Are Complex

Diet Article: How healthy carbohydrate choices can positively impact health and weight loss results.

Good carbs are complex carbs and they can greatly assist the body in achieving a strong level of health, in addition to helping the dieter drop those unwanted pounds.

Some examples of the good complex carbohydrate choices include the following food choices:

- brown rice
- oats
- whole wheat bread
- whole grain cereals
- whole wheat pasta

Carbohydrates that contain whole grains are considered complex. And these types of healthy choices can assist in leaving the body with satiety powers after they are consumed.

Think about the last time that you enjoy a bowl of whole grain oatmeal. How long was it before you felt like eating again? Before you felt hungry? Now think about the last time that you enjoyed cookies for breakfast. You were probably very hungry about an hour after you ate that sugary stack. Sugar dispenses quite quickly once it reaches the tummy. Actually, the digestive process begins in the mouth amid the chewing process.

Let's view a daily menu which is healthy and packed with a dose of complex carbohydrates:

Breakfast Menu: 1 serving of whole grain oats - and the whole oats will offer the most nutritional values; 1 cup of reduced fat milk, 1 teaspoon of reduced fat margarine and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Also add one slice of whole grain toast - or 1/2 of a whole grain muffin. You can also add a teaspoon of reduced fat margarine if you wish. Add 1 cup of tea or coffee; limit the sugar and cream added. You can also enjoy a cup during the day and one with your dinner meal plate.

Snack Time: 1 rice or popcorn cake

Lunch Menu: We'll use a whole grain pita pocket bread and fill each half with a mix of hearty vegetables: shredded lettuce, cherry tomatoes which have been cut in half, sliced cucumber, sliced mushrooms and baby spinach. Let's also add a serving of chopped lean meat OR beans such as black beans or chickpeas, along with one ounce of cubed skim-based cheese. Let's dress our salad mix with low fat balsamic vinegar for five tiny calories per serving. Also enjoy 1 cup of your favorite melon or berries.

Snack Time: 3 cups of hot-air popcorn with one teaspoon of melted reduced fat margarine

Dinner Menu: For our evening meal let's have some delicious, yet light Mexican food. What about tacos? Or a big burrito? Or a chalupa? You can enjoy any of these foods for meal time; be sure to use corn tortilla shells or whole grain flour shells when available to get the most from your carbohydrate choices.

All of these menu items are healthy - and the tacos as well as the chalupas include a well-rounded salad mix. The beans contained inside the burrito are paced with fiber grams - and they rival the complex carbs when it comes to satiety powers.

Also enjoy a serving of Mexican whole grain rice with your meal. Add a serving of bananas or plantains to your meal plate. You can cook them on the stove top using just a bit of water and brown sugar. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon if desired.

In Summary:

The above daily menus may closely resemble that of the non-dieter. Weight gain occurs when fattier foods are added. If we were looking at the daily menus of the non-dieter, they would add something similar to the following list to the menu above: 2 donuts, one dozen chocolate sandwich cookies, three or more large sugary sodas, and a couple of specialty coffees.

In addition, rather than using the reduced fat products, their popcorn would contain real melted butter, as well as their oatmeal and toast selections. And the serving sizes would be unlimited.

Just making these tiny changes can equal being one's recommended weight and being overweight. Yes, it is very difficult to resist the challenging temptation of the foods that we love - and the individual must then decide which they want more; instant gratification over the flavor of a food which temporarily satisfies their craving OR a body at its recommended weight which takes time to archive if the individual is currently overweight. Use your good senses; you know exactly what you want!

Bad Carbs | Site Map | Diet Bites | Site Disclaimer