Plant based naturally occurring foods (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), with all their parts, (not refined or processed at all) contain fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals. These “carb” containing foods reduce the risk of deadly diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers. It is scary to think someone might cut out any food with “carbs” especially those with death fighting benefits, then turn around and eat the foods that increase the risk of serious illness.

Now, when you hear, “carbs are bad”, you know better. Don’t sell yourself short; the health benefits of good carbohydrates containing fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals mentioned above are invaluable.  Now, what are those big words and why do they matter?

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Good Carbohydrates:

Whole Grains – in her article Healing for Dummies, Molly Spile wrote that  “…a whole grain is a complex carbohydrate, the original with all its parts. A refined grain is just a carbohydrate, and is less nutritious.” Brown rice, oats, corn, rye, quinoa, barley, and wheat and their products (i.e. cereals and breads) are examples of whole grains.  A common mistake is thinking of “brown bread” as whole wheat. In order to be classified as whole grain, the first ingredient must say whole wheat flour instead of enriched flour. Otherwise, it is just another carbohydrate. The same rule applies in products containing any grain.

Legumes – such as split peas, lentils, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates.

Vegetables – all vegetables in their unprocessed form are good; the starchy  (corn, peas, squash, and yes, even a potato) and non-starchy (carrots, green beans, broccoli, etc).

Fruits – all fruits in their unprocessed forms are good.

Remember, the more unprocessed the “good” carbohydrate, the better. For example, apple (with the skin) is better than applesauce, which is better than apple juice. Baked potato is better than mashed potatoes (unless you leave the skin on), which is better than potato chips.

The Bad and the Ugly Carbohydrates:

Sugars – products that contain sugars like table sugar, corn-syrup, high fructose corn-syrup, fructose (to name a few).  Americans are eating more sugar than ever before, almost a ½ cup a day from sources such as soft drinks, drink powders, candies, jams, spreads, preserves, and syrups.

Refined Carbohydrates – white bread, white rice, or any product that removes the bran and germ from the grain and strips it of fiber and nutrients turn a good carbohydrate  to a bad one.

Sugars + Refined Carbohydrates – this is when carbohydrates get ugly is when we combine the two into cakes, cookies, doughnuts, and pies to mention a few.

Now, lest you think a morsel of sugar should never pass your lips, think again.  It is part of life to enjoy a cake or cookie now and then without feeling like you will have a heart attack tomorrow. Try to eat well 90% of the time, and then you can really enjoy the sweet things of life.

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Simple carbohydrates are broken down quickly by the body to be used for energy. Picture a string of pearls, each pearl represents a glucose (sugar) molecule. The body needs only one enzyme to quickly break apart the string (bonds) and release energy. Simple carbohydrates are found in foods such as candy, table sugar, syrup and soft drinks – these are the bad carbs. Naturally occurring simple carbohydrates are found in milk and fruits, but are not to be confused with the refined sugars found in the foods mentioned above.

Complex carbohydrates are just what they sound like, complicated sugars that have bonds which take longer for the body to break down, thus releasing their energy more slowly. Complex carbohydrates are 10 connected glucose molecules or more that look like tinker toys assembled by a 3-year old with wooden circles attached with colored sticks. It takes a different enzyme to break down each bond. Sources of complex carbohydrates include grains such as rice and wheat, cereals, potatoes, and legumes.  These are the good carbs.

Refined carbohydrates are whole grains stripped of the germ and/or bran, leaving a highly digestible and easily preserved starch. Thus, a good carb is turned into a bad carb by removing the fiber, which makes it ugly.

To keep our bodies running the very best, we need 60% of our food intake to be unrefined, complex carbohydrates and naturally occurring sugars found in milk and fruit.  Said another way, 2/3rds of the food on your plate should be complex carbs.

The ugly carbs also rear their heads when we consume more than our body needs of any food and the excess  is stored.  It is at times like this that we are tempted to vilify and label all carbs as harmful, but there is wisdom in knowing the truth about the good, the bad and the ugly.  We should be seeking in proper proportions the  good carbs that help prevent and reduce the risk of killers such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes.

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“Carbs” is a buzzword. It’s almost as taboo as politics or religion.  People tell us what to eat or not, but can’t really tell you why. As a dietitian, one of the biggest misconceptions I see as I work with residents and families is their concept about carbohydrates, “carbs.”

Misunderstanding?

Who knows where the confusion all began, but certainly our busy and indulgent environment contributed: “I want what I want, and I want it now.” The food industry responded with a plethora of enticing processed and prepackaged products. Many diets switched from dinner hour at home with fresh, from scratch, balanced meals to a grabbing a quick bite on the run. Many Americans started gaining weight and consequently began to see an increase of diseases associated with weight gain – heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes to mention a few.  We went on the prowl for the villain and condemned refined carbohydrates, forgetting about the fats. Soon all carbs, even unrefined, were criticized and they became the culprit for all our weight gain and health problems. High protein, low-carb menus, meals and diets became a fad as the media jumped on the bandwagon.

Some carbs are bad, especially the wrong kind and too much of them. However, all carbs are not bad. On the contrary, the friendly carbs are very good for us and can be the hero in providing health benefits beyond the nutrients themselves.

Though I see the high protein, low-carb mania decreasing, I am concerned when a misunderstood baked potato is questioned and calorie packed “low-carb” sour cream, butter and bacon bits are consumed without the blink of an eye (Do I need to mention the 800 calorie, 8 oz. steak that came with it?).  I never hear complaints about the luscious triple chocolate brownie dessert that had 3-5 times the amount of carbs, calories and fat than the potato.  So let’s learn how to navigate the web of carbs.

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