CARBS: THE TYPES
So what is a carbohydrate? If this is the first post you’re reading, go ahead and start here before moving any further!
There are two types of carbs: S I M P L E & C O M P L E X .
S I M P L E C A R B O H Y D R A T E S // 1-2 sugars linked together; the ones that taste sweeter, like fruit sugar, table sugar, milk sugar, etc. These spike your blood sugar more quickly.
C O M P L E X C A R B O H Y D R A T E S // 3 or more sugars linked together; more filling; from our starchy and fibrous foods. These still increase your blood sugar, but a lot more slowly (more details on that in the next post).
Our carbs come predominantly from three food groups: fruits, vegetables, and grains.
It is very important to understand that grains are not our only source of carbohydrates. Carbs have such a bad wrap, but they include our healthiest foods! Remember that a carb is NOT equivalent to a grain, a grain is a TYPE of carb. I don’t really have to tell you all the amazing benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, as I’m sure you’ve heard it enough before! So let’s jump straight into grains —>
G R A I N S // One of the MOST important things you can do to your diet is switch all refined grains to whole grains. When a grain grows, it is composed of three layers — bran, endosperm, and germ. The bran is the outermost layer, full of fiber (think bran flakes or bran cereal). The endosperm is the middle layer, comprised mostly of starch and sugar. The central layer of the grain is called the germ, which houses healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Why is this important? When grocery stores first started opening with the concept of stocking shelves full of food that would last, they found that grain products would spoil and go rancid quickly because of the fat content in the germ layer. So, they decided to remove the germ layer, and remove the bran layer while they were at it to make a lighter, fluffier texture, and all we were left with was the endosperm (this is your white flour, white rice, white pasta, white bread, most processed/packaged foods, etc.). THESE are the foods that have caused grains to have such a bad wrap... I call them empty calories — they are essentially just sugar.
When you eat a piece of white bread, because it lacks fiber, it causes your blood sugar to go up really high, and fall really quickly. This means that you only felt “full” for a short period of time before you are famished (think how a piece of candy gives you that sugar high then sugar crash). When you eat a piece of whole grain bread, since it has fiber and healthy fats, your blood sugar still goes up, but much much slower, and comes down much much slower. The more we can keep blood sugar bumps as small as possible, the better for chronic disease prevention, brain function, and weight loss. We could make those spikes even better by pairing that piece of whole grain toast with healthy fats and/or proteins (as these don’t affect your blood sugar much). Therefore, our bumps become even smaller.
Not only this, but when the germ is removed from refined grains, the vitamins and minerals are removed. Because this lead to a large problem in folic acid deficiency in pregnant women, causing a large percentage of babies to be born with spinal and neural cognitive defects, by law, the vitamins and minerals removed are required to be added back.. . BUT, they are added back in their artificial forms, NOT their natural forms, which in turn can cause it’s own health effects. More on this another day.
It’s a rule in my house, and for all of my clients, to choose whole grain and whole grain only.
Stop reading the numbers on your foods and start reading the ingredients —
THIS is what really matters.
Always check for the word W H O L E in front of any grain listed. You should never choose a product that says enriched or bleached. I don’t care if your grain product is brown, multi-grain, stone-ground, seven grain, etc., etc., this does NOT mean they are whole grain. Always do yourself a favor and check that ingredients list, as marketing does a great job of fooling you into paying more for a product you think is healthy, but really isn’t.
It’s also important to note that wheat is not the only grain, there are many other options — amaranth, barley, bulgur, buckwheat, brown rice, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rye sorghum, teff, wheat, wild rice to name a few! All of these should be chosen as whole grain options. Variety is key, as with any food group — each grain has a different taste, texture, vitamin/mineral content, etc., so switch it up! If you are used to having rice all the time, try farro. If you love ground beef tacos, try this vegetarian version with quinoa. Think oatmeal is normally boring and gross? Try this baked carrot cake version — yes, I said carrot cake for breakfast!
Point being, grains are not bad, unless you have an allergy/sensitivity to them, or they are the processed and refined version. So get out of your normal routine and comfort zone, and try these different options! Whole grains can 100% be a healthy part of your journey, no matter the goal. Stay tuned for the next post where we will wrap up the topic on carbs with a bang — why there’s nothing to fear!
In wellness,
Allie, RD, LDN, CPT