Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate is one of three macronutrients (the others being protein and fat) that are essential to power and maintain the body. Dietary carbohydrates are sugar, starch and fiber. During digestion all carbohydrates except fiber break down into sugars.

Carbohydrates are classified as simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates contain refined sugars and minimal fiber. The impact on blood glucose is swift but temporary. Complex carbohydrates have natural sugars and are fiber rich, and the impact on blood sugar is slower and longer lasting. MealMixer Diet Planners calculate how much carbohydrate you need based on your diet, tracks it for you, giving visual cues when you have exceeded the allowance (based on your selected dt), and lets you know the proportion of carbohydrate by dish, meal and weekly average.

Foods high in carbohydrates include breads, pastas, beans, potatoes, bran, rice, and cereals.

There are four calories in one gram of carbohydrate. A diet that is high in carbohydrates (especially simple carbohydrates) may leave you hungry more often as they are more quickly turned into blood glucose.

Using MealMixer's Diet Planners allows you to edit any recipe to use complex carbohydrates, and control the overall carbohydrate in your meals.

Bad Carbs

Bad carbs are carohydrates that have been processed in order to make cooking easier, but in the process have been stripped of fiber, bran, fiber, and other micronutrients. As much as possible stay way from:

• White flour
• White rice
• Refined sugar
• White breads
• Common pastas
• Sugar-ladened breakfast cereals
  

These carbohydrates will much more readily spike your blood sugar and insulin and increase your risk for diabetes.

Good Carbs

Good Carbs are carbohydrates that are digested more slowly because they contain all of their naturally occurring bran and fiber. They are more slowly metabolized and therefore don't spike your blood sugar and cause excessive insulin production. They also fill you up with fewer calories, making it easier to lose weight or maintain your current weight. Examples of good carbs are:

• whole grains — for long-lasting energy, phytochemicals and antioxidants to protect against heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
  • brown rice
  • barley
  • millet
  • quinoa
• beans
• fresh fruits
• fresh vegetables
  

Be on the lookout for words like stone-ground, multi-grain, 100% wheat, or bran. These don't always mean whole grain. A good rule of thumb is that if it's a whole grain product, it will say whole grain or 100% whole wheat on the package.