CARBOHYDRATES
With all the pressures and misinformation regarding low-carb diets, here’s the truth regarding the consumption of carbohydrates:
1) Carbohydrates provide glucose for the brain and energy for working muscles.
2) You should get 45 to 65 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates.
3) You should NOT eliminate or drastically reduce carbohydrates for non-medical reasons. Doing so will hurt mental and physical performance.
4) It is the type of carbohydrate that should be of concern rather than carbohydrates themselves. You should get most of your carbohydrates from foods that are complex versus simple carbohydrates.
Here is a list of of complex and simple carbohydrates to help you understand which carbohydrates are better for you to consume (this is not a complete list of all food choices):
Select Most Often (Complex Carbs):
Barley
Beans
Brown rice
Buckwheat
Cracked wheat
Oatmeal
Wheat berries
Whole grain barley
Whole grain cornmeal
Whole grain bread
Whole wheat crackers
Whole wheat pasta
Whole wheat tortillas
Wild rice
Select Moderately (Simple Carbs):
Cornbread
Corn tortillas
Crackers
Flour tortillas
Grits
Noodles
Spaghetti
Macaroni
Most ready-to-eat breakfast cereals
Pitas
Pretzels
White bread
White sandwich buns and rolls
White rice
Select Least Often (Simple Carbs):
Brown sugar
Brown rice syrup
Confectioner’s sugar
Corn syrup
Dextrose
Glucose
High fructose corn syrup
Honey
Malt syrup
Molasses
Raw sugar
If you focus on eating more complex versus simple carbohydrates, you will have the glucose necessary for your brain and muscles to function properly and you will also decrease your chances of getting diabetes. Enjoy some complex carbs today!!!
Michael Brummer, Certified Personal Trainer
