Amid the utterly confusing news about carbohydrates, the good news is, not all carbohydrates are created equal!!  Complex Carbohydrates, Whole Grains (Barley, Bulgur, Bran, Rice, Quinoa, etc.) Legumes (Beans & lentils), Couscous & Dried Fruit is about the healthiest food on the planet!!

These complex carbohydrates actually promote good health and a diet rich in vitamins and minerals!! 

With the avalanche of negative information concerning carbohydrates, it is critical that the public educate itself.  When it comes to nutrition it can sometimes be extremely confusing to weed out " THE TRUTH".  Let's look at the different between Simple & Complex Carbs....

Check out the Recipe Page for many Healthy recipes using these complex carbohydrates  foods.

 Include sugars, fructose  corn syrup & grape sugars (dextrose or glucose)  This also includes table sugar (sucrose). 

Products made with these sugars, cakes, cookies,  white bread, white  flour pasta are digested quickly and cause a spiked increase in blood sugar.

Processed carbs, mentioned above, are the ones in question.  They carry few nutrients and break down quickly in the body.  Quick and strong increases in blood sugar levels  can cause heart disease, increase risk of diabetes and weight gain. 

Resources: -

Carbohydrates, Nutrition source- Harvard School of Public Health

Health benefits of rice - www.arnotts.com

Let Them Eat Cake - The Oprah Magazine, July 2004 issue

Contain the second main category of carbohydrate foods.  The primary function of complex carbs is to provide energy for the body, especially the brain and the nervous system.

This group is made up of whole grains, legumes (beans & lentils), brown rice, wild rice, red rice, wehani rice, oats, bulgur, barley, quinoa, dried fruit & bran... just to name a few.  These are some of the healthiest foods on the planet! 

Complex carbs are also considered "low glycemic".  Which means they are digested much more slowly.  This causes a lower and gentle change in blood sugar.

Low glycemic carbs, in contrast, lower heart disease and have been shown to help control type 2 diabetes. 

Even better news, complex carbs are full of great nutrients, fiber, vitamins, minerals & antioxidants.  Nutritionists tell us carbohydrates are an extremely important part of a healthy diet!!  They  should make up 1/2 of our calorie intake. 

The jury is out on the negative health effects of cutting carbs from the diet.  Specialists believe we will see a rise in heart disease and other digestive diseases if fiber is omitted from the diet.

Extreme diets are never the solution.  If nature didn't mean for us to eat carbohydrates, we wouldn't have this elaborate system in place that makes them so important to our brains.  It's natural to eat carbs!!