Simple and complex carbohydrates help your body in numerous ways. Some of these ways you may not be aware of, and some you may have already known about. Carbohydrates are a necessity in any diet. Did you know that your brain and the cells in your body use carbohydrates for energy?
Even though carbohydrates does the body some good, they can also harm the body if you are not careful. The over indulgence of these carbs have been known to be associated with diabetes, breast cancer, and cardiovascular disease. If you eat refined carbs, you will still have to be on the look out because after a certain period of time, the result could be sugar cravings that are uncontrollable.
Complex carbs improve your digestion and are very high in fiber. They also help maintain your blood sugar and even out your energy levels. Some complex carbs include pears, plums, brown rice, cabbage, pinto beans, celery, and potatoes. The Simple carbs on the other hand are a little different.
These carbs are not that great. Their name describes them the best. They really don’t contribute anything good to the body. Your body needs both simple and complex carbs, but eat the simple ones sparingly.
These are the ones that can change the mood you’re in, cause an imbalance in blood sugar levels, and cause rapid weight gain. Some examples of simple carbs are a lot of the foods that taste the best and the ones that many people enjoy eating on a daily basis. This includes fruit juice, cake, pasta that has been prepared with flour, candy, and soda.
The best way to avoid all the bad things that come with the over indulgence of these carbs is to eat a complete and balanced diet. How do you know if your diet is a balanced one? Read the labels on your food and use the food pyramid as your reference. Just so balancing your diet won’t be such a hard task, eat foods that have not been processed or refined.