Good Carbs, Bad Carbs

Here's a quick re-cap....

What are Carbs?
Sugars: short-chain carbohydrates found in foods; i.e. glucose (honey, peaches, berries), fructose (apples, grapes), galactose (dairy, avocados) and sucrose (nectarines, mangos).
Starches: long chains of glucose molecules, which eventually get broken down into glucose in the digestive system; i.e. amylose, amylopectin (potatoes, rice)

Fiber: *humans cannot digest fiber, however the bacteria in the digestive system can make use of some of them as an energy source to create fatty acids; i.e. cellulose (broccoli, cauliflower, kale), pectin (apples, pears, citrus), psyllium (wheat bran)

Good Carbs v. Bad Carbs

Good

• Whole
• Unprocessed
• Real food
• Nutrient dense
•  Whole fruit: Apples, bananas
• Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes
• Nuts: Almonds, walnuts
• Seeds: Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds
• Vegetables: All of them  

In moderation:

• Whole grains: pure oats, quinoa, brown rice
• Legumes: lentils, bean

 
Bad

• Processed/refined
• Poor nutrient density: “empty calories”
• Fibre, vitamins & minerals stripped out
• Lead to blood sugar spikes & crashes

 
Examples

• Pasta, pastries, cookies, bread, confectionery
• Sugary drinks, fruit juice
• Ice cream (some exceptions)

What Really is a Low Carb Diet?

• “Low” carb can mean something different depending on your unique situation; 50g vs <200g
• Ideal amount is based on age, gender, metabolic health, physical activity type & intensity
• your unique response to individual carbs
• For those who are obese, or have metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes, low-carb diets can have life-saving benefits

Therefore, a low-carb diet can mean something completely different to someone in their 50's who is trying to restore general health after years of metabolic damage from poor diet and little to no exercise, versus an athlete in their early 20's who is competing professionally and has no previous medical or significant health issues. 

It's all relative!

***If you're not sure where you're at or where to begin, please contact a nutrition professional like myself, and check out the following resources!

Resources
​
The Low Carb Athlete by Ben Greenfield
The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance by Jeff Volek & Stephen Phinney