What Are Good Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are not the enemy despite what some fad diets might tell you. If you embrace good carbohydrates and reduce the bad ones, you can eat what you like and stay healthy, fit and slim. In fact, I lost 40 pounds after switching to a plant based diet rich in lots of fresh fruit. Click on the link to see my incredible transformation and hear more about my incredible weight loss story.

The Best Carbohydrates For Energy

Fruit and vegetables are the best carbohydrates because they are loaded with fiber and healthy sugars that are necessary for energy. Legumes such as beans are also great carbohydrates and they double as an excellent source of protein as well!

These sources of carbohydrates are the best for your health because they contain fiber which helps keep you full for longer, preventing you from snacking between meals. They also give you sustained energy.

Carbohydrates to Eat In Moderation

Brown rice, whole grains, baked potato and oatmeal are generally considered good carbohydrates, but I eat them in moderation. Grains have are a relatively new addition to the human diet since the advent of agriculture 10,000 years ago. Before that, grains were not regularly consumed if at all.

I prefer to get the majority of my carbohydrates from fruit while limiting my servings of whole grains to 1 or 2 per day if at all. If I eat whole grain products, it is usually some sprouted grains, quinoa or brown rice.

Bad Carbs: Carbohydrates to Avoid

White bread, cereals, pasta, white rice, sweets (candy, cake), french fries and all of the modern convenience snack foods are tasty but unhealthy. These carbohydrates may provide quick energy, but they also lead to a quick spike in blood sugar followed by a sudden crash which makes you want to eat even more of these unhealthy, fattening foods devoid of vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients.

If you have a craving for French fries, try making baked fries using fresh cut potato strips. Make healthy sweets using nuts, berries and sweet fruit. Replace your favorite white bread products with whole grain alternatives. If you regularly eat white rice, switch to brown rice. It will take a little longer to cook, but you’ll benefit from significantly more nutrition by avoiding nutrient-stripped white rice and breads.

My green smoothie program contains lots of green smoothie recipes that are targeted for specific health goals such as weight loss, detox, energy, libido, immune-boosting and more. I’ve put everything I know about green smoothies into this e-book, recipe book and supplemental material that includes over 100 answers to questions I’ve gotten about green smoothies, nutrition and health.

If you’d like to take your health journey a step further, then try my Thriving On Raw Foods program which steps you up to a 100% or mostly-raw food diet in just 21 days. Included are meal plans, recipes, shopping lists and lots of expert advice.

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Tags: carbohydrates, carbs, Nutrition