Refined Carbs:Proceed with Caution

Yesterday we gave the "green light" to complex carbohydrates: the whole grains and colorful vegetables and fruits.  Have you noticed that I always say "vegetables and fruits" instead of "fruits and vegetables"? There's a reason for that.....

Complex carbohydrates like oats, whole wheat, navy and pinto beans and most vegetables are full of FIBER. Fiber is our nutrition and weight loss friend!  These carbs that get absorbed slowly into our systems, avoiding spikes in blood sugar levels. Some fruits are also fiber-rich, especially those whose skins we eat, but some - like bananas - are very sweet.

WEbMD explains the connection between fiber and weight management this way:



Why Fiber in Carbohydrates Counts



Fiber slows down the absorption of other nutrients eaten at the same meal, including carbohydrates
This slowing down may help prevent peaks and valleys in your blood sugar levels, reducing your risk for type 2 diabetes.


Certain types of fiber found in oats, beans, and some fruits can also help lower blood cholesterol.


As an added plus, fiber helps people feel full, adding to satiety.

The problem is that most Americans don't eat a diet high in fiber. We tend to eat lots of carbs....but usually it's lots of refined carbs. What's a refined carbohydrate and why is it so bad? 

Some carbohydrate foods are processed to look or taste a certain way: they are peeled, hulled, milled, bleached and sweetened -- in that refining process, the fiber is stripped away. White flour is probably our guiltiest carb..and if you think about it, many of us eat a muffin or white toast for breakfast, a sandwich or burger on a white bun at lunch and then have white rice or pasta for dinner.  Throw in a couple cookies or snack cake, crackers or pretzels, and you have nothing but a steady stream of fiber-poor, refined carb foods all day long. And these refined carbs can keep your blood sugar level spiking all day.

So those are the foods we want to eat in moderation. They're not green light foods - which may take some adjustment on your part if that carb-scenario sounded familiar to you. The refined, white flour/white sugar foods and the super sweet fruits are yellow, caution-light foods!