The complex world of good and bad carbohydrates and glycemic index, made simple

Over the past decade, carbohyrates have gotten a lot of flak. Many of the really popular low carb diets like Atkins and South Beach diet have condemned poor carbohydrates, creating what we call carbophobia.

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We feel sorry for carbohydrate rich foods. All they’re trying to do is provide us with energy, but our lifestyles are so sedentary now that we barely burn the energy. So, our body being the frugal spender, likes to save up all that extra energy as fat in our body. So, is it really the fault of carbohydrates, or ours, that our lifestyles have changed to burning fewer calories but our calorie intake has gone up. That’s a debatable topic.

Anyway, we’re hear to solve the mystery of good and bad carbs- to help you understand which carbohydrates are good for your health and which carbs are unhealthy for you. Carbohydrates are chemical compounds that are digested by our body and absorbed into the blood stream to supply our body with energy. Now, the glycemic index or the GI is a measure of how fast carbohydrates are absorbed into the blood stream. The faster they’re absorbed, the higher the GI, and vice versa. For most sedentary adults, foods with low GI are better.

This is because when we consume high GI foods, they rapidly increase the blood sugar levels. This signals our brain to store fat- So, the effect of eating high Glycemic Index foods- they can make you fat.

Low GI foods on the other hand provide sustained energy and are better suited for sedentary lifestyles.

High GI foods are sugar, corn flakes, white bread, most white rice, candy. Low GI foods are most fruits and vegetables, pulses, meat, milk and nuts (are healthy). Refer to this page for a table on GI value of foods

Note that high GI foods are also useful when your body needs energy, like for athletes, prolonged physical activity, etc.

So, whether carbs are good or bad is really dependent upon your lifestyle and your needs. What we suggest is have a balanced healthy diet and be active. Go out and play a sport, run, get some exercise- this classic exercise is good for men and women, or just hit the gym. Carbs aren’t the problem, its our inactivity that is root of the “I’m getting fat” problem.

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Comments

4 Responses to “The complex world of good and bad carbohydrates and glycemic index, made simple”

How to eat healthy with Italian food : Fitho on September 22nd, 2008 10:52 am

[...] Pasta is primarily carbohydrates. Whole wheat pasta is better since it has a lower glycemic index (what’s that). And has higher protein and fiber content, helping you build those muscles, to burn more calories! [...]
Quiz: What’s your Health IQ? : Fitho on September 26th, 2008 9:23 pm

[...] with energy providing carbohydrates, fiber, protein, iron, Vitamin C and other minerals. They Glycemic Index of a potato is not high. But potatoes absorb fat, so depending on the cooking process they might [...]
Corn Flakes- are they healthy? : Fitho on November 3rd, 2008 2:20 pm

[...] sugar, malt flavouring, and high fructose corn syrup. All these ingredients have a high content of high GI carbohydrates. In fact, there is a huge controversy linked to the excessive use of High Fructose Corn Syrup [...]
Nutrition timing is key to muscle building : Fitho on November 5th, 2008 10:54 am

[...] carbohydrates. So, this is the time you want to eat simple carbohydrates (carbs with high Glycemic Index). The protein should be preferably whey protein since it is absorbed faster by your body. For this [...]