You Are What You Eat - Part 2: Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are always something that seem to confuse most people. There is so much contradicting information about what is a good carb or a bad carb. Should avoid them at all costs or you should have them as the bulk of your diet? Are they all created equally or are there some that are better than others? 

First off - carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for our brain. Our body naturally breaks down carbs to become sugar to fuel the body. It's very helpful when you need to workout or need a quick pick me up of energy. 

All carbs are not created equally though. Complex carbs are the foods like sweet potatoes that break down into sugars over the course of time. Refined carbs like wheat, sugar, fruit juices or corn syrup break down into sugars almost instantly creating a good buzz but ultimately leave you feeling tired or worse - get stored into fat to be used by the body at a later time. They spike the blood sugar levels and can cause diabetes or other inflammatory diseases. 

Refined carbs are stripped of most of their nutrients. Think of breakfast cereals: they are so processed that they have to have vitamins and minerals added back into them. They've been put through machines to make them into attractive and appealing shapes and colours so that we'll want to eat them. The perfect Os in your cereal might look nice but are not natural at all and can hurt your body in the long run. 

The healthy option for carbohydrate foods are foods that are not refined. Vegetables and fruits are great sources of vitamins and minerals and do not cause blood sugar spike. They also taste much better!

With fall approaching, there are so many great fruits and vegetables that are available. Go visit your local farmer's market and buy straight from the farmer. Not only does it taste better, but you'll know that you are helping your body instead of hurting it!