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Carbohydrate Foods List with Healthy Carbohydrates


This carbohydrate foods list will show you how some carbohydrates are bad and unhealthy, while others are good healthy carbohydrates.

That's right, there are good and bad carbohydrates.

The good, healthy carbohydrates on this list of carbohydrate foods provide excellent nutrition and contribute to a better brain and strong, trim, naturally energetic body. But bad carbs make you fat and raise your risk of diabetes, heart disease and many other painful and serious diseases.

A good diet should be 45-65% "good" healthy carbohydrates and 0% "bad" unhealthy carbohydrates. But how can you tell the difference?

The Carbohydrate Foods List of Healthy Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate foods have been misunderstood. Numerous scientific studies show that healthy carbohydrates are essential to a good diet. They provide energy fuel for physical activity and the nutrition you need for proper brain function and optimum health.

And many healthy carbohydrates are high fiber foods that help to relieve constipation, remove toxins from your body and lower cholesterol naturally. They also give you sustained energy and help you feel full and satisfied.

The best sources for healthy carbohydrates are:
  • Raw and lightly steamed vegetables,
  • Legumes, beans, nuts and seeds,
  • High fiber 100% whole grains,
  • Raw, whole, fresh fruits,
  • Most low fat dairy.
Healthy carbohydrates are also an important part of a low glycemic diet. Eating low glycemic index foods can help you lose weight and maintain healthy stable blood sugar levels and triglycerides to manage or avoid developing diabetes and reduce your risk for heart disease.

Understanding "Bad" Unhealthy Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates can be grouped into simple and complex categories. Simple carbohydrates consist of a single sugar, like table sugar (sucrose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose) and fruit sugar (fructose).

Complex carbohydrates have three or more sugars linked together. They were once thought of as the only good carbohydrates, while simple carbs were considered bad. But, since fruits are simple carbs, scientists now realize separating good and bad carbohydrates is more complex.

The main difference is the amount of fiber in a carbohydrate food and how fast it's sugar content is absorbed into your blood stream. Bad, high glycemic, carbohydrates are absorbed rapidly, causing high and low blood sugar swings. But good, low glycemic, healthy carbohydrates are absorbed slowly and help to stabilize blood sugar.

Bad carbohydrate foods have been highly refined and processed, removing most of the nutritional value and fiber. They're often also loaded with preservatives, high-calorie fat and unhealthy additives.

The unhealthy carbohydrate foods list includes:
  • Sodas,
  • Candies,
  • All pastries,
  • Jams and jellies,
  • Fruit juices and drinks,
  • Refined grains, like white rice,
  • Bread and pasta with refined flour,
  • Most pudding, custards and other sweets,
  • Cakes, cookies and any sweet bakery products,
Studies show that unhealthy carbohydrates contribute to weight gain, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, obesity and heart disease. And these health problems are skyrocketing around the world.

The Unhealthy and Healthy Carbohydrates Solution

With all the food additives, sugar and processing, unhealthy carbs can be temptingly tasty. But they're full of empty calories with no nutritional value. The bottom line is bad carbs are bad and good carbs are good.

So it would be wise to start replacing all the bad carbs in your diet with the good healthy carbohydrates on this carbohydrate foods list.


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Posted in: Diet & Nutrition
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