List of All Carbohydrates - Is There a List of All Carbohydrates?

Most people have heard of the term carbohydrates, but have no clue what is meant by good and bad carbohydrates. Can anything really be good and what really happened to you? Since making a list of all carbohydrates will take pages and pages, to answer these and other questions, one must understand the basic structure of this food source and how to distinguish it.

There are two basic categories for carbohydrates; good and bad. It sounds easy, but it's really easy. They are called simple (bad) and complex (good) because of their structure and the way the body processes them. Regardless, they should not be avoided at all, as some diets suggest, but complex food sources should be chosen for easy choices when given the choice.

Foods such as grains and edible plants such as stems and leaves are part of a complex group and should be given priority. They have a long chain of sugar molecules and fibers that take a long time to digest. It energizes the body for longer and does not convert to the fat that is associated with simple carbohydrates.

Other types of carbohydrates are called easy and are known for their high sugar content and low fiber content. When this form is consumed it is processed quickly, often before it can burn, causing it to be stored as fat in the body. When one thinks of simple carbohydrates, they see foods like cookies, cupcakes, hamburgers, and fries.

Many think that any fruit and vegetable is good for you; However, many are actually simple carbohydrates as they are high in sugar. They are different from traditional simple foods because they contain fiber which is slower processed by the body which makes them react like complex carbohydrates.

Of course, many people know that foods like sodas, pastries, candies, and desserts should be avoided, but there are so many simple forms of carbohydrates. This includes foods like white rice, bread, and pasta and potatoes. While this diet will sometimes not kill the diet, given the choice, one should choose more traditional complex carbohydrates.

So how do you tell the difference? One way is to read the labels. The law now requires the number of carbohydrates to be included in the label. In addition, the label now includes a "glycemic index" that describes how fast food is digested by the body. Both of these factors should be considered when determining which foods to choose, especially if one is watching their weight. When researching the list of all the carbohydrates from which to choose, it is important to choose complex ones to ensure that high energy levels keep the sugar converted to fat.

------------------