Quit Calling Carbs “Bad!”

I wish the media would quit misusing the word “carbs” (short for carbohydrates). I keep seeing the word “carbs” being used in a negative fashion: “Don’t Eat Carbs,” “Low Carb Diet,” “Carbs are Bad,” “Avoid Carbs.” Carbs this — carbs that. And in most all cases, what they are really talking about are processed starches, not the ever-encompassing food category of carbohydrates. C’mon… fruits and vegetables are carbs!

Nutrition 101

There are three categories of food: proteins, carbohydrates and fat. Food can be one or a combination of those three. Usually we will just throw a food into one category by what it is mostly composed of. For example, meat is categorized as a protein, even though it is both protein and fat. Milk is categorized as protein, even though it contains protein, sugar (carbs) and fat. For the sake of simplicity, here are common foods and their categories:

Proteins: meat (all animal flesh), milk, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds

Carbs: grains, fruit, vegetables

Fat: oil, butter

Refined Processed Starches – a.k.a. “Bad” Carbs – the Foods that Make You Tired and Fat

BAD Carbs: Refined white starches - french bread, white rice, bagel

Now you may be asking, “but where’s the bread, pasta, rice (white), sugar and potatoes?” Hmmm… notice those are the foods that usually come to mind when the word “carbs” is used? Well, I pretty much just listed whole foods in the categories, not processed foods. And THAT’S one of the key differences between “good” carbs and “bad” carbs. Think “white” when thinking about bad carbs. Bad carbs are usually white processed and/or starchy foods: white breads or baked goods, white pasta, white rice, white sugar, potatoes (Although, a potato is a whole vegetable, the glycemic load is high, which is what makes a “bad” carb bad, but I’ll get to that later.). These processed and/or starchy carbs (starch converts into sugar when consumed) are usually stripped of nutrients, fiber, and healthy fats and have a high glycemic load. Meaning, it causes blood sugar to quickly spike, causing an overflow of insulin (which also causes fat storage), which then results in low blood sugar, which leads to fatigue and false hunger, which leads to over consumption of food, which leads to gaining unwanted fat.

Fruit, Vegetables and Whole Grains – a.k.a. “Good” Carbs – the Foods that Give You Energy and Are Good For You

Good carbs are usually whole unprocessed foods, such as fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains. These are GOOD for you and will give you energy and help maintain or lose weight. In whole foods, such things as fiber, fat and protein help to keep the glycemic load down so those crazy spikes of highs, lows, and over-eating don’t occur, and you get a slow continuous calorie burn and release of energy.

Summary

A healthy diet is usually high in good carbs and low in bad carbs (as well as animal protein and saturated fat). In other words, high in fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains; low in processed white products (such as bread, baked goods, pasta, sugar, white rice), potatoes, meat, cheese, milk.

NOTE FOR POTATO LOVERS: eat smaller potatoes, such as red potatoes, with the skin and don’t over do it. Potatoes have a lot of good nutrients. But because they are so starchy with a high glycemic load, you need to eat them in moderation, and preferably with some protein and fiber such as vegetables so your blood sugar doesn’t spike.

GOOD Carbs: Whole grains - flourless sprouted whole grain bread, brown rice, quinoa

Some Substitutions

White rice – brown rice or quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) quinoa is a whole grain that is also a complete protein

White bread – whole grain bread (make sure it doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup) the less processed the better, such as sprouted grain bread

Pasta – whole wheat pasta

Instant Oatmeal – whole oat groats or slow cooked old fashioned style. add fruit for more fiber, nutrients and sweetness. nuts, cinnamon and vanilla are also nice additions. nuts add good fat and protein. cinnamon helps to balance blood sugar.

Refined Sugar – whole sugar such as sucanat, honey, real maple syrup, molasses. Whole sugars have many minerals and nutrients and a lower glycemic load than refined sugar.

“You Paid $21 for Only Three Pieces of Produce?!”

I normally do the grocery shopping when it comes to produce. But the other day, my other half did the honors. And I was very thankful that he did. He brought home some really nice fruit and vegetables. However, some of his choices caught my eye, as they seemed out-of-season. So I browsed the sales receipt. And low and behold, there were a few high numbers that jumped out at me.

Grapes, cauliflower and pineapple were the culprits. The grapes were $7, the cauliflower was $6, and the pineapple was $8. How crazy is that? I broke out an earlier receipt to make sure that wasn’t “the norm.” And sure enough, it wasn’t. On the previous receipt, I paid $1.96 for grapes, $1.50 for cauliflower, and $2.99 for the pineapple. I paid, roughly six dollars for the same items that he paid twenty-one dollars. Wow! What a difference!

Tips for Buying Organic Produce

Buying organic food can be more expensive than commercially grown food, but it doesn’t have to be outrageous. The key is to be vigilant and look at the prices CAREFULLY, especially if sold by the pound. It’s all about supply and demand. And since there is less organic than commercially grown produce, and the demand keeps going up, the prices are more volatile and can change dramatically, as demonstrated in my story. Also, it’s usually better to buy what is in season and, if possible, grown locally. Finally, keep a look out for sales and take advantage of them. It’s always better to have more than one source for your organic produce as well (such as CSA’s, farmer’s markets, local markets, specialty or health food stores, wholesale clubs).

Is It Worth Paying More for Organic Food?

To an extent, yes. The main reason I buy organic produce is to avoid poisons such as pesticides and herbicides. And now that I have a child, I try to only feed her organic food. Who knows what those GMO’s and pesticides do to a developing baby? What really scares me are the genetically modified foods (GM or GMO), even though those are not usually found in fresh produce (except Hawiian Papaya and Sweet Corn). If you care about your health, you should care what you are eating. But I don’t think one should have to give up cable TV in order to eat organic. It just takes more time and effort to make it affordable. Which means have several sources; look at prices carefully; buy what’s in season and buy wisely.

Become Aware: Try this Experiment

Choose an organic fruit or vegetable and “follow” it’s price throughout the year. Notice how much it fluctuates. See where it hits its peak and when it is at its cheapest and compare the price at different stores or sources. It will open your eyes to how much the price can fluctuate so you won’t pay $7 for a vegetable that you paid a $1.50 at an earlier time.