Bad Carbs, Good Carbs, And Fibre

If you’ve heard the terms “bad carbs” and “good carbs” and wondered what they are, then this article’s for you.

Glycemic Index

One of the things that defines a carbohydrate (which is usually shortened to “carb”) as either good or bad is its glycemic index (GI) which is an indicator of how fast the body processes it.

The basic ruls is, the higher the GI number, the worse it is for you.

Foods high on the GI table are referred to as simple carbs which are high in real sugar and low in fibre (because it is removed during processing).

Simple carbs tend to spike blood sugar and provide very little nutrition, and for those two reasons should not be used as a primary source of nutrition.

It is OK to have them once in a while, but not all the time.

Foods falling into the bad carb category typically include:

• artificial syrups
• bread
• candy
• desserts and pastries because they are high in sugar
• pasta
• white rice, bread and pasta
• soda

Bread, pasta, and white rice are on the list because during processing, the fibre is processed out of it.

Even within the simple carb category, some foods are better choices than others.

For example, a cup of white rice has a GI of 91, whereas the same serving of white spaghetti only has a GI of 64, making it a better choice.

Good carbs are referred to as complex carbohydrates and are low in sugar and high in fibre.

Usually anything made from a whole grain falls into the complex category because the flour it is made from has not been as processed, thus retaining much of its fibre.

Fibre, of course, keeps you fuller longer, thus curbing your appetite longer. In the end you’ll consume fewer calories, making weight management easier.

Choosing a good carb over a bad one is as simple as choosing brown rice instead of white, or a whole grain bread over one made with white flour.

As far as GI value, a cup of brown rice has a value of 79 while the same measurement of white rice shows up at 91.

There are plenty of charts available on the Internet that show the glycemic index for a wide range of foods, such as this one.

Glycemic Load

Most Glycemic Index tables also contain one other type of carb measurement – Glycemic Load (GL).

The GL of a food refers to the amount of carbohydrates in a food – the lower the amount of carbs, the less impact it will have on blood sugar spiking.

This is important because some foods can be misleading if you look just at their GL.

For example watermelon has a high GI of 103, but a low GL Load of only 52.

Compare that with another fruit, the pear, which has a GI of 54, and a GL Load of 57.

Watermelon has fewer carbs than a pear, even though it has almost twice the GL value.

Fibre

Having touched on the subject of fibre, above, let’s look at this in more detail.

Adding fibre to your diet is a great start to a healthy diet, because by eating fibre-rich foods, you will stay fuller longer, thus reducing your desire to snack on unhealthy foods between meals.

You’ll also reduce your intake of refined grains, salt, and sugar – all of which work toward improving your health – and it can help your digestive system work better (e.g. less constipation).

So, making one change to your diet by adding more fibre can be as good for weight loss as a more complicated change of both diet and exercise.

According to the results published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the University of Massachusetts Medical School used 240 volunteers in a study separated into two groups.

All of the volunteers had metabolic syndrome at the beginning of the research, meaning they had high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and were overweight.

Group One followed the American Heart Association’s recommendations of eating more fish, fruits, high-fibre foods, lean protein, and vegetables in their diet, while cutting back on alcohol, fat, salt, and sugar.

Group Two’s only change was to add fibre to their diet – about 19 grams (which is about two thirds of an ounce) daily.

Exercise was not added to either group’s recommendation.

At the end of the study, both groups lowered their blood pressure, improved their response to insulin, and lost weight.

Group One lost 5.9 pounds on average, while Group Two lost 4.6 pounds.

Both groups were able to maintain their weight loss for the 12 months.

What is significant about the study results is the weight loss between the two groups was not all that different – proving that by just adding fibre to a diet, weight loss is possible without making any other dietary changes.

And if weight is lost, it reduces the risk of other health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke – some of which can be life-threatening.

While it is possible to add fibre to a diet through fibre-fortified foods like breakfast cereals, cookies and crackers, fibre from whole foods is better (for several reasons).

You should aim for a goal of 20 to 25 grams of fibre per day.

However, because fibre can cause bloating and gas, it’s recommended you increase your daily fibre content gradually, thus giving your body some time to adjust to the increase of fibre.

Good sources of natural fibre include:

• beans
• fruits
• lentils
• nuts
• seeds
• vegetables
• whole grains

Beans and lentils are particularly beneficial as they are not only a good source of fibre, but they also lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

Again, you can find lists on the Internet of other high-fibre foods, such as this one.

Conclusion

The bottom line is, you should choose your carbs sensibly by focusing on eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to get the nutrition your body needs while minimizing eating simple carbohydrates that spike your blood sugar and make you hungry sooner.

And secondly, remember to make sure you include fibre in your diet, not only for weight loss reasons, but for overall digestive health too.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. High-Fibre Recipes
2. Low-Carb Recipes