Week 5: Good vs. Bad Carbs

Last week you learned the importance of good fats and proteins in your diet. This week you'll concentrate on improving your intake of carbohydrates. Like fats and proteins, carbohydrates can be broken down into two groups, simply; good and bad.

Good (complex) carbs are those that come from whole grains, fruit and vegetables. These are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are digested slowly and because of this will leave you feeling full for a longer period of time. This will help you eat less throughout the day while also giving you less ups and
downs in terms of energy (sugar rushes).

Bad (simple) carbs are those that come from candy, soda and refined (white)
flour. These are associated with little or no vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are
digested quickly and leaving you hungry and wanting more food. Loading your
diet up with these calories will leave you with a burst of energy that will quickly
leave you tired.

Your goal this week will be to maximize your intake of whole grains, fruit and vegetables while drastically cutting your consumption of candy, soda, refined flour and anything else high in sugar and low in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Change from white to 100% whole wheat breads and get at least 5 servings of fruit/vegetables a day. Most fruit and vegetables are very low in calories and very high in nutrients. Because of this, fruit and vegetables can be a free food. You can eat as much as you want without worrying about the calorie intake from them. Be careful about certain fruits and vegetables as some do contain a lot of calories (avocados, olives, coconuts).