http://www.carbsexplained.com/carbohydrates/n4.html Complex carbohydrates, or good carbohydrates are essential to the overall good health of our bodies. Learn about the foods that we should be eating that contain complex carbohydrates. en-us Tue, 22 Nov 2005 14:24:32 EST Tue, 22 Nov 2005 14:24:32 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 The popularity and the validity of the traditional low carb diets have been slowly but surely losing much of their footing in our weight obsessed society. We will, from here on out, be hearing a lot more about complex carbohydrates and how important they are to our overall health. Before this, all carbohydrates were lumped together and there was no light being shed on the differences between complex carbohydrates, which are also referred to as good carbohydrates, and the bad, or simple, carbohydrates. That is all beginning to change now as more information is coming out about the benefits and the necessity of keeping complex carbohydrates a part of our diets. What You Have to Gain from Complex Carbohydrates The fact is that your body really does need complex carbohydrates for a few reasons. They are one of our main sources for energy, but they also aid in disease prevention. Fiber, which is found mainly in plants, like grains, legumes, and the skins of fruits and vegetable is one of the complex carbohydrates. It is an important element in the health of the digestive system and the diseases that are associated with it. Another complex carbohydrate is starch and it is from this that we get much of our energy. Starch is present in mainly in grains such as pastas, breads, and cereals. Of course, you will find the complex carbs to be present in the whole grain versions of both the cereals and the breads. The overly process "white" products generally have no nutritional value and will only pack on the pounds if not given the chance to burn off. Become More Active! In addition to concentrating our carb intake on the complex variety, we as a society must get off the couch! When it comes to weight loss and general health there are NO quick fixes - none. It takes time and diligence, no pills can do the trick. One of the main reasons we are getting fatter is because we do not move around nearly enough and that is why the low carb diets caught on to begin with - they cater to people who are not physically active and who do not wish to be. Unfortunately, they leave many people too tired to work out. These diets had an opportunity, by having the world's attention for a few years, to also emphasis the need we have for more activity and exercise, and with that they failed miserably. If you are adverse to the whole exercise thing, then try to remember all of the advantages that you will have after getting yourself into a good regimen. One of those is that the more you do exercise, the more complex carbohydrates you will be able to eat while still staying within the limits of your diet. Don't know yet what are complex carbohydrates? Check out our other pages and get informed. Tue, 22 Nov 2005 14:24:32 EST http://www.carbsexplained.com/carbohydrates/n41.html What are complex carbohydrates is the question on many dieters' minds. Read on and find out once and for all what are complex carbohydrates. en-us Wed, 09 Nov 2005 14:37:56 EST Wed, 09 Nov 2005 14:37:56 EST Weblog Editor 2.0