Carbs Explained - Good Carbs

Good Carbs: Where Can You Find Them?

Recently, two old friends, Zoe and Angie, got together for lunch. Angie couldn't help but notice that Zoe had lost a lot of weight since the last time they saw each other. Angie had also lost weight, but not nearly as much. Here's how each of them did it. It all begins with good carbs, people.

The Story of Good Carbs from Angie to Zoe

When Angie saw how much weight Zoe had lost, she had to find out how Zoe did it. So she asked, and Zoe replied, "I went on a low carb diet. What did you do? I know you've lost weight too."

"Not as much as you though! I just couldn't do what you did. I need my carbs. They have always been a major part of my intake on a daily basis. Basically, I just stopped eating bad carbs and switched to good carbs instead," Angie said.

"What's the difference?" Zoe asked. "Don't all carbs make you gain weight?"

"No, not really. Most people gain weight from eating too many carbs, but it's also usually the bad carbs like sugary snacks and desserts, sodas, white bread, pasta and stuff like that. Think about it--has anyone ever cried about gaining weight because they ate too many fruits and vegetables?"

"I guess not. But those are still carbs."

"Yes, but they're good carbs--meaning they're carbs your body actually needs. See, your body needs 130 grams of carbs a day. But like I said before, most people eat way more than that. If they eat good carbs though, they generally eat less overall, because good carbs make you feel full longer. This is because most good carbohydrate foods have a lot of fiber. Whereas bad carbohydrates cause your blood sugar to spike up, then it comes crashing down and you're tired and hungry again very soon. In addition, your body produces more insulin this way, which can cause weight gain." Angie explained.

"Wow! You've really done your homework on this. Did you use a carb counter?" Zoe said. "What is a low carb diet bad?"

"Only the ones that severely restrict the number of carbs you eat. Think about it--you can only have limited amounts of fruits, vegetables and dairy on most of the well-known low carb diets. But your body needs all three of these things. All we've ever heard from doctors is how good these things are for you, so why would you go on a diet that limits them?" Angie asked.

"Good point," Zoe said. "And you seem to be losing weight this way."

"Yeah, it's just not as fast. But at least I know it will stay off this way."