What are carbs?

A popular theme in weight loss is "cutting carbs" — but not all carbs are the same. In fact you need to eat carbohydrates as a regular part of your diet. So why the bad rap?

There are two types of carbs—simple and complex.

Simple carbs have just two sugar molecules, and they are rapidly digested. …

Complex carbs have more sugar molecules and take longer to digest. [T]hey’re often paired with fiber and other nutrients…

Sugar: The simplest carb molecule is sugar, naturally found in fruits, vegetables, and dairy. Sugar molecules are named ending in -ose, so look for names like sucrose, fructose, lactose, etc.

Starch: A more complex unit made of many sugars is commonly called starch, found in grains, legumes and vegetables.

Fiber: As sugar is recognized to be a culprit in weight gain, here is the difference: Fruits contain fiber, which is the fundamental difference of eating fruits as juices vs whole. Fiber is the most desirable of carbohydrates, one should seek to maximize vs reduction of the other two, especially added sugars and worst being refined sugars.

The terms "low carb" or "net carbs" often appear on product labels. But the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t use these terms, so there's no standard meaning. Typically, the term "net carbs" is used to mean the amount of carbs in a product excluding fiber…

What to do?

Carbs are an essential part of your diet, so the goal is to go for the fiber - whole fruits and vegetables will fill you up and provide the most nutrition and meal satisfaction. Favor lower fat versions of dairy products, and introduce beans, lentils and legumes as a vegetable protein source free of saturated fat.

Carbohydrates and protein both contain 4 calories per gram, so it’s the portion size and type of carb that matters for weight gain.

Weight Loss Diet

Consult with Dr Oksana Aron at her Medical Weight Loss Center in Brooklyn for guidance on the proper diet for achieving your weight loss goals and overall health improvement.

Sources: Eating Well, Mayo Clinic

Labels: diet, diet tips, dieting, easy weight loss