When people decide to go on a diet to lose weight, one of the first things they cross out of their food list are carbohydrates. Many people have this impression that carbohydrates make them fat. While it is true that too much of it may cause one to gain weight particularly if one lives a sedentary lifestyle, carbohydrates are really not the enemy. These organic compounds are the body’s main source of energy making them a very important part of a healthy diet.

Carbohydrates are one of the three main food nutrients, with the two others being proteins and fats. There are two categories of carbohydrates simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates such as fruit sugar (fructose), milk sugar (lactose) and table sugar (sucrose) are easily digested and converted into glucose or blood sugar making them a readily available source of energy for the body.

Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, take longer to digest. The pace at which the body breaks down the food and converts it into glucose is much slower thus providing the body with a steady supply of energy. Complex carbohydrates are foods that are often high in fiber, vitamins and minerals such as vegetables, legumes and whole grains. It is the high-fiber content of these foods that slows down the process of converting carbohydrates into glucose. Another effect of fiber is that it helps normalize blood glucose levels because it takes a long time to leave the stomach and because of this, the absorption of glucose from a meal is delayed.

What then is the implication of all these on dieting? It may please a lot of people to know that omitting pasta and bread from your diet is not really necessary. What is more important is to practice moderation. Eating too much carbohydrates, whether simple or complex, translates to consuming a lot of calories because, after all, a calorie is a calorie. Whatever food you are getting your excess calories from, if you consume large amounts of it, the end result is stored fat which in turn causes you to gain weight.

Instead of loading up on starchy carbohydrates, eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. These foods are rich in fiber and phytonutrients which are plant compounds that contain a lot of antioxidants. Phytonutrients may help the body fight against disease.

When it comes to rice, choose brown instead of white. As for breads and pastas, go for whole grain. Try other less familiar grains as well such as millet, teff, quinoa and bulgur for your salads and side dishes.

If you can, try to stop eating pastries, cookies, crackers and other foods that are prepared using white flour and refined sugars altogether. These highly processed foods are not only loaded with calories, but they actually have very little nutritional value.

Charles Volcolatte is a health and weight loss researcher for www.skinnyasap.com. He writes and researches actively on Healthy Weight Loss Information and shares his knowledge at www.skinnyasap.com where he works as a staff writer.

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