You’re not alone if you have found yourself in a quandary about what carbohydrate foods actually are, and have wondered whether you should be eating more or less of them... Give me a minute and I’ll clear your head once and for all. 

The calories we consume come from either carbohydrates, proteins, or fats. Foods of plant origin contain carbohydrates (carbs). A rule of thumb to remember is that all foods apart from fats and meats contain carbs. Dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese) also contains carbs in the form of Lactose (milk sugar).

Carbohydrates are categorised as either one of two families - either ‘Simple Carbs’ or ‘Complex Carbs’. Knowing the difference between the two is important because the way they each influence your body fat levels and the way you feel is dramatically different.

Simple carbs are digested quickly to give your body a fast energy hit, sources include sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar), and lactose (milk sugar). You know the ‘sugar high’ you get from sneaking in those Pineapple Lumps from your top desk drawer? That's your blood sugar sky rocketing as simple carbs are absorbed rapidly into your bloodstream. Soon after you can have an energy crash. When we eat simple carbs we have a burst of energy, and then may start nodding off soon after. You can also experience powerful hunger cravings setting in within minutes after eating simple carbs. These cravings are an issue for anyone watching calorie intake - at the next food stop the power of that earlier sugar snack on appetite can be unbearable.

In contrast to simple carbs, complex carbs are digested slowly and released into the bloodstream over a sustained period of time - providing stable energy compared to the rollercoaster of simple carbs. Most complex carbs are full of nutritional value and contain healthy fibre, whereas simple carbs tend to be highly processed and generally lack the added health benefits of fibre along with other nutrients. Good complex carb choices are Kumara, Whole Grain Breads and Whole Grain Cereals, Oats, Brown Rice, Peas, and Beans. All of these will help you feel full for far longer than simple carbs, and maintain healthier blood sugar levels.

It's wise to choose whole grain complex carb foods over processed carb foods whenever you have the option. Choose a whole grain breakfast cereal or oats/porridge for breakfast, or a sandwich of whole grain bread for lunch. Include brown rice, kumara, or wholemeal pasta as the carb with your evening meal.

Both complex and simple carbs are sources of glucose for your muscles. This glucose can be used for immediate fuel to power your body, or can be stored in your ‘gas tanks’ (the liver and the muscles), once your ‘tanks’ are full any excess may be converted to fat. If carbs continue to ‘spill over’ you can have a real fat gain battle on your hands. One of the problems leading to the widespread obesity epidemic we have today is the over abundance of carbohydrate packed foods wherever we turn. To make matters worse a lot of the low fat (and so called diet items) on the shelves that are promoted as healthy options are loaded with unnecessary carbs.

If your goal is to stay in shape or get in shape then start being more aware of your carbohydrate choices, and keep their intake well under control.

Two effective ways we can control body weight and speed up weight loss is to firstly limit overall carb intake - this will lower the potential risk for excess carbs being converted to fat. If you eat less carbs your body will be better able to tap into body fat for fuel. Secondly choose complex carbs over simple carbs. The unstable blood sugar levels from simple carbs can reduce our ability to burn body fat. If you want to prevent this empty your pantry of simple carb foods - and get rid of those pineapple lumps.

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