January 7th,2010 One important fact to distinguish here is the difference between good carbs and bad carbs. A simple rule would be,the purer it is in form the better its quality. For a clearer picture here is a list of the good and the bad.
The Bad Carbs
- Refined carbs are wholegrains that have been processed and refined whereby they are stripped of almost all nutritional value and fibre content. Examples are white (polished) rice and all white flour based products. Most of this flour based products have high levels of sugar,fat and salt added to them as finished products e.g. buns,muffins,cakes,cookies,pastries,pizzas,doughnuts etc.
- Certain canned carbs such as fruit in heavy syrup or soups that are high in salt content.
The Good Carbs
- Fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients such as vitamins,minerals,phytochemicals and fibre. They have low Glycemic Indexes and are low in calories which is ideal for weight loss and can be eaten fresh,canned,frozen or cooked.
- Whole grains are the original state of refined carbs. Even in the form of flour they contain the whole of the grain including the bran and the germ. They are high in fibre and keep you feeling full for a longer time –again a plus for weight loss. Choices are brown rice,par-boiled rice (they contain 80% of the nutrients of brown rice),wholegrain bread,oats and wholewheat pasta.
- Potatoes are high-starched good carbohydrates which mean they have a higher glycemic index (GI). Yet potatoes are one of the most wholesome choices of carbohydrates that are high in potassium,vitamin c and fibre. The best choices are sweet potatoes followed by new white or baby potatoes.
Now you know your good carbs,go ahead and enjoy them !
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I had read sometime ago on Reader's Digest that bad carbs (sweets,sysrup,etc.) also make us eat more as they make us feel hungry sooner compared to eating the good carbs (as mentioned in the posts above) which make us feel fuller longer,so that we will not feel hungry much sooner. This information had helped me a lot.
Will try to see if I could get that article.
I'm so glad you brought it up. This is one of the topics in my 5-part carbs series but the way it's going I'll probably have a lot more to write on it.
Please share the article with us (if you can get hold of it) as I'm an old Reader's Digest fan. Anything to help us fight the battle against bad carbs!
Is there any difference betweeen Basmathi rice and white rice,other than taste…health wise…
Hi Vijayaletchumy,sorry for the late reply…sometimes I receive delayed notifications on comments hence the slow response!
There isn't much difference really except for the fact that basmati has a lower Glycemic Index meaning a little less sugar but not much. White basmati rice is comparable to white rice while brown basmati rice is comparable to brown rice though brown basmati has 20% more fibre. White basmati rice is just a better quality white rice that has a distinct smell/flavour. All in all brown rice,basmati or not,is a better choice. I myself am not really a fan of brown rice. I take par-boiled (puzhunggal arasi). I also feel that it is okay for you to take white rice if you observe portion control. Drastic changes will give way to old habits. It's best to make changes that we know we can stick to on a long-term basis!