Good Carb, Bad Carb
Imagine this scenario... You open your eyes and realize you're sitting alone on a wooden chair at a table in an otherwise empty room. You look straight ahead and see a big mirror, but you have a suspicion that there are people watching you from behind the glass. You begin to brace yourself, because you know what's coming next....
WHAM! The door flies open as a big hulking man enters the room and comes rushing at you. He gets in your face and starts screaming at you until his face turns purple and you start to form tears in your eyes. He's yelling and cussing and your face is soaking from the spit he's spraying.
After about 5 minutes of this, a smaller man softly enters the room and pulls the Hulk out of your face, telling him to calm down. He tells you that you're going to be okay and that we just need to take a deep breath and have a talk.
He begins, "For years now, Hulk and I have been watching you carefully from a distance. We see you at your dinner table; we see you at the grocery store; we see you at restaurants. And we've brought you here for one reason: we're sick of watching you pick white bread over whole grain."
You notice the Hulk's saliva building and his face turns purplish again. He erupts, "AND YOU PICK WHITE RICE OVER BROWN RICE! FRENCH FRIES OVER SALAD! CEREAL OVER OATMEAL! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?!?!"
The smaller man takes a handkerchief out of his pocket and wipes the drool from the Hulk's chin. "Listen, we're going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you didn't receive the proper education on what are good carbs and bad carbs. So we're going to explain it to you, but this is your last chance. If this becomes a problem again, I'm giving the Hulk permission to force feed you your vegetables by any means necessary.... any means necessary."
ALL ABOUT CARBS
Carbohydrates are a prime source of energy, plain and simple. However, some carbs give us quick bursts of energy (sugary, bad carbs) and others give us long-lasting sustained energy (fibrous, good carbs). When you consume foods high in carbs, it's important that you look for a high-fiber content. Fiber is found in plant foods and is great for giving us energy all-day long without storing as fat, like many sugars do. On top of that, they can lower blood cholesterol, reduce risk for type II diabetes, and make you feel fuller so you don't overeat on more fattening foods.
Here's a list of the most common food choices we make daily. Even if you can switch just 2 of these bad carb options for 2 good carb ones, you are going to be much healthier and consume fewer calories in the long run.
Replace White Rice with Brown Rice
Replace White Bread/Tortilla/Pasta with Wheat Bread/Tortilla/Pasta
Replace Potatoes with Sweet Potatoes
Replace Cereal with Oatmeal
Replace Oranges/Peaches/Citrus Fruits with Apples/Bananas/Berries
Replace Corn with Green Vegetables
Replace Potato Chips with Kale Chips/Veggie Chips
