Carbohydrates (carbs) are startchy food, the kind of food used by the body for fuel. Protein is used to build up muscles etc but carbs are used for energy.
Carbohydrates can either be simple or complex. Simple carbs are basically sugars. Complex carbohydrates are usually better for you and may often contain fibre.
'Good carbs' include bananas, potatoes (not chips) and oats, granary bread, bad carbs are cakes, sugars and white bread.
If we eat too many carbohydrates then the body converts the excess into sugars and then into fat: especially around the stomach and hips.
The best type of carbohydrates to eat are those with a low Glycaemic Index (GI) because these are not as quickly converted into sugars by the body. They release sugars slowly into the bloodstream, so we don't have that big 'sugar rush'. When sugars are released slowly we feel fuller for longer and so may avoid over indulging. Sweets and cakes release sugars very quickly into the bloodstream, which gives us a sugar high, but when this dips, we can often feel quite tired and hungry all over again !
Carbohydrates can either be simple or complex. Simple carbs are basically sugars. Complex carbohydrates are usually better for you and may often contain fibre.
'Good carbs' include bananas, potatoes (not chips) and oats, granary bread, bad carbs are cakes, sugars and white bread.
If we eat too many carbohydrates then the body converts the excess into sugars and then into fat: especially around the stomach and hips.
The best type of carbohydrates to eat are those with a low Glycaemic Index (GI) because these are not as quickly converted into sugars by the body. They release sugars slowly into the bloodstream, so we don't have that big 'sugar rush'. When sugars are released slowly we feel fuller for longer and so may avoid over indulging. Sweets and cakes release sugars very quickly into the bloodstream, which gives us a sugar high, but when this dips, we can often feel quite tired and hungry all over again !