Instead of spaghetti, opt for zoodles with meatballs and marinara sauce. If you are looking at a sweet or starchy whole food that you could discover exactly as is in nature, you are looking at an UNrefined carbohydrate. Calories obtained from fructose found in sugary beverages such as soda, energy and sports drinks, coffee drinks, and processed foods like doughnuts, muffins, cereal, candy, and granola bars are more likely to add weight around your abdomen. By focusing on whole foods and complex, unrefined carbs, you can reduce your intake of sugar and simple carbs, keep your blood sugar stable, maintain a healthy weight, and still find ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. Inside, layer a few pieces of sliced chicken breast, a slice of cheese, a drizzle of honey mustard, and a pickle spear. Read this next. While you battle fluctuations in energy levels, you may also find yourself intensely hungry shortly after eating. Honey affects our health in exactly the same way that other sugars do. There are some easy, healthy, and tasty swaps you can make. By Jacqueline Andriakos April 20,
Millions of readers rely on HelpGuide for free, evidence-based resources to understand and navigate mental health challenges. Please donate today to help us protect, support, and save lives. Bad or simple carbohydrates include sugars and refined grains that have been stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients, such as white bread, pizza dough, pasta, pastries, white flour, white rice, sweet desserts, and many breakfast cereals. They digest quickly and their high glycemic index causes unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels. They can also cause fluctuations in mood and energy and a build-up of fat, especially around your waistline. When you eat refined or simple carbs, your bloodstream is flooded with sugar which triggers a surge of insulin to clear the sugar from your blood. All this insulin can leave you feeling hungry soon after a meal, often craving more sugary carbs.
It is actually easier to define which carbohydrates are NOT refined, because the term “refined” is very confusing. ALL sugars and starches, EXCEPT those that come in the form of a natural whole food like a piece of fruit, a Lima bean, or a sweet potato, are considered refined carbohydrates. If you are looking at a sweet or starchy whole food that you could discover exactly as is in nature, you are looking at an UNrefined carbohydrate. Refined carbohydrates are forms of sugars and starches that don’t exist in nature. They do come from natural whole foods but they have been altered processed in some way to “refine” them. Processing methods include industrial extraction, concentration, purification, and enzymatic transformation.