In recent years, carbohydrates are more often than not considered to be the fear food for those trying to lose weight and for those out there just trying to eat healthily. Believe it or not, despite the huge stigma attached to them, carbohydrates are actually a vital element of our diets – they help us function and keep our bodies working at its optimal level. Carbohydrates are a component of foods such as breads and cereals that help break down into glucose. It is this glucose, which directly feeds our muscles and cells allowing us to sustain an active life-style.
It’s a well-known myth that cutting carbs out of our diets will lead to weight loss, however, this is not the case. Eliminating this crucial food group from your diet could do more harm than good. A few of the side effects from cutting carbs are fatigue, lack of concentration and moodiness. In fact, cutting carbs for weight loss can have the opposite desired effect and lead to us gaining weight, as our bodies will be working extra hard and storing the fat that it already has. That is not to say that carbs are all good or necessarily all bad. It is important that we consume the right type of carbs in our diets and consume them sensibly. This handy guide will show you some of the carbs you should be including in your diet, ensuring that you gain the health benefits of eating carbs whilst simultaneously maintaining a healthy diet.
Swap white bread for wholemeal or multiseed bread.
Despite its popularity, white bread isn’t the healthiest bread option for you. White bread is made with refined grains and so contains little, if any, fiber. Most of the fiber in grains is found in wheat bran and germ, which are both removed during the refining process of wheat. You may have heard of the terms ‘low GI’ and ‘high GI’ in foods. GI stands for Glycemic Index and is the measure of how much a particular food increases your blood sugar levels after you consume it. The lower the GI the better the food is for you. As it happens, white bread contains one of the highest levels of GI. So, instead of feeding our body’s white bread why not opt for a wholegrain or multispeed load instead? Eating unrefined, wholemeal carbohydrates helps us feel satisfied for longer as it provides our bodies with slow-release energy. Wholemeal and multiseed bread also helps to keep our blood sugar levels on a balanced level which, in turn, keeps us feeling more awake, happier and can even curb sweet cravings. It’s hard to believe that foods such as bread, which are so often sold as being the ‘unhealthy’ option, can actually turn out to be good for us – as long as we eat the right type!
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Trade in your cornflakes for a delicious bowl of oats…
Unfortunately, for all you cornflake lovers out there cornflakes count as a refined carbohydrate. They are unlikely to keep you satisfied until your next meal and we all know that this can often lead to the tempting sweet stand in the marketplace whilst you’re in-between lectures. Eating cornflakes definitely isn’t the worst food related sin you could commit – however, they definitely aren’t great for you. However, if the thought of giving up your morning bowl of cornflakes is too much to handle, do not despair as Her Campus have a delicious and much more healthy option for you to eat – oats! Oats provide you with slow-release energy and so will keep you satisfied and content for much longer, so you can avoid that oh-so-guilty snacking, but they are also an excellent source of skin-nourishing vitamin E, fibre and energizing B-vitamins. Why not try having a bowl of oatmeal instead and sprinkle on some yummy blueberries to make this breakfast even more satisfying.
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Quinoa over cous cous
You may be surprised to hear that cous cous actually isn’t as healthy as it is pinned to be. Research has shown that its GI is infact rather high and its nutritional content is low; it’s not particularly high in fibre, vitamins or minerals. Consuming low-quality carbs, such as cous cous, is now known to be as bad for you as having too much saturated fat. However, the delicate grain, Quinoa is much better for you and just so happens to taste great too. Quinoa is packed with iron and magnesium therefore, aiding us in mental clarity, energy levels, and muscle function. These attributes make it the perfect on-the-go and healthy lunch option to have with you for one of your busier days on campus.
Swap white rice for brown
Just as a wholemeal loaf is better for you than white, so is brown rice better for you than white. White rice may look more appealing but brown is definitely the healthier alternative. Brown rice is the unrefined form of white, making it much quicker to cook and easier to digest. If that isn’t enough for you, brown rice also has a low GI rating making it a perfect, healthy option.
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Sweet potato anyone?
Instead of the traditional white potato, having you ever thought of switching to sweet potato? It’s hard to believe that something so tasty is actually really good for you. Sweet potato is another one of those amazing carbs with slow-release energy, but that’s not all what it’s good for. It can also help to regulate fluctuation blood sugar levels and it’s a potent source of vitamin A, which is essential for eye health and nerve function. Sweet potato is great sliced and seasoned with salt, pepper and cinnamon, bake this in the oven for about 20 minutes and you have a perfect healthy snack or side for your dinner.
Why don’t you try and join Her Campus in the big carb-swap! For just one of your meals this week try switching up your carbs to one of these delicious and healthy options.
Image Credits: pinterest.com