Carbohydrate Diet

The Carbohydrate Diet has been getting a lot of bad press lately. Are Carbs good or bad? What role can they play in a Weight-Control Diet? Is it a good Diet strategy? What's the Atkins Diet?

For a longtime we've been focused on the amount of fat in our diet. Then our attention turned to carbs and especially sugar. Throughout this article I'll give you a good, unbiased viewpoint on all these questions.

Simple and Complex
No, not our discussion here. In the Carbohydrate Diet there's two types of - simple and complex.
First the simple ones. These are also called simple sugars and are found in refined sugars, like white sugar and the dreaded (but delightful) candy. But more nutritious foods including fruit and milk also have simple sugars. These are better because they contain fiber, vitamins and vital nutrients like calcium.

Complex carbohydrates, also called starches. These include grain foods, such as crackers, pasta, bread and rice. Again some complex Carbohydrate foods are better than others. Unrefined carbs (like wholemeal bread and vegetables) rather than refined (eg. white rice and white bread) have more fiber. And in a calorie controlled diet fiber helps you feel full...you get more hunger satisfaction from a bowl or oatmeal than candy with the same amount of calories.

Role of a Carbohydrate Diet in a calorie or weight-control diet
Carbohydrates both simple and complex are a major source of your energy. They also have an effect on your hunger levels. Simple sugars are processed by your body fast. So the energy burst you get is also fast…and short-lived.  This fast processing also means you’re more likely to feel hungry again soon.
Your body takes longer to process complex carbs. Foods with wholegrains for example will give your body longer-lasting energy and longer-lasting satisfaction from hunger.

The Atkins diet v The Carbohydrate Diet
Hmmm. Lots of controversy about this diet. About as much as the infamous Crash Diet. The Atkins diet says that you don't need to watch calories and eating protein, even fat, can help you lose weight. The idea being that eating protein and fat take more energy to break down than Carbs.
What the Atkins diet is good at it seems is that the high protein and fat can keep your appetite away. Simple as that.
This appetite suppression is also shared in the Carbohydrate Diet. Or should I say the complex carb diet.
So where do we end up on the Carbohydrate Diet?  When considering carbs in your diet or reducing your calories go for unrefined, complex carbohydrates. They’ll help you control your weight by controlling your appetite.

Enjoy!