Author: Laura Rayburn

Carbohydrates have a tarnished reputation thanks to the much-publicized successes of Atkins dieters over the past few years. However, the thing that is often left out of these stories regarding people who hate carbohydrates is that they can play a good and important role in a healthful diet. The key to winning the battle is knowing which carbohydrates are working for you, and which ones are working against you.

Even people with the most basic knowledge of carbohydrates have the knowledge they need to pick a healthy food over an unhealthy one, since the choice can be as easy as choosing a whole grain bread over a loaf made out of a highly refined grain. That said, with a bit of education and thoughtful decision making, everyone can incorporate the good kinds of carbohydrates into their own diets.

First, take a look around you and begin to observe the sheer number of carbohydrate-containing food products that you come across within the span of a single day. Since both kinds of carbohydrates can be found in abundance whether you are standing in the grocery store, a local restaurant, or your own kitchen, it is going to be important to know what makes a good carb good and a bad carb bad.

Next, consider the fact that carbohydrates come in all shapes and sizes and can even be found in many fruits and vegetables, and when you see a food that contains carbohydrates, make note of whether those carbohydrates are manifested as simple sugars or complex carbohydrates. Simple sugars are broken down much more easily than the complex carbohydrates, and cause many people’s blood sugar levels to rise rapidly. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates take a longer time to break down, which means that they are released into the blood stream over a much longer period of time.

Finally, figure out how you can incorporate the healthy carbohydrates into your diet while avoiding the ones that can cause long term health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. Fresh produce, whole grain breads, and low-fat dairy are three great examples of sources of healthy carbohydrates in a person’s diet. The fact of the matter is that carbohydrates are everywhere, but they are not all out to ruin your waistline. The key to cutting carbohydrates while still maintaining a healthy and well-balanced diet is being able to pick out the good ones while avoiding the bad ones. Besides making healthy decision in your home and in restaurants, it is also important to equip yourself to be able to make these decisions on the fly. Choosing snacks from vending machines is a place where many people stumble. However, if you seek out health food vending machines from YoNaturals when these hunger pangs manifest themselves, then your good carb/bad carb decision just got a whole lot easier.