Are you a little confused about carbohydrates? An endless number of books discuss the topic ad nauseum. To date, on Amazon.com alone, there are 56,715 results for the keyword "carbohydrate" in the book department. It's crazy, isn't it?
 
The Good Rap (but often ignored)
Carbohydrates are important for energy and organ function, especially for your brain. This fact alone should convince you to make peace with carbohydrates at some level. It is true, however, that too many of the wrong carbs are not healthy.
 
The Bad Rap
Carbs' bad rap is real to a certain degree. Eating too many of the bad carbs over a long period of time can become unhealthy. The fundamental ingredient in every carbohydrate is sugar. When you eat carbs, your body releases insulin in order to break down the sugar.

• Insulin slows down metabolism and causes weight gain.

• Insulin resistance occurs when cells don't respond to insulin, and your body can't absorb the blood sugar any longer. Insulin resistance has been linked to high blood pressure, triglyceride issues, and decreased levels of HDL or good cholesterol. It can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

• Refined carbohydrates also cause surges in serotonin, which impacts appetite, mood and some behaviors.

How to Tell the Good from the Bad Carbs
It's all about eating the good carbs rather than the bad carbs. The glycemic index and glycemic load ratings can help you differentiate them. Glycemic index or GI rates how fast your body breaks down the carb's sugar, so you can absorb the energy. The higher the number, the unhealthier the carb is for you. According to accepted standards, a GI of 55 or lower is a low glycemic index, and a GI of 70 or higher is a high glycemic index.
 
The glycemic load or GL is a rating taking into account the serving size as well as the fat and protein content. The higher the rating, the faster and the more sugar, your body will absorb. In this case a GL of 10 or lower is a healthy value and a GL of 20 or higher is an unhealthy one.
 
Basically, the more complex the carbohydrate, the better it is for you. A complex carb has more fiber, vitamins and nutrients than a refined carb, so your body breaks the carb down more slowly for a more gradual insulin release. This results in a more even flow of energy, without the crash and burn of insulin surges, which are often produced by simple carbohydrates.
 
You should look at both the GI and the GL values. Some carbohydrates have a relatively low GI, but the GL is high. Also some foods have the same GI, but have different GL values. Macaroni pasta and carrots have similar GI values, but the GL is very different.
 
Use these lists to identify the good, the bad and the ugly carbs. You can also visit the FatFreeKitchen to see a listing of specific foods and their GI and GL ratings.
 
The Good

• Whole grains - Basmati or brown rice, whole grain bread, oats, and whole-wheat pasta are good examples. If you are sick of these, try different Asian noodles made with buckwheat, rice, mung bean, or sweet potato flour.

• Vegetables - Eat these as raw as possible or just slightly steamed to get the maximum benefit out of them. Keep in mind that sweet potatoes are the best of the potato group, which has a higher GI value.

• Fruits - Eat fruit with the skin to increase the fiber intake. Fruits are always a preferred snack choice but limit your intake and pick the lower glycemic fruits such as apples, peaches, or strawberries.

• Beans - These have the added benefit of protein and fiber. Try white or red kidney, garbanzo, and black beans.

• Nuts - Nuts are also a great source of protein. Just watch your portions to minimize fats.

• Dairy - Choose reduced-fat dairy products.

 The Bad and The Ugly

• White bread - Instead of white bread, try different whole wheat breads. You should aim for breads with 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein per slice in order to slow down the digestion process and maximize your intake of nutrients.

• White rice - You can easily substitute different types of rice and starches. See the above whole grains for suggestions.

• Baked goods made with white flour and white sugar - No surprise here. If you are a cookie monster from way back, limit yourself to one sweet treat a week and give yourself permission to really enjoy every bite.

• Sugared sodas - If this is difficult for you to give up, try to train yourself slowly to replace sodas with water. Adding ice and fresh lemon can actually make a big difference in taste.

• Candy - There is very little to say here. It's simple. Don't eat candy unless you are in the desert with no food in sight.

• Cereals - Choose whole grain cereals with at least 3 grams of fiber and protein with less than 30 carbs (subtract the fiber total from the carb total for a real carb total.)

• Other highly processed and refined foods.

Eliminating your favorite Bad carb all together will make your cravings more intense, and it will become all about what you can't have. Keep in mind that maintaining a balanced, healthy diet will be easier and better for you than any kind of highly restrictive diet. If you feel you must stray from the Good track, try to eat a low GI/GL valued food at the same time. You can offset the Bad with a little Good. Keeping portions to a more moderate level, like choosing one cookie, instead of the whole pan, will also help to reduce the impact of an Ugly carb.
 
Please contact us, if you have any questions. You can email us or call us toll free at 1.866.5.WE.COOK (1.866.593.2665).

You can also visit our archive page for past newsletter nutrition articles.
 
The health information provided here is for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for seeking professional medical care.

With the hundreds of varieties of protein bars in stores today, who has the time to actually test each one personally? Obviously taste is critical to the selection process, but it might help to know how to quickly rule out unhealthy contenders by taking a quick look at the ingredients and nutrition labels. Remember you should eat protein bars only when you don't have time for a proper, unprocessed snack or meal. They should not become your only meal source on an on-going basis.
 
Scan Ingredient Lists
Look at the first three ingredients. Ingredients appear in order of largest amount to smallest amount. If the first or second ingredient is sugar, sucrose, corn syrup, or high fructose corn syrup, choose another bar. Also note saturated fats, which have been linked to heart disease and cancer. The worst saturated fats are hydrogenated oils and tropical oils (coconut oil or palm kernel oil). And don't forget to check for ingredients you want like vitamins.
 
Check Nutrition Labels
Depending upon your personal goals, you can shop for any one of three types of bars: protein, energy, and meal replacement.

• If your goal is weight loss, then you may want to buy protein bars for snacks and meal replacement bars for quick, on-the-go meals. A protein bar should have about 30 grams of protein (usually whey protein), two-thirds protein and one-third carbohydrate. A meal replacement bar should have about 300 calories, one-third protein and two-thirds carbohydrate.

• If you are an athlete training for your next competition, then energy bars are for you. An energy bar has more carbohydrates than protein, so check both values when deciding upon an energy bar.

For a bar that can almost do it all, check out the UltraLean Gluco Balance Bars by Biogenesis for weight loss and blood sugar stability. Biogenesis Nutraceuticals is one of the most innovative lines of professional-only nutraceuticals. These whole food bars are macrobiotic and balanced with protein and healthy fats for a lean body. (A macrobiotic diet is one based on whole grains, vegetables and beans where you avoid processed foods, meat, and poultry.) You can order an assorted box delivered right to your door. Flavors include Spice, Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, and Crispy Rice.
             
If you have any questions about protein bars in general or about these UltraLean Gluco Balance Bars, please email or call us at 1.866.5.WE.COOK (1.866.593.2665).
 

Ingredients
Preparations
1. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon zest and set aside. Juice the lemon and whisk 3 tablespoons of the juice with broth, tamari sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with tongs.

3. Add mushrooms and carrots to the pan and cook until the carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Add snow peas, scallion whites, garlic and the reserved lemon zest. Cook, stirring until fragrant, 30 seconds. Whisk the broth mixture and add to the pan; cook, stirring until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add scallion greens and the chicken and any accumulated juices; cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
 
4 Servings.

You can also visit our archive page for past newsletter recipes.

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