Are carbohydrates really the enemy?
As Accredited Dietitian Susie Burrell explains, good carbs can be our friend.
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the muscles and the brain. However we are constantly told we are eating too much of them.
The truth is that we tend to eat too much of the wrong types of carbohydrates.
For most these are the heavily processed carbohydrates that are digested quickly and offer little nutritionally – think white breads, white rice, snack foods, and the sugars from juice and soft drink.
The key with getting your carb balance right is choosing the right type of carbohydrate in the amounts you need for your activity levels. Naturally active people need more carbs than non-active people.
The best carbohydrates come from natural sources and include fruits, starchy vegetables and wholegrains such as oats, brown rice and wholegrain breads and cereals.
When these are consumed in the right amounts at the right time we get the energy and nutrition good quality carbs offer, without the issues more processed carbohydrates, such as sugars, snack foods and refined white flour cause when they are over consumed.
Catch up on the full episode of The House of Wellness TV show to see more expert health advice from Ed, Zoe and the team.
