Does Bread Make you Fat ? ( part II)

I just read an article where a girl said, "I am about to stop eating carbs because these hamburger buns, white bread and doughnuts are making me fat." I was blown away that she just clumped all carbs into 1 category. I do however see many people running from many good carbs bcs of a fear that it will cause them to gain weight. So let's start off by going over the differences between good and bad carbs.

What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates come from a wide array of foods - bread, fruit, vegetables, rice, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, corn, and cherry pie. They also come in a variety of forms. The most common and abundant ones are sugars, fibers, and starches. The basic building blocks of all carbohydrates are sugar molecules.

The digestive system handles all carbohydrates in much the same way - it breaks them down (or tries to break them down) into single sugar molecules, since only these are small enough to absorb into the bloodstream. It also converts most digestible carbohydrates into glucose (also known as blood sugar), because cells are designed to use this as a universal energy source. This is why carbohydrates can make us feel energetic. Carbohydrates fuel our body. Your body stores glucose reserves in the muscles in the form of glycogen ready to be used when we exert ourselves.

Good carbohydrate foods are those that are still in their natural state, or they are still similar to their natural state. They are foods that have not been processed or altered by people or machines. Good carbs are usually high in fiber. Foods high in fiber will give you energy over longer periods of time. They also give you a sense of being full. Foods that are high in fiber help to lower cholesterol levels as well as aiding the body in toxin removal.

Good carbohydrates generally have a low glycemic index. Foods with a low glycemic index will not cause a spike in blood sugar. This is especially important for diabetics who have to constantly monitor their blood glucose levels. Good carbohydrates are nutritious. Good carbohydrates are rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Examples of good carbs:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
  
• Beans
• Legumes
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Whole grain breads
• Whole grain cereals
• Whole grain pastas
• other whole grains (ie.
• couscous, rice, quinoa)

I will save all the bad carb junk for another blog post another day. As for now, the following are breads that will include whole grains and a good fiber content(still check the label bcs certain loaves in their line may be for the health conscious). Unfortunately, many of them still have 3 grams of sugar in them:

• Ezekiel
• Trader Joe's 9-Grain (0 sugar but only 1gm fiber)
  
• Great Harvest
• Pepperidge Farm
• Arnold & Brownberry (Owned by the same company)
• Joseph's
• Rubschlager
• Earth Grains
• Oroweat

I get most of my breads from the health food stores and I still have to read the label. I mainly check the bread label for sugar, hydrogenated fat and fiber. Each health food store carry there own particular brands. You can also order online by going the brands website. The main nugget I want you to get from this is PLEASE DO NOT BE FOOLED BCS THE FRONT OF THE LOAF SOUNDS GOOD. The mktg experts know how to use the words in such a way that they are giving you a half truth. Flip that baby over and read the label! Once you know the one to get, you can just go in the store and grab it.