Are carbohydrates “Public Enemy No. 1″ for diabetics?
Many published sources have told us that carbohydrates are at the root of many of our health problems including diabetes. Carbohydrates come in two forms:
1. Complex carbohydrates consist of substances that contain three or more molecules of sugar that are bonded together forming larger molecules we know as starches. When eaten, the body’s digestive system breaks down carbohydrates to form much needed energy.
A second type of complex carbohydrates are the cellulose forms that constitute dietary fiber. Foods heavy in complex carbohydrates include various kinds of beans (legumes), and high starch content vegetables such as potatoes and corn, rice and most grains.
Vegetables with lower starch levels include green beans, broccoli and spinach, which contain smaller amounts of starch, but they have more fiber. The best complex carbs from a health standpoint come from the very foods that should be minimized in a diabetic’s diet-if not totally eliminated: legumes, breads, pasta and cereals.
2. Simple carbohydrates are those that are quickly broken down in the body. Simple carbohydrates are used as energy. They are found in foods like fruits, and dairy products. They are also found in processed and refined sugars such as candy, table sugar, syrups, and soft drinks. Among the most deadly form of a sugar is high fructose corn syrup, which has replaced refined sugar in many everyday prepared foodstuffs and drinks.
The majority of carbohydrates in our diet should come from complex carbohydrates (starches) and naturally occurring sugars rather than processed or refined sugars. But when speaking of diabetics, simple carbs, which find their way into the bloodstream with lightning speed, must only constitute a fraction of the daily diet.
Some carbohydrates are necessary for overall good health, but a diet of NO-CARBS will be more harmful over the long haul. Strike a bargain with your diabetes by eating very small amounts of simple carbs.
Now… let’s get back to the main subject in this article by taking a look at the good and bad of eating “white” foods.
Much of the current literature often makes a blanket statement that the white foods are an unhealthy way for diabetics and the population at large, to eat.
Let’s clarify that by showing you the good and the bad and what white foods are beneficial
Starting with the bad: cut out white potatoes (regardless of skin color), refined sugars, refined white flour and white rice. That isn’t too complicated-is it? And yes that includes a few of my favorites: french fries, sweet tea, pastries, donuts and rice pudding. But on the good side, here are some “White Foods” you may be over-looking.
Onions: Onions come in two primary colors-white and yellow; under the skin they are white. Onions are an abundant source of phytonutrients and vitamins. Here also is a source of micro-nutrients like quercetin, chromium and allicin.
Garlic: Many consider garlic a “Wonder Food.” It has been touted as a cure-all for many ailments like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, cardio-vascular problems and more. It contains many of the same beneficial substances as onions.
Cauliflower: This isn’t a very attractive food but it is right up there in health value with broccoli and cabbage. It is a great source for vitamin C, fiber and minerals, and helps to combat the effects of steroidal estrogens that find their way into our drinking water.
Mushrooms: Mushrooms are a good source for unique nutrients and antioxidants. The portabella mushroom is a good source for vitamin D-a vitamin that we get mostly as a result of exposure to sunlight. Some members of medical science say that diabetes is a “lifestyle” condition. We bring this dreaded illness upon ourselves by the way we live-and in particular, the way we eat.
