There is so much  misinformation  floating around about carbohydrates that it’s hard to know what to believe.

Some push the idea of a low carb diet, some mention “good carbs” and “bad carbs”, and some people act as if carbs were poisonous!  Today I’d like to talk about what carbohydrates are and what they do for your body.

There are 2 kinds of carbohydrates, simple and complex.  Simple carbs have a simple molecular composition, are easily and quickly digested and enter your bloodstream as glucose.  Complex carbohydrates have a molecular structure that takes longer to digest but they also eventually enter your bloodstream as glucose.  The end product, glucose, is the same for both types of carbs.

Your body needs glucose for energy.  People who are serious about strength training know that you need protein to build muscle and carbs to power them.

Problems can occur when you eat too many simple carbohydrates (candy, soda, etc.).  They are rapidly digested and quickly raise your blood sugar level.  To compensate, your body releases a bunch of insulin to get rid of the sugar.  But this causes your blood sugar to quickly lower, resulting in low blood sugar levels, low energy, and hunger.  Then you grab a candy bar, which causes your sugar levels to spike, and so on and so on and so on.

This is why so many people mistakenly believe that carbs cause weight gain.  In reality, they are trying to feed their bodies with the wrong fuel, which causes a chemical reaction that leaves them hungrier and more prone to overeating!

The better choice is to use complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole grain cereals, and vegetables.  These are digested more slowly and release glucose at an even rate so that your sugar/insulin ratio remains balanced.  There are no excessive highs or lows.

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