Unrefined Carbohydrates

Oh the hype to have the right foods and not consume anything that is bad for the body. In all that, sometimes even the necessary and essential foods are ignored, which is of course not right. There has been enough evidence to prove that our bodies need a balanced diet that comprises foods from all basic food groups.

We will focus on one such food type today - Carbohydrates. Unrefined carbohydrates, actually. People who are trying to lose weight have this tendency to completely give up on carbohydrates and boycott them from their diets.

What they fail to understand is that not all carbohydrates are bad and that there are certain carbohydrates which are in fact good for us. These are the unrefined variety and these do our body plenty of good. In this following article we shall go into more details on what refined carbohydrates really are and list out the main sources of the same.

Refined carbohydrates are those which have been refined, processed and stripped off most of the essential nutrients. This is done so that they do not perish faster and can have a longer shelf life. Having been stripped off all the nutrients, these carbs do not have high fiber content and have a high risk of being converted into sugar.

On the other hand, unrefined carbs are those that maintain the natural nutrients and essential value of the product. They are rich in fiber and other nutrients and therefore, they help in expending energy to the body, help in digestion, maintain regular and healthy bowel movements, maintain the...

...correct sugar levels and keep a person feeling fuller for longer. These are some of the functions that carbs play in the body. As is clear, the unrefined carbs do a lot of good for the body and therefore they should not be excluded from our diets at the least. If these are left out, it can lead to a lot of deficiencies and lead to varied health problems.

So where can we find these unrefined carbs and what are the kind of foods that are a good source of the same? Given below are some of the main sources of the same - this is an all-inclusive complex carbohydrates list.

Whole grains that have not been stripped off their husk and fiber, as well as have not be shined and polished are one of the best sources of unrefined carbs. These ensure that the bran and the germ is still intact and that is what will provide for all the nutrition.

Buy flours that have been made from whole wheat, oat, barley or rye. All of these will ensure the best sources of the unrefined complex carbohydrates.

When eating vegetables, try to make sure that you have a good mix of the different types and kinds of vegetables. The green leafy kind like spinach and broccoli, those that grow as roots like sweet potatoes, those that are rich source of beta carotene like bell peppers and acidic ones like onions and garlic.

All of these will ensure that there is a good mix of the varied vegetables and provide for the basic nutrition without causing any deficiency.

Another great source of getting in the required amounts of good carbohydrates is to tap into fruits. Fruits provide for the good sugar that is required by the body. Along with that they are very low in calories and are one of the richest sources of antioxidants as well. The aim should be to have fruits in their most natural state as opposed to juices and thawed pieces.

The other rich source of unrefined carbohydrates is legumes, pulses, nuts and seeds. These may include lentils and beans as well as nuts like walnuts and sunflower seeds.

These are some of the main sources of unrefined carbs. Since you know the advantages and benefits that these carbs offer, waste no time in filling up on the same and getting healthier by the day.