Complex Carbs vs. Simple Carbs

Eat Your Whole Grains!

If I hear one more person say, ‘I am on a low carb diet’ I will scream! Especially when I see that the person is suffering with health issues and has no energy. The powers that be, have created this culture that is afraid of carbs or thinks carbs are bad. When the so called ‘experts’ are telling people to stay away from carbs, they do not make any attempt to inform about the difference between complex carbs and simple carbs. Or worse still people are taking advice from doctors who have never studied nutrition or had very little nutritional training at all. (Yes, I know there are some doctors who have dedicated their loves to learning about nutrition and that is a good thing. However most general practitioners have no training in nutrition.)

Pictured: Brown Rice, Tempeh, Cauliflower Meal with Garlic Zucchini Sauce.

Complex Carbs

Complex carbs are whole grains; brown rice, millet, oats, quinoa, amaranth, spelt, rye, barley, corn, kamut, einkorn whole wheat, teff, kasha (buckwheat), surghum, plus lentils, beans, sweet potatoes and other whole starchy vegetables. (I am going to stick with whole grains for an example.)

Whole grains are the predominant plant species of our time. Whole grains are the edible seeds of grasses. The seeds or kernels of the grasses are harvested, hulled (the outer hard shell that is too hard to eat is removed), packaged and sold is stores. When people say, things like, ‘amaranth is not really a grain it is a seed’, that sentence makes no sense. All whole grains are seeds. All whole grains will sprout and grow. Whole grains are made up of a composition of minerals, protein and carbohydrates in proportion ideal for human consumption.

When you eat whole grains, complex cabs it gets digested very slowly in your intestinal tract. It releases a constant steady stream of glucose into the blood stream at a rate of 2 calories per minute. This provides a continuous flow of energy. This slow digestion is why grain eaters have stamina not fat and energy to last throughout the day.

Whole grains have been eaten for hundreds of thousands of years. Our ancient ancestors knew what they were doing. Eating the food grown from Mother Nature and eating the foods that gave them energy. They needed energy to make all of their clothes, shelters, tools and food. We as a species would not have survived if our ancestors sat around and ate simple carbs all day. Scientist have discovered a way to test the DNA found it the remaining food particles in the teeth of the remains of ancient people. They found that most of the diet of our ancient ancestors is whole grain or fibrous root vegetables which are also complex carbs.

Pictured: Brown Rice Asparagus Garlic Mushrooms Meal with Carrot Sauce.

Simple Carbs

Simple carbs are the refined grains. These would include: white flour, white rice, white sugar, any product made with white flour or white sugar, bread, crackers, breakfast cereals, desserts, packaged desserts, cake mixes or any other dessert mixes, all pasta made with wheat flour, basically most of what the average person eats. Simple carbs get digested very quickly which spikes your blood sugar levels. The sugars are used right away, and any sugars not used right away are stored as fat.

Simple carbs are monosaccharides, single cells, or disaccharides, two simple cells together. They are single or double cells that are separate. Basically single, simple saccharides, thus the name ‘simple’ carbs.

Complex carbs are oligosaccharides or polysaccharides, longer more complex cells that are bonded together. Oligosaccharides contain usually 3 to 10 monosaccharides units bonded together. Polysaccharides are made up of many saccharides, long chain polymeric cabs composed of monosaccharides units bound together. Basically, multiple saccharides, bound together to create a more complex structure, thus the name, ‘complex’ carbs.

Whole Grains for your Health

When I hear people say, ‘I am cutting back on whole grains’, I think what wrong information are you listening to? (This is especially upsetting when it is macro people saying this.) I heard a doctor saying the other day whole grains will cause inflammation in the body. WHAT?? I guess I am filled with inflammation (sarcasm). This doctor was promoting high protein, animal foods diet. ANIMAL FOODS AND DAIRY CAUSE INFLAMMATION! It is a fact. (Yes, I know not everyone is vegan, that is a personal choice, I am just stating the facts.) I can guarantee that if someone has inflammation in their body and they think it is from whole grains, it is coming from the other foods they are eating such as; animal products, dairy, sugar, fruit, refined flour, foods with chemicals, and/or combining the wrong foods.

I have been studying food and nutrition for 30 years. I did not just learn something, and never do more research after that. I have spent my whole adult life learning about food, the energy of food, how to heal the body, and helping people heal. I have not come across anyone who did not benefit from eating more complex carbs in the form of whole grains. (I know there are exceptions to the rules and there must be some people out there that this would not apply to, however I have not come across them yet.) I will refer to my statement above, if someone thinks that whole grains are causing inflammation in their bodies, it is from some other source of food.

I know there is a lot of Infromation out there now, maybe too much information, about how to eat healthy. Just remember to look to our history. Ask yourself this simple question, ‘how long have we as humans been eating this food?’. If the answer is, a very long time, such as whole grains, you can be assured it is a healthy food that you should be eating. And remember to always buy organic whenever possible the chemicals they spray on our food has a lot to do with inflammation and health issues also. I can give you a personal testimonial that I have been eating whole grains for 30 years, three meals a day, seven days of the week and they are the largest portion on my plate. I have mor energy then anyone I know even my friends who are ten years younger than me. I do not have joint pains or other pains. I know it is from the food I eat.

If you have health issues that cause pain, discomfort or just plain dis-ease in your body, I can help you overcome them with my Lifestyle Counseling Sessions. Please contact me to set up an appointment. https://www.macroval.com/counseling.htm

Upcoming cooking Classes:

Three Easy Brown Rice Meals - Wed. May 10 - All New Recipes
6 to 8:30 PM(EST) In person or Virtual
Three easy meals starting with brown rice and what is in your fridge and freezer. Each recipe is a complete meal covering all the essentials, complex carbs, protein, vegetables and healthy fats. Each one different and delicious with their own special sauce! (Pictures of the dishes are in the blog.)

Pictured: Brown Rice Lettuce Bean Meal with Sauerkraut Mustard Sauce.

Special Event: Scrumptious Plant-Based Burgers and More Cooking Class

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