There are 2 types of carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are too simple or complex based on their chemical structure. So what are complex carbohydrates, or starches, some call them?
Complex carbohydrates
They are simply connected together in a chain of sugar. Because of its complex shape of the chain, its digestive enzymes have to work much harder to get access to interrupt the chain of bonds in some sugar for absorption through the intestine.
Therefore, the digestion of complex carbohydrates takes longer. The slow absorption of sugars provides a constant supply of energy and reduces the amount of sugar converted into fat and stored!
Usually people think of carbohydrates complex carbohydrates, as well.
The list of complex carbohydrates.
Spinach
Whole barley
Grapefruit
Beet
Buckwheat
Apples
Lettuce
Buckwheat Bread
Prunes
Cress
Oat bran bread
Dried apricots
Zucchini
Mash
Pears
Asparagus
Oat bran cereal
Plums
Artichokes
Musei
Strawberries
Okra
Wild rice
Oranges
Cabbage
Brown rice
Yams
Celery
Multi-grain bread
Carrots
Cucumbers
Beans
Potato
Dill Pickles
Low-fat yogurt
Soybean
Radishes
Skim milk
Lens
Broccoli
Beans
Chickpea grains
Brussels
Germs
Cauliflower
Beans
Eggplant
Soy milk
Lens
Onion
A meal of bread
Split peas
Complex carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates are digested quickly. Many simple carbohydrates contain refined sugars and few essential vitamins and minerals. People usually consider them to be bad carbs.
Why bad?
These simple carbohydrates are actually smaller sugar molecules, unlike the long chains of complex carbohydrates.
They are quickly digested, because the individual sugars are ready to be absorbed directly and digestive enzymes have easy access to bond the particles together.
One could say that most of the work has been performed on the digestive system! Foods such as cakes, biscuits, chocolate, etc. (you get the idea) have a lot of “empty” calories.
Because our cells usually do not require so much energy in a time of food, sugar must be converted into glycogen (the storage of glucose into cells) or converted to fat.
The cells in the body can store a limited amount of glycogen, so that in many cases, typically taking too much food that contains carbohydrates can contribute to body fat stores.
Here is a list of simple carbohydrates.
Table sugar
Corn syrup
Fruit juice
Candy
Cake
Bread with white flour
Pasta with white flour
Carbonated beverages
Candy
All baked goods with white flour
Most packaged cereals
Honey
Milk
Yogurt
Jam
Chocolate
Biscuit
There are many more foods that contain simple and complex carbohydrates. You can use this list as a starting point for a healthier diet immediately.