Complex carbs
The food list below shows many natural complex carbohydrate foods that are frequently used to produce food products or meals. Most foods or products that contain a large portion of these staple ingredients are usually a good high complex carbohydrate source. The best way to provide the diet with complex carbohydrates is to consume foods in their most natural state such as oatmeal, bran and brown rice.
| Bran |
| Wheatgerm |
| Barley |
| Maize |
| Buckwheat |
| Cornmeal |
| Oatmeal |
The food list below shows good sources of complex carbohydrates.
| Pasta |
| Macaroni |
| Spaghetti |
| Brown rice |
| Potatoes |
| Other root vegetables |
| Wholemeal breads |
| Granary bread |
| Brown bread |
| Pitta bread |
| Bagel |
| Wholegrain cereals |
| High fiber breakfast cereals |
| Porridge oats |
| All bran |
| Wheetabix |
| Shredded wheat |
| Ryvita crispbread |
| Muesli |
| Cassava |
| Corn |
| Yam |
| Oatcakes |
| Peas |
| Beans |
| Lentils |
Simple Carbs List
Simple carbohydrates are usually considered to be "bad" carbs, but these are those that have been processed and broken down before being put back together again in an unnatural way such as to produce a sweet product like chocolate. Natural simple carbohydrates are the best carbs to include in the diet, especially if trying to lose weight.
Complex carbohydrates usually provide more energy than the simple carbs listed in the first table below.
List of some natural foods made up of mostly simple carbohydrates. These foods are low in simple sugars and do not promote weight gain.
| Apples |
| Blackberries |
| Blackcurrants |
| Cherry |
| Cranberries |
| Grapefruit |
| Kiwi |
| Lemon |
| Melon |
| Oranges |
| Peach |
| Pear |
| Plum |
| Raspberries |
| Strawberries |
The list below shows some food products that contain a large percentage of simple carbohydrates. Foods containing lots of added table sugar can also be added to the list. These foods contain lots of added sugar and most are high in calories. These foods should be limited to lose weight.
| Table sugar |
| Cakes |
| Biscuits - plain |
| Jam |
| Chocolate |
| Fudge |
| Candy |
| Toffee |
| Gums |
| Boiled sweets |
| Mint Sweets |
| Liquorice |
| Honey |
| Soft drinks |
| Tinned fruits |
| Chutney |
| Pickle |
| Puddlings - some |
Complex carbs (carbohydrate) foods are basically those in wholegrain form such as wholegrain breads, oats, muesli and brown rice. Complex carbs are broken down into glucose more slowly than simple carbohydrates and thus provide a gradual steady stream of energy throughout the day. Natural carbs are also a better choice when losing weight on the G.I diet plan.
All carbohydrates are broken down to glucose to produce the energy molecule ATP (adenosinetriphosphate). The efficiency of this whole process also depends on many vitamins and minerals. Most natural, complex carbohydrate sources such as those listed in the table below naturally provide many of the vitamins and minerals needed for energy production. Simple, refined carbs found in many processed, convenient foods tend to be devoid of these natural nutrients, therefore there is a greater risk that some of the energy will be converted into fat and stored. This is often the case even if the calorie content of the simple carb is lower than the calories in the complex carbohydrate source. Natural complex carbs are often devoid of additives and preservatives unlike many processed simple carb sources.
The food list below shows many natural complex carbohydrate foods that are frequently used to produce food products or meals. Most foods or products that contain a large portion of these staple ingredients are usually a good high complex carbohydrate source. The best way to provide the diet with complex carbohydrates is to consume foods in their most natural state such as oatmeal, bran and brown rice.
Weight loss progress often s lows due to a lowered metabolism. Increase metabolism before cutting calories and very low calorie diets wont be necessary
A good complex carbohydrate intake is essential to exercise effectively and make each workout more effective in losing body fat!
Read more: http://www.weightlossforall.com/complex-carbs.htm#ixzz14KFK3xp6
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Portion Sizes
- A baseball or size of your fist- would be one serving of vegetables or fruit
- Tennis ball- measures to about ½ cup of food (for example, ½ cup ice cream)
- Golf ball or large egg- is about a ¼ cup of dried fruit or nuts
- Six dice or one domino- would equal one serving of cheese
- Deck of cards or the palm of your hand- equivalent to a serving of meat, fish or poultry
- Tip of your thumb- about one-teaspoon of peanut butter
- Computer mouse- one serving of a baked potato
- CD (compact disc)- equals the serving size of a waffle of pancake
- Check book- equals a 3 oz. serving of fish
- A rounded handful- about one half cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta
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