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The scientific evidence is becoming quite clear: All carbohydrates are not bad and some carbohydrates are actually good. The fact is, if you???re overweight you eating too many calories. Americans eat excessive amounts of processed foods high in all the bad carbohydrates. These are sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, white flour, white rice and alcohol. Processed foods have been stripped of all their important nutritional factors. Because they lack fiber, it???s easy to eat huge quantities of calories without feeling full.

Carbohydrate foods that lack fiber fall high on the glycemic index and often rate a high glycemic load. This means they are absorbed very quickly and rapidly raise blood sugar levels, causing an insulin surge. The surge of insulin may precipitate a rapid drop in blood sugar, increasing hunger and spurring a vicious cycle that causes cravings for more highly processed foods.

While by itself this sounds bad enough, the insulin surges cause more metabolic havoc. High levels of insulin promote changes in arteries and circulating fats that lead to cardiovascular disease. Cells that are constantly awash with insulin may become insulin resistant, as well as begin to secrete an enzyme that increases the uptake of fat into cells. Both of these factors will cause further weight gain.

The simple approach to solving this problem is to cut out all carbohydrates from your diet. It???s not the most practical approach, nor is it the healthiest or most scientifically sound choice. Most people love to eat carbohydrates and a very low-carbohydrate diet is an eternally difficult diet to stick with over the long term. More importantly, you???d be eliminating all the good carbohydrates that play such an important role in helping you manage your bodyweight and stay healthy while you enjoy your new svelte self.

Good carbohydrates are unrefined and come from whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. These foods are high in nutrients and rich in fiber. They are also full of all the phytochemicals and food factors that have been associated with preventing many cancers and chronic diseases. When you substitute the good carbohydrates for the bad ones, the fiber enhances your feeling of fullness and satisfaction without adding calories. Fiber slows the absorption without adding calories. Fiber slows the absorption of food, blunting the rice of blood sugar and reducing insulin surges. High-fiber, good carbohydrate foods are low on the glycemic index and when portion sizes are controlled, they rate low glycemic loads.

Not surprisingly, people with complex carbohydrate, high-fiber diets have lower bodyweights and better control of blood lipids and carbohydrate metabolism when compared to those eating predominantly simple sugars. In study after study, increased whole grain intake is associated with decreased risks of coronary disease, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and all causes of illness.

By replacing bad carbs with good ones you get a two-fer. You get fuller faster and you eat fewer calories and lose weight. You also get better control over most of the physiological and metabolic risk factors associated with the development of obesity and chronic disease. What could be better?

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Good Fats vs Bad Fats (Diet Series II)