What about Carbs?

A lot of people believed that one of the main drawbacks of common Indian diet is the excess consumption of carbohydrate. In India, rice or wheat are using for preparing most of the dishes. Along with that vegetables, legumes, meat, poultry, fish or eggs are used in smaller portions as side dishes. The main role of these side dishes are to add spice and taste to the main dish. But now the concepts have being changing.

Now experts saying that foods which are rich in carbohydrate are essential for a good nutrition in diabetes.

HOW IS IT EFFECT?

The carbohydrate present in the foods is the only nutrient that make a higher impact on the blood glucose level. Insulin plays the main role in controlling our blood glucose level. The balance between carbohydrate that we taken and insulin produced by our body or taken as medication impacts blood glucose level and diabetes control.

What type of foods contain carbohydrate?

All the foods that we have taken won't give us the adequate nutrients, which are essential for our body. The amount of nutrients varies in different foods. The three essential nutrients that we need are carbohydrate, fat and protein. Most of the calories in foods shown, are from carbohydrate. Some of these foods contain good or healthful carbs, and other containing less-healthful carbs.

A food containing Good/Healthful carbohydrate

Carbohydrate containing foods which are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, helps us to avoid empty calories from added sugars. These are comes under the line of healthful carbohydrate foods. Similar servings of related foods may surprise you nutrition wise. For example, 1/2 cup of orange juice with pulp (fiber) and enhanced with calcium offers more nutrition than 1/2 cup of orange drink, which gets most of its calories from corn syrup. Taking fiber is a healthy way to lose weight and at the same time to keep maintaining a good digestion. Having a healthful carbohydrate instead of less-healthful carbohydrate is considered as smart eating.

Carbohydrate rich foods

Samples of foods with Healthful Carbohydrate (little or no added sugar)

• Bran cereal.
• Beans.
• Popcorn.
• Berries.
• Pear.
• Whole grain pasta.

How much carbohydrate do you need to get your essential vitamins, minerals and fiber?

Most of the experts suggest that you get 45-65 percent of your calories from carbohydrate sources. If you eat less carbohydrate, especially if you take lesser than 1,500 calories daily, won't gives you the needed nutrients. Eat unrefined, nutrient-rich foods containing carbohydrate - whole grain, unprocessed and fiber-filled foods rather than refined starches and sugar-added foods and drinks, which contains few nutrients and lots of calories. "Even while eating out, you have to be smart and work around what you get. Increase your intake of vegetables, for instance".