What's the difference between complex carbs and "plain" carbs?!
Much of the sugar Americans consume comes from what is added to processed foods (such as cookies, cakes, muffins, ice cream, candies, breakfast cereals, sports bars, and especially sodas). The most common form of added sugar is plain white table sugar (or sucrose). Other sugars that are added to foods include molasses, honey, high fructose corn syrup, and fruit juice concentrate.
Sugar is also naturally occurring in some foods. For example, fruit has fruit sugar (called fructose), and milk has milk sugar (called lactose). Just because these foods are high in sugar doesn't make them "bad" foods. On the contrary, these foods are loaded with important vitamins and minerals, and they are relatively low in calories. It's only when sugar is concentrated or extracted from natural sources and then added to nutrient-poor processed foods (like the foods mentioned above) that sugar can become a problem.
2. Complex carbohydrates (starch)
Complex carbohydrates are in foods such as bread, cereal, rice, pasta, tortillas, crackers, pretzels, beans, and starchy vegetables (like potatoes, peas, corn, and yams). Because whole pieces of fruit have fiber (unlike fruit juices or fruit juice concentrate sweeteners), they too can be considered complex carbohydrates.
Much of the complex carbohydrate Americans consume comes from refined and processed products (such as white breads, white rice, white pasta, and white instant potatoes or French fries). The refinement of these foods takes away many of their nutrients and fiber and leaves just a white starchy final product. These foods are “enriched,” but only with five nutrients (four B vitamins and iron). All the other nutrients are forever lost.
Foods in their whole form (such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, oats, and whole grain cereals) retain all of their nutrients and fiber
Answers: 1. Simple carbohydrates (sugar)
Much of the sugar Americans consume comes from what is added to processed foods (such as cookies, cakes, muffins, ice cream, candies, breakfast cereals, sports bars, and especially sodas). The most common form of added sugar is plain white table sugar (or sucrose). Other sugars that are added to foods include molasses, honey, high fructose corn syrup, and fruit juice concentrate.
Sugar is also naturally occurring in some foods. For example, fruit has fruit sugar (called fructose), and milk has milk sugar (called lactose). Just because these foods are high in sugar doesn't make them "bad" foods. On the contrary, these foods are loaded with important vitamins and minerals, and they are relatively low in calories. It's only when sugar is concentrated or extracted from natural sources and then added to nutrient-poor processed foods (like the foods mentioned above) that sugar can become a problem.
2. Complex carbohydrates (starch)
Complex carbohydrates are in foods such as bread, cereal, rice, pasta, tortillas, crackers, pretzels, beans, and starchy vegetables (like potatoes, peas, corn, and yams). Because whole pieces of fruit have fiber (unlike fruit juices or fruit juice concentrate sweeteners), they too can be considered complex carbohydrates.
Much of the complex carbohydrate Americans consume comes from refined and processed products (such as white breads, white rice, white pasta, and white instant potatoes or French fries). The refinement of these foods takes away many of their nutrients and fiber and leaves just a white starchy final product. These foods are “enriched,” but only with five nutrients (four B vitamins and iron). All the other nutrients are forever lost.
Foods in their whole form (such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, oats, and whole grain cereals) retain all of their nutrients and fiber