Are some complex carbs better than others?
• What foods contain carbs? • Is there such a thing as a healthy low-carb diet? What are carbs? Carbohydrates are one of the three major groups of nutrients that provide calories; the other two are protein and fat. Every food that comes from plants contains carbohydrates, because carbs are originally a plant’s own food source! Carbs are made of three elements: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. That’s why they’re called carbohydrates: “carbo” refers to carbon, and “hydrate” to water, a combination of hydrogen and oxygen. Each gram of carbohydrate by weight provides four calories of energy. What do carbs do for the body? Besides providing energy, foods containing carbohydrate are typically packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals. Carbs fuel our muscles and brain, and supply the energy for essential body functions like breathing and heartbeat. Without enough carbs in our diet, our body has to rely on alternate, more inefficient energy pathways that ultimately leave us weak, ti
