Are carbs REALLY bad?
We have high glycemic carbs and low glycemic carbs. High glycemic carbs result in a quick spike in insulin and blood sugar. If we want to lose weight and feel fuller longer, it's best that we stick to slower digesting carbs. You want to try your best to stick to foods that have a glycemic index of 55 or less. That would be considered low glycemic. Moderate glycemic would be 56 to 69 on the glycemic index which would include things like white potatoes, sweet potatoes, white rice, cream of rice, cream of wheat. High glycemic would be things like white bread, pastas, packaged cereals and donuts. Stay away from these no matter what your goals are, if you want to be healthy for the long run. If you take in carbs that are higher on the glycemic index theres a time to do it and thats right after your workout to help replenish glycogen stores.
Keep in mind that certain foods will have an effect on each other and the glycemic index when eaten together. A high glycemic food consumed with a low glycemic food will bring down the glycemic index of the higher food. When you take in a high glycemic food by itself it will elevate insulin and stimulate fat storage. The higher the glycemic index of a food, the higher amount of insulin will be released and create more fat storage. The best thing you can do is keep you insulin levels as low as possible. High glycemic foods can stimulate food craving hormones that can cause you to over eat and not stay full very long. Carbs are not bad, but as we can see the wrong kind of carbs can make staying lean and losing weight more of challenge than it already is.