Carbohydrates are essential to your body, being the main source of energy for the systems of your body. They help to improve brain function and are crucial in this regard, as your brain consumes 25 percent of all the carbs your body uses, and close to 60 percent of the blood glucose.
But carbohydrates are also a more complex form of sugars, so they can cause the same complications that sugar causes. Carbs can also increase your sugar content directly, as they are broken down in the body to sugars molecules.
What this means is that you should be careful about how you consume carbohydrates. The following are three foods that you can get your carbs from safely.
1. Breadfruit
Breadfruit is one of the greatest foods that God created on earth. It is full of so many nutrients and minerals that it is almost impossible to state its benefits to human health.
When cooked, they provide an astounding 27 grams of carbs for just one fruit, and the proteins and fibers that it contains ensures that these carbs do not all rush into your system all of a sudden, raising blood sugar levels, and forcing the body to convert them to fat for storage. Instead, they trickle in slowly, making you feel full for longer so that you do not overeat, and you have a continuous flow of energy for hours on end.
One fruit can provide the daily recommended carbohydrate value for five people, and when ground into flour, it is better than wheat or most other grain flours.
This food is also now grown in developing countries to prevent food insecurity.
2. Taro
Taro is a very popular food in South America, Asia and the Pacific. It is filled with sugars and other carbohydrates that give you the energy you need. Plus, its 7 grams of fiber means that these carbs trickle into your blood in little amounts so as not to prevent diabetes and weight gain, and make you feel stronger and full for hours to come.
3. Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a popular source of carbs for people on diets and vegetarians. Their high (12 grams) amount of fiber makes you feel full for longer, meaning that you do not overeat, while also slowing the absorption of carbs into the blood, reducing your chances of weight gain and diabetes. Chickpeas are also lowly placed in the glycemix index.
These three foods are excellent carb options that will give your body the energy it needs without loading it up with unhealthy calories.
image courtesy of: npr.org, dvo.com, easybean.co.uk.