Good-Carbs and Bad-Carbs

Carbohydrates play an important role in all foods specially Indian Cuisine due to its Vegetarian nature

Our body produces insulin that converts Carbs into glucose increasing our blood sugar level. The rate of conversion is measured by Glycemic Index (GI). Higher the GI, quicker is the conversion rate. Simple carbohydrates such as table sugar have higher GI than than complex carbohydrates. If we consume too much of high GI Carbs, the body releases excess insulin, storing High GI Carbs as fats and lowers our blood sugar. In turn, this makes us feel hungry again. So we store more fat and eat more.

GI has been an important factor in the diet of Diabetics. Increasingly, GI is becoming a factor in defining good Carbs versus bad Carbs, and healthy weight loss programs. Good Carbs have low to moderate GI, rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Word of caution

After you have modified your diet to Good Carbs, threshold for insulin production changes for your body. If after a few months, you switch back to Bad Carbs, the new threshold will release excess insulin at lower levels storing more of Carbs as fats. This causes people to gain more weight after they go off diet than the their original weight. Body slowly and continuously adjusts this threshold.

Breads

The worst flours are Maida, All purpose flour, and cake/pastry flour, they have very high GI. If you are on a diet and want to eat healthy, switch to wholegrain flours to make breads, Roti/Chapati. The good whole grains are Wheat, Bajra (Millet), and Kuttu (Buckwheat). Unfortunately, whole grains are also high in  in Phytic acid, requiring us to increase intake of calcium and iron. This is easily done by eating vegetable curries, Dal and Dairy products.

Rice

Brown Rice has moderate GI. Milling process to make it white, increases the GI. Instant Rice has the highest GI. If you want to lose weight and must eat rice, switch over to brown rice and eat it in moderate amounts.

Beans Legume

Whole Mung beans, and Soy beans are good Carbs, with very high proteins, followed by whole Black beans (Urad beans) and Red Kidney beans (Rajma). The whole beans and split pulse with skin-on have lower GI than skinless split pulse.

Vegetables

Vegetables are complex carbohydrates with varying levels of GI. The root vegetables have high GI, cooking makes the GI higher yet. The colored root vegetable (Carrots, Beets) are better because they have many antioxidants. If you are on diet, avoid potatoes.
Choose leafy vegetable such as Spinach (Paalak), Mustard greens (Sarson), they have low GI and high in iron and calcium.
Just follow one simple rule, avoid vegetables that are white (potatoes), chose vegetables that have color.

Fruits & Dried fruits

Dried fruits are nothing but concentrated fresh fruits. Dried fruits have high GI. Fresh fruits such as: Bananas, watermelons, cantaloupes, and pineapples have moderate GI and should be eaten in moderate quantities. Apples, Guava have lower GI. The sweeter the fruit, higher is the GI, still among moderate category.

Bad Carbs

Table sugar, honey, jaggery are all bad Carbs.  Honey and Jaggery are better as they have some nutrients. Almost all the Colas, desserts fall in to bad Carbs category.