We know what carbs are. But we also hear people say that there are good carbs and bad carbs. Is this true? How do we know which ones are bad and which ones are good? You can find out in this article! https://www.fitnesssolutionsplus.ca/blog/good-carbs-bad-carbs/

1. GOOD CARBS,
BAD CARBS
When you eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar increases.
When you eat carbohydrates, cortisol (the stress hormone) decreases
When you eat carbohydrates, your body boosts serotonin (the chemical in the brain that makes you
feel happy).
Wait. Is there such a thing as a good carbohydrate? Absolutely. It’s easy to find examples of bad ones.
Pop tarts, twinkies, lollipops. But there are also a lot of good ones.
Original source: here.
But first, what is a carbohydrate?
For the geeks, a carbohydrate is a combination of a carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atom (which you knew
from breaking down the name, didn’t you, smarty pants?). For the non-geeks, a carbohydrate is a
nutrient that has 4 calories per gram. And that affects a lot of things in your body. For instance:
…and more.
None of the above is good or bad. They are just characteristics of carbohydrates. So what makes a
carbohydrate either good or bad? As I discussed in my talk, Healthy Foods that Poison: Why You’re
Getting Sicker and Fatter Despite Eating Healthier, what’s good for one person may not be good for
another. So when we have a client sitting in front of us, there are a few things we need to know before
determining whether a particular food will be good or bad for that person:
By Igor Klibanov

2. What is your body type?
If you are naturally skinny with a super-fast metabolism, desperately trying to gain muscle, you need a
ton of carbohydrates. In fact, for you, carbohydrates may actually be more important than protein. And
if that’s the case, we’ll recommend things like potatoes (either sweet or white), rice, pasta, and other
“forbidden” carbohydrates.
On the other hand, if you’ve struggled with weight your entire life, your carbohydrate intake should be
much lower, and should also come from sources like buckwheat, quinoa and veggies (yes, veggies are
carbohydrates… something no one really talks about). In fact, for the person who is either a type 2
diabetic or close to it, even their fruit intake should be minimal.
But have no fear. Just because you may be severely carbohydrate-intolerant right now, doesn’t mean
that will be the case forever. The leaner and healthier you get, the higher your tolerance for
carbohydrates. You may never have the tolerance of our skinny friend, but you can definitely have
better tolerance than you do now.
What is your goal?
If you’re trying to gain muscle, you will need more carbohydrates than someone trying to lose fat.
To read the rest of this article, click here!
P H O T O B Y M A R T I N R . S M I T H