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Refined carbohydrates

Diet Reduced FatRegistered Dietician

Refined Carbohydrates
By Laura Dolson, About.com Guide
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board ...

 


Refined carbohydrates refer to complex carbohydrates (starches) that have had the bran, hull, fiber and some nutrients removed from the grain during processing - foods such as white bread, white pasta, white rice, pretzels, some cereals, ...

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Refined carbohydrates and sugars are to be strictly avoided in all phases of the diet. Dieters must eliminate bread, pasta, rice, potato and desserts.
Recommended Foods ...

Limit refined carbohydrates, which spike insulin levels and speed hunger signals. Focus instead on vegetables and whole grains, which are digested slowly.
Include moderate amounts of monounsaturates and polyunsaturates in your diet.

Avoiding refined carbohydrates came onto the national radar when low-carb diets like Atkins and Sugar Busters became popular.

"What most of us are referring to as ‘good carbs' are those including vegetables and whole fruits, whole grains and beans (unrefined carbohydrates).

Simple sugars and refined carbohydrates are not recommended. Sugar or honey as sweeteners can be used only in small amounts. Small amounts of sweeteners or thickeners can be used occasionally in cooking.

Allowing dieters to eat steak, butter, eggs, bacon, and other high-fat foods, these diets instead outlaw starches and refined carbohydrates on the theory that they are metabolized so quickly that they lead to hunger and overeating.

for this time period clearly demonstrate that along with the dramatic decrease in dietary fat intake (from forty percent to thirty-three percent of our caloric intake) there was also a dramatic increase in the intake of refined carbohydrates, ...

Refined foods tend to be higher in sugar and fat and therefore contain more calories; a diet that is high in refined carbohydrates tends to lead to diabetes and hypoglycaemia. Unrefined carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, peas and grains.

Avoid any starches, processed foods, refined carbohydrates and sweets on the South Beach Diet. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes should not be consumed.

A diet which contains too many refined carbohydrates can cause chromium deficiency in some hyperactive patients. And lack of chromium may lead to decreased effectiveness in controlling blood glucose levels.

Incorporate high-fiber and unrefined complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains because the body is less successful digesting these and feels full sooner than with refined carbohydrates, such as sugar and white flour.

Syndrome X develops over time, mainly from a diet high in refined carbohydrates such as breads, starches and sweets. These foods trigger a rapid increase in blood sugar levels, and the body responds by raising levels of insulin.

For example, I have become more mindful of the importance of limiting the intake of simple or refined carbohydrates ("bad carbs") such as sugar and white flour than I was when I began doing cardiac research 27 years ago.

For a multitude of reasons, such as commerce, shelf-life, shipping, etc, a significant part of our modern diet is made up of refined carbohydrates. Refined white sugars and breads are simple carbs with a twist.

"Non-losers" consume far too much sugar or simple / refined carbohydrates such as white rice, white (non whole wheat) flour products, white (non whole wheat) pastas, soft drinks ("pop" for you northerners), sweetened drinks, ...

When selecting products from this food group, choose unrefined carbohydrates over those that have been refined, as they will contain the whole of the grain.

Over a period of several weeks, the The Beach Diet Made Easy TM eliminates refined carbohydrates, such as sugar, white rice, white bread and crackers from your diet, and replaces them with fiber-rich whole fruits, vegetables, brown rice, ...

So, the typical diet of the western world is too high in refined carbohydrates, still too in fat and animal foods, too high in calories, and too low in high fiber, nutrient rich carbohydrates like vegetables.

A diet dependent on highly refined carbohydrates, such as sugar, white flour and white rice,
place greater demand on additional sources of B-group vitamins to process these carbohydrates.

"Good" carbs are complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and vegetables, while "bad" carbs are refined carbohydrates such as white sugar and flour. Foods that rank low on the glycemic scale help stabilize blood sugar and reduce cravings.

Sugar Addicts diet meal plans ban all sugary foods and refined carbohydrates such as white brea, white rice and chips.

This is achieved by completely avoiding refined carbohydrates that are quickly absorbed and high on the glycemic index, and by avoiding man-made trans fatty acids as well as saturated animal fats.

The Sugar Busters diet is a diet focused on eliminating foods containing refined carbohydrates such as refined sugar, white flour, and white rice, ...

Quick sugars (cakes, sweets, fizzy drinks etc.) and refined carbohydrates cause peaks in blood sugar and make you store their calories as fat on your waist. Opt for non-processed, whole, complex carbohydrates (whole cereals, rice and pasta).

Syndrome X is the name given to a cluster of disorders that have become very prevalent, due to our high intake of refined carbohydrates.

the Atkins Nutritional Approach restricts processed/refined carbohydrates (which make up over 50% of many people's diets), such as high-sugar foods, breads, pasta, cereal, and starchy vegetables.

It maintains that the main culprits in obesity and other metabolic disorders are refined carbohydrates. According to the Atkins diet, focusing excessively on the elimination of dietary fats has added to the problem of obesity rather than reducing it.

diet made by advocates of the low-carbohydrate regimes is their consistent recommendation to avoid sugar, white flour, milk, ice cream, cakes, pies, soft drinks, and low-fat diet products which contain large amounts of highly-refined carbohydrates.

Quick Q& A I've heard there are "good" carbs and "bad" carbs? Can you provide me more information?
Some diet books use "bad" carbs to talk about foods with refined carbohydrates (i.e., meaning they're made from white flour and added sugars).

Though there has been a push in the media and by many diets to cut out all refined carbohydrates (and eat only whole grains), white rice is actually packed with nutrients and is a staple for millions of people around the world.

Low carb diet protagonists argue that you need to increase your protein and fat intake, while reducing the amount of carbohydrates that you eat. There is no question that refined and super refined carbohydrates like white bread, white sugar, ...

Remember the veggie hating three year old? That is the cure. Changing the daily meal plan to include vegetables and fruits in large amounts with lean meats and little if any refined carbohydrates is the cure.

Avoid refined carbohydrates.
Essential fatty acids: Flaxseed, nuts, seeds, tuna and salmon
Other foods: tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, tofu, cherries, turmeric
Drinks: 8 glasses of water per day and carbonated beverages.

See also: Carbohydrate, Carbohydrates, Health, Diet, Sugar