Make the right carbohydrate choices for a healthy diet
If you have been thinking of going on a no-carb diet, let’s get some facts straight. No such diet exists. Almost all fruits and vegetables have some quantity of carbohydrates in them and even if you have stopped eating rotis and rice, you are really on a low-carb diet.

Carbohydrates are the first food elements one thinks of avoiding when one wants to lose weight. “It’s the most common thing to do because nothing makes you lose weight faster. However, carbs are needed for proper brain functioning and are a very important part of the diet,” says Dr Bhuvneshwari Shankar, dietician, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi.

Instead, following a low-carb diet will help lose weight and lower glucose levels. But too many myths abound. For instance, the common notion is that foods such as potatoes and bananas are fattening. And any person on a weight-loss regime tends to avoid them completely. They, however, are good carbs and can be a good replacement for bread and rice. “Some carbohydrates are actually very healthy for you,” says nutritionist Shikha Sharma. But how does one tell a good carb from a bad one? Good carbs are whole foods that are closest to the natural form possible, with a low GI (Glycemic Index) number and high fibre. These include vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains like oatmeal and brown rice. Bad carbs are those made with sugar, white flour and alcohol, such as bread and other baked goods.

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