Diet & Fitness 

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It's OK to crave carbs

There’s a reason you’re dying to have that piece of bread or jacket potato - carbohydrates are your body's preferred source of energy. And because energy is a necessity, carbohydrates should make up the majority of your diet. Carbs come in two forms, starches (complex carbohydrates) and sugars (simple carbohydrates). Complex carbohydrates are chains of simple sugars linked together, and both complex and simple carbs are turned to glucose once digested. Next time you get a carb craving, look at our list to see why complex carbs are better for you than simple ones.

Eight reasons to eat complex carbohydrates

1. Complex carbohydrates like brown rice, whole fruits and vegetables contain important nutrients and are more nutritious than sucrose or the simple sugars found in fizzy drinks, sweets and sugar-coated cereal.
2. Eating mostly simple sugars will raise your blood sugar rapidly, quickly boosting your insulin levels. This insulin quickly clears your blood of glucose, which can cause you to feel hungry almost immediately. Because of this fluctuation in your blood sugar levels, you tend to be hungry a lot and it is easy to overeat.
3. Choose high fibre instead of simple sugars. Complex carbs like whole wheat breads and pasta are a better choice than simple ones like white flour because the fibre helps slow digestion, giving a more time-released supply of energy and resulting in fewer peaks and valleys in blood sugar levels.
4. Although fruits contain mostly simple carbohydrates, the fibre and other nutrients included make them a healthy choice.
5. Complex carbohydrates are the only source of fibre in your diet.
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