Don’t allow yourself to be tempted to think that carbohydrates are bad for us. Carbs are where we get our energy from, and they also contribute to our overall health and well-being. Our bodies can’t function properly without carbs, and they represent the largest proportion of our daily diet. The problem with carbs is that most of us eat too many of them, and we are also eating too-much of the wrong kind.
Two Types
There are two main categories of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates include things like wheat, white breads, refined sugars, some fruits, corn syrup and white rice. These items contain molecules that are very easy for the body to break down, and they are either used for immediate, short bursts of energy or stored as fat for use later. On the other hand, complex carbs are more-robust and contain molecules that take time for the body to break down. These produce longer periods of energy, but unused carbs still get stored as fat.
Complex carbs include foods like legumes, whole grains, oats, fibrous, dense fruits and starchy vegetables. An added benefit associated with foods that have complex carbs is that they also contain fiber and nutrients that further support our overall health. Consequently, eating foods that are high in complex carbs can produce more energy over longer periods of time while giving us more nutrition.
More-efficient
This translates into greater efficiency because we don’t need to eat as much in order to experience results. Consequently, in terms of building up an emergency food supply, it’s important to include items that include complex carbs instead of simple ones. This will help to stretch resources because we will end up eating less food, and less-frequently as well. In fact, one of the biggest benefits associated with eating complex carbs is that they fill us up for longer while giving us sustained energy for hours. Simple carbs, on the other hand, can burn off and leave us feeling hungry in as little as an hour after eating.
On the other hand, it’s important to include foods that contain simple carbs as well, and they have their place in our overall diet. Sometimes we need a quick and easy energy boost. Sometimes we just want to enjoy some of our favorite foods. There’s nothing wrong with simple carbs in and of themselves, but they should be used sparingly when compared to complex alternatives. So, don’t think twice about enjoying sweet foods, pasta or fruit. The trick is to be judicious and avoid over-indulging.
Take a look at your current stockpile, and consider how to incorporate more items that have complex carbs. You’ll find yourself being able to do more with less, you’ll save space, which can give you more room for other items, and chances are that you’ll feel more-satisfied after eating them as well. The important thing is that you don’t fall into the trap of trying to avoid carbs altogether. Carbs are not bad. Over-indulging is where we run into problems, and this is something that we can all avoid with a little bit of planning, experimentation and discipline.