RE: Eating Right & Living Better

Should carbs require special labels?

MSNBC.com

Should people really care that they digest potatoes faster than carrots? Macaroni faster than spaghetti? Rice Krispies faster than Special K? A greenish banana faster than a freckled one? A Snickers bar faster than a Twix? Yes, say some of the country' top-tier nutritional experts.

They are convinced that carbohydrates should be labeled good or bad, just the way fats are, and that some of the carbs Americans love most -- velvety puddles of mashed potatoes, lighter-than-air white bread -- are dietary evil, to be avoided like the nastiest artery-choking trans-fats.

No, contend many other equally respected nutritional experts. To them, the entire notion is, well, baloney. Potatoes and other starchy standbys are perfectly respectable foods. A carb is a carb is a carb.

The debate involves an idea called the glycemic index. It is a way of rating how quickly carbohydrates are digested and rush into the bloodstream as sugar. Fast, in this case, is bad. In theory, a blast of sugar makes insulin levels go up, and this, strangely, leaves people quickly feeling hungry again.

I am a firm believer that one of the keys to losing weight is to eat more low glycemic index carbs, also know as slow-acting carbs.

Does this mean that you can never enjoy bread, rice or pasta again? No, it simply means that you should eat these fast-acting carbohydrates in moderation.

Fruits and vegetables are also a much preferred source of carbohydrates. Not only are they slow-acting carbohydrates which will keep your insulin levels in check, they are are also a great source of vitamins and antioxidants -- which are critical to maintaining health.

If you are interesting learning more about low glycemic index foods, 'The New Glucose Revolution: The Authoritative Guide to the Glycemic Index' by Jennie Brand-Miller is a great place to start.

Eat right. Live better.

-Tim