There is one mistake almost all people make when watching their weight. They believe carbs to be evil.

The common assumption that bread causes weight gain is extremely mislead. What people don’t understand is that it is not bread that makes you gain weight. It is certain bread choices that are not that are not good for you. But the good news is, there other options that have a long list of health benefits. You just have to know which ones to choose.

Carbohydrates are an essential part to a healthy diet. It can be harmful for your body to stop consumption of carbohydrates. Let me break down what carbs do for you on a daily basis.

Carbohydrates are your body’s go to source for producing energy. The body converts carbs to glucose and glucose is what your body uses to fuel your energy. When you need energy, the body looks first to carbohydrates.

Along with energy, glucose also fuels cells in the brain and muscles to help aid in brain function and protect your muscles. If your body does not receive enough carbs, it will turn to the proteins in your muscles for energy and after enough time, your muscles with start to deteriorate. Scary!

So what kind of carbohydrates should you be eating? Well the answer is simple, and you might already know what it is. Whole grains are the smarter choice when deciding on which carbohydrates to include in your diet and refined grains are the ones you want to make sure you limit.

The reason whole grains are better than refined grains is because of how they are prepared. Whole grain items contain the complete grain kernel, which is the healthiest part. In refined grains, the healthiest part of the grain is removed during the milling process. When refined grains are processed, the germ and bran that make up the entire kernel are eliminated. Along with the germ and bran, many B vitamins, iron and dietary fiber are removed as well, which are all key parts to a healthy diet.

The bummer thing is, when you go shopping, most of the carbohydrates you see are refined grains. And the whole reason they are refined in the first place, is to improve their shelf life which we all know is not that long anyway.

If you are watching your weight, or just simply trying to be healthy, the better choice when it come to carbohydrates is to consume whole grains. This is way more beneficial to your body than eliminating this essential macronutrient all together.

The whole grains you want to be eating consist of:

• -Whole wheat bread, pasta and crackers.
• -Oatmeal
• -Brown Rice
• -Quinoa
• -Couscous
• -Popcorn
• -Barley
• -Rye

http://www.aaccnet.org/publications/plexus/cfwplex...

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20831548,0...

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/consumerawareness/a/...