Let's start with a very important, and sometimes mysterious, part of your daily diet: carbs. Simply put, carbs are an important food group. unfortunately, it's not a matter of "good carbs" or "bad carbs," but knowing to spot the right ones. Simple carbohydrates are in fruit, dairy, and (most commonly) sugar. While most people think that simple carbs, known as sugars, are bad for you, they're actually an integral part of your diet.

Of course, there's a huge difference between naturally occurring simple carbs and the ones that are refined. "Good" simple carbs are things like apples, oranges, freshly squeezed juice, milk, pears, and bananas. "Bad simple carbs include soda, cakes, cookies, other sweets, candy, juice made from concentrate, and foods with added sugar. While this list isn't exhaustive, it's a start to understanding the foods you should limit to lose weight and be healthy.

Complex carbs are another thing entirely, often called starches. While starches are thought of as better than simple carbohydrates due to their low amount of fat, it's not always the case. Complex carbs usually include foods like bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, rice, potatoes, vegetables, and grains. While these are staples of the American diet, we often eat the wrong ones. "Bad" refined carbs, such as white pasta, white rice, french fries, readymade meals, and white bread, can be replaced for "good" unrefined carbs like wholemeal pasta, brown rice, potatoes, and vegetables.

Carbohydrates are a complex topic, but they're an important part of balancing nutrition and weight management.