Good and bad carbohydrates: what you REALLY need to know

Good and bad carbohydrates, simple and multiple sugars, noodles make you fat - you don't know your way around either? Here you will find everything you need to know about carbohydrates.

Who is supposed to know anything about it? Well, you, if you have read this post :)

Before I go in depth and write about recipes or foods without carbohydrates, I'll give you a quick overview of what we're talking about in the first place.

If you are already an expert, you can skip the first paragraph and go straight to low carb :) If you are wondering: What are carbohydrates, you are right in the first part of the blog post.

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are little monsters that sew clothes tighter at night or all carbohydrates make you fat. Rumors abound. I've got some facts for you. So: They are also called Sachharide and hide in pretty much all our food.

At almost every meal, we ingest them with our food. Sound terrible because you want to give it up? Don't worry. There are many foods that are very low in carbohydrates. And you can also lose weight by distinguishing between good and bad carbohydrates.

In a nutshell, they give the body the energy it needs.

Attention: Not all carbohydrates are the same. Whether you choose multiple sugars or single and double sugars has a big impact on your blood sugar levels and your feeling of fullness. A synonym for this is good and bad carbohydrates.

Goodbye: single and double sugars

Single and double sugars can be found in sweets, honey or even cakes. Shortly after you eat them, the saccharides are quickly broken down into glucose and enter the bloodstream.

This can be seen in the fact that the Blood sugar very quickly rises and you feel good. Unfortunately decreases but also just as quickly again. How can you tell? It's simple! You eat the cake, but half an hour later you're hungry again. The feeling of satiety does not last long. You have to eat again and thus consume a lot of calories. A vicious circle!

Many speak at Single and double sugars also from evil Carbohydrates. Because after your blood sugar drops, you notice a big drop in performance at the same time. As much as most people love them: The best way to notice this is with chocolate.

Concentration wanes and you feel listless. The vicious circle begins. You might know this from your workday. The morning snack: a chocolate bar. But after a short time you feel like eating something again. Sweets, bread, pasta and cakes made from white flour don't keep you full for long. Hunger returns quickly and you tend to eat again.

Hello whole grain: multiple sugars

You better go to Multiple sugars grab. You can find it in all products made from whole grains. Pulses such as beans or peas also contain a lot of polysaccharides. In contrast to single and double sugars, the glucose in these foods is released only slowly.

This is due to the fact that the Carbohydrate chains must first be broken down. That's why blood sugar rises slowly and stays at a similar level for longer. You'll notice this because you'll feel like you're eating for longer. These foods are also called polysaccharide-rich. In most cases, they also contain vitamins and minerals. Foods with multiple sugars are also called good carbohydrates.

As you can see, in-kind charides do not automatically make you fat. You just have to keep an eye on your intake and not eat more calories than you can consume.

Low Carb - Carbohydrates no thanks!

More and more often you stumble across Low carbrecipes without carbohydrates. Most use low carb over a shorter period of time to get rid of a few kilos and lose weight. For these recipes you need as a basis, of course, food without carbohydrates.

Why Low Carb? So-called low carb diets promise that you will lose weight quickly. You eat fewer calories than you consume and do without material charides.

This is what you do without in low carb: potatoes, bread, sugar, pasta and rice.

Prohibited is any form of sugar, white flour, white flour products (all products that contain many short-chain carbohydrates).

The good news. You can still snack. For baking you simply use low carb flour - eg. Almond flour* or Coconut flour*. As in our delicious Low carb muffins.

Losing weight is very fast on this particular diet because carbohydrates are eliminated. As previously reported, carbohydrates consist of sugar molecules ranging from simple to multiple sugars.

If you consume more carbohydrates than your body needs over a longer period of time, it turns the excess energy into fat. And the nasty thing about it is that it stubbornly stores this fat.

This can lead to obesity, diabetes, dementia and also a drop in performance. According to a study, 39 percent of the world's population is already overweight! Every ten years, people become 1.5 kilos heavier because of the too high positive energy balance in their bodies!

Caution: Hidden carbohydrate traps

You have to be especially careful with ready-made products, sausage, fruit juices and alcohol. This is where the sugar is hidden! Low carb does not mean that you should eat only meat every day. Quite the opposite! If you eat too much meat, you risk getting gout. Meat should be on the menu no more than 2 times a week.

There are alternatives that will still fill you up. Your alternatives to meat: eggs, fish, dairy products, tofu, lentils, beans and nuts.

This food list is almost free from carbohydrates. Doesn't sound bad at all, does it? Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Because if you want to lose weight with carbohydrate-free recipes, but you also need to Nutritional values look. While these foods do not contain carbohydrates, they often contain many calories and saturated fats.

The best example is cheese, meat and eggs. Legumes, vegetables and fruits are better - they often have carbohydrates, but they are low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals. They also keep you full for a long time, because they consist of a lot of fiber.

Low carb and the dear metabolism

Anyone who has ever started a low carb diet knows that the body first has to get used to the change in diet. Because the renunciation of carbohydrates converts the metabolism. Many experts and doctors advise therefore initially only for a small period, so for example two days to do without carbohydrates.

Our body stores carbohydrates that are not consumed for one to two days so that it can fall back on them when needed. As long as these stores are well filled, your body utilizes the stores and does not fall back on your fat depots. Only when the body switches to "ketosis" does it begin to break down fat.

Recipes without carbohydrates

I've picked out my favorite recipes for you. Try to keep it up for two days at the beginning. You will see - not so easy :)

Day 1 without carbohydrates

Breakfast

Spinach smoothie with avocado, pear and grapes

What you need: 20 g young spinach, basil leaves, 1 pear, 50 g green grapes, 1/2 avocado, 50 g honeydew melon, lemon juice of 1/4 lemon, 1 tbsp maple syrup.

Here's how: Off into the blender with everything and infuse with water as needed. Ready :)

Noon

Herb frittata and goat cheese

What you need: 1 handful of herbs, 1 spring onion, 1 tsp butter, 2 eggs, 20 ml milk, salt, pepper, 30 g goat cheese

Here's how: Preheat the oven to 200°C top heat. Sauté the chopped spring onion in a pan. Beat eggs with chopped herbs and milk, add salt and pepper. Add the spring onion. Slice the cheese, spread on the frittata and put in the oven for 10 minutes.

Evening

Vegetables and beef

What you need: 1/2 red and yellow bell bell pepper, 1/2 onion, 1 green onion, 1/2 zucchini, 1/2 clove garlic, 1 cm ginger, 125 g beef, 10 g cashew nuts, 1 tbsp peanut oil, chili sauce, salt and pepper.

Here's how: Cut peppers into bite-sized pieces, dice onion, cut green onion into 4-5 cm long pieces. Finely chop garlic and ginger. Cut meat into narrow strips, stir-fry in oil with cashew nuts, ginger and garlic in a wok. Remove and stir-fry the vegetables. Sauté for a few minutes. Mix in meat and soy sauce. Season with chili sauce, salt and pepper.

Day 2 Low Carb

Breakfast

Scrambled eggs with vegetables

What you need: 2 eggs, 1 tsp. créme fraiche, salt, pepper, 10 g dried tomatoes, arugula, 1/4 zucchini, 1 small shallot, a little paprika powder

Here's how: Mix eggs with créme fraiche. Add salt & pepper. Chop tomatoes and arugula. Grate zucchini. Sauté diced shallot in olive oil. Add arugula and tomatoes. Finally, add the eggs. Finally, sprinkle a little paprika powder on top.

Noon

Broccoli raw salad with cranberry

That's what you need: 10 g sunflower seeds, 200g broccoli, 1/2 small red onion, 25 g yogurt, 1 tsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp lemon juice, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp dried cranberries.

Here's how: Roast sunflower seeds until golden brown, let cool. Cut broccoli into small sticks. Peel and finely dice onion. Mix yogurt with mayonnaise, lemon juice, 1 tsp water, salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients with the cranberries and let stand for 15 minutes.

Evening

Salmon with tomatoes and spinach

What you need: 1 salmon fillet, 40 g young spinach, salt, pepper, 1 tomato, 1/2 shallot, 1 clove of garlic, basil, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. lemon juice

Here's how: Preheat oven to 200°C. Place spinach as a bed for the salmon on a piece of aluminum foil. Salt and pepper the salmon and place it on the spinach. Skin the tomato, quarter it, remove the seeds and dice it. Slice shallot, basil and garlic and mix with lemon juice, salt and pepper into tomato - spread on salmon. Fold the packets, close and cook on the grill for 20 minutes.

Meal :)

6 myths about carbohydrates

And finally, I would like to dispel the most common myths surrounding carbohydrates. There are so many rumors and half-truths circulating. Here you can find facts :)

1. carbohydrates make you fat

This cannot be assessed as a general rule. A distinction is made between monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides. While single sugar is short-chain, double sugar is long-chain and complex. We speak of good and bad carbohydrates.

2. i do not need carbohydrates

Anyone who permanently does without carbohydrates is not doing their body any good. This is because they play a major role in mental and physical performance. Carbohydrates are an important supplier of energy and give

3. fruit juice is healthy and helps to lose weight

Yes, it is healthy. But unlike solid foods, liquid foods with carbohydrates such as fruit juices or soft drinks cause your blood sugar level to rise very quickly. You won't get full from them. Instead, you consume a lot of fructose and calories. Fruit juice every day? Better not! Go for water instead.

4. if I don't eat carbohydrates in the evening, I lose weight

One rule says: Carbohydrates in the evening prevent fat burning. If you want to lose weight, you should avoid bread, pasta, potatoes or rice in the evening. If you sleep, your body can namely not burn fat.
But then again, it's not that simple. If you only do without carbohydrates in the evening and eat 3 portions of pasta during the day, you'll probably never lose weight.

5. you can never eat too many carbohydrates

Attention: Both too many and too few carbohydrates can make our body sick. If you do without them, you will soon notice that your body becomes weak and you also have other deficiency symptoms. Too few carbohydrates make you sick. Too many carbohydrates also make you sick. It is important to find a good middle ground.

6. everyone needs the same amount of carbohydrates

No, because it makes a big difference how old you are. Children and teenagers need more protein than carbohydrates because of growth. For adults, it's the other way around. There is even an official recommendation from the German Nutrition Society. It says that you should 50 % of total energy intake from carbohydrates should refer. For women, this is about 230 grams per day. Of course, this again depends on whether you are athletic, whether you have a job that involves a lot of movement or whether you tend to sit down.

Our tip

A low-carbohydrate diet requires a lot of discipline. But once you get used to it, it's much easier. Do you have any questions? We are looking forward to your mail!

To browse further:

• This is my LiveFresh food cure experience!
• Can you freeze a smoothie?
• Mashing potatoes without a masher: the ultimate guide!

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