Carb-o-rama

Carbohydrates. You can't live with them and you can't live without them. As we all know if a person consumes more carbs than the body needs it will be stored in the body as fat. For you calorie counters: there are 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate.

Here is a little carb education. Carbs not only provide energy for your body, but they also contribute to the nervous system, connective tissue, and our favorite, hormones.

There are 'Simple' carbs and 'Complex' carbs. The Simple carbs are sugars (fruits, honey). Complex carbs are the starches and fiber (potatoes, beans). So, which one are you suppose to eat? Both, silly.

The hard part with carb control is control and balance. It is so wise to have a meal plan and stick to it. When you wake up in the morning know what you are going to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This helps you visualize your meal. It's less stressful. You don't have to think when you're under pressure.

Bread, potatoes, and pasta are the most common carbs that Americans eat. If you eat white carbs: white potatoes, white rice, white pasta, or white bread try switching to whole wheat or whole grain, brown rice, and yams. They are much much better for you, they have more nutrients, and more fiber. Plus they won't leave you feeling hungry. And they actually help control blood sugar better than those white ones.

Let's talk about bread for a minute. You don't have to eat bread at every meal. That's old school. What I do is eat bread for one or two meals. If I eat it for just one meal then I have a carb snack. If I eat it for two meals I have a non-carb snack. That just bread, not pasta, potatoes, fruits.

Some people try to not eat any carbs at all so they can lose weight. They'll lose weight, but they might also mess up their system, not fun. So not a great idea. A better idea is limiting the amount and type of carbs a person eats.

I sure hope you learned some thing new about carbs. They're delicious but also dangerous.