4 ways to include complex carbs in a healthy diet

Populations that eat a higher-carbohydrate, low-fat diet generally enjoy good health. Check out the following four ways to ensure complex-carbohydrate foods can become a nutritional part of your well-balanced diet.

• In North America, too much of the carbohydrate intake is in the form of simple sugars due to the high ­consumption of refined and processed foods
• A proliferation of low-fat foods has also contributed to the problem. Consumers often assume that these are also low-calorie foods
• In many cases, fats have been replaced by carbohydrates with no great saving in calories
• The many low-fat, high-carbohydrate foods available, including low-fat cookies, cakes, muffins, baked chips and oversized bagels are all adding to expanding waistlines

In 2002, a joint American–Canadian expert report provided a set of reference values for nutrient intakes for healthy Americans and Canadians.

The report suggests:

• Adults get 45 to 65 percent of their caloric intake from carbohydrates. This translates to roughly 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates each day for a 2,000-calorie diet
• Both children and adults should consume at least 130 grams of carbohydrates a day. This is based on the minimum amount needed to produce enough glucose for the brain to function. This amount is easily exceeded in the average North American diet. The problem is that the excess usually comes from refined, or simple, carbohydrates
• Although refined carbohydrates, such as white flour and white rice, are just as good energy sources as whole-wheat flour and brown rice, processing removes many essential nutrients, including the B vitamins, iron and other minerals, as well as dietary fibre
• The best approach is to build a diet around whole or lightly processed grains, legumes, beans and raw or slightly cooked vegetables and fruits

Nutrition can have a significant impact on athletic performance and vice versa. Regular exercise increases the body's ability to utilize glucose efficiently and to store glycogen in muscle tissue.

Thus, the fitter you are, the greater your ability to store the extra glycogen that is needed for endurance events, such as running a marathon or cross-country skiing. That's why carbohydrates are the preferred fuel for most sports athletes.

Carbohydrates can be worked into almost any diet, but people with certain diseases may need to make adjustments.

• Diabetics must manage the total amount and type of carbs eaten at each meal and snack
• Those with heart disease need to emphasize high-fibre complex carbohydrates in their diet
• Cancer patients are often advised to increase their carbohydrate intake and decrease fat intake. Evidence suggests certain fats may encourage tumour growth

The human diet worldwide is based on complex carbohydrates. Vegetarian,  Mediterranean and Asian diets typically provide a high percentage of calories from complex carbohydrates in foods such as whole grains, lentils, beans, fruits and vegetables. Understanding the benefits of complex carbohydrates and choosing the best sources will help you to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet.