How to moderate carbohydrate intake

Carbohydrate control is important for weight management, blood sugar control, and general inflammation (which brings in most all other medical conditions).

For this reason it is best to choose good carbohydrates and consume proper portion sizes. See fiber section. In general, fruits and vegetables are better choices then grains since they are packed with more vitamins minerals and phytonutrients. However, whole grains such as brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, etc, are good
choices for many people. They also contain vitamins and minerals and are a good source of fiber. The biggest problem with grains is portion control. Approximately ½ cup cooked is a proper serving size of grains for a meal. Eat lots of non starchy vegetables instead of large portions of grains or grain products in your meals.

The carbohydrates people should try to avoid as much as possible are all flour and sugar products. They have little nutrition value, weaken your immune system, and spike your blood sugar. Fruit and fruit juice are not the same thing. Fruit juice doesn’t have the fiber and you end up taking in a lot more carbohydrates. For example, it
takes approximately 3-4 medium size oranges to make 8 ounces of orange juice. My suggestion…don’t drink your carbs!

Its all about portion control. We all have heard the line, “everything in moderation”. The problem is that  everyone’s definition of moderation is different. In general, I suggest 1-2 servings of carbohydrates in a meal depending on the individual’s needs. If you want more carbs or some desert, I suggest waiting a couple hours and eating it as your snack. If you have a sweet tooth I suggest a small piece of dark chocolate or make a batch of raw truffles and freeze them. Then you can grab a healthy decadent treat whenever you need your sweet fix.

Below is a link to just two of many sites for raw truffle recipes.
http://www.therawtarian.com/raw-chocolate-truffles-recipe
http://healthycrush.com/raw-chocolate-coconut-truffles/

Below is a list of vegetables based on carbohydrate content. I suggest watching your portion sizes for starchy vegetables, adequate amounts of moderate carbohydrate vegetables, and lots of non-starchy vegetables.