What are SMART carbs?

The term 'smart' carbs has become popular over the years, and really refers to complex carbohydrates.  

Foods that are made up of carbohydrates come in many different forms.  When we ingest carbohydrates, the food is broken down into smaller units as it is digested. The carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (aka blood sugar).  The glucose gets pulled first into the blood stream to circulate through the body for energy where it is needed, to the muscles and organs, and any excess that is not needed is stored either in muscle cells for use later, or into the liver for storage (majority is stored here).  If these stores are already full, they can't hold anymore, so the excess glucose is converted by insulin into fat and stored in fat cells. 

To learn more about the negative effects of high blood sugar, and how it creates the yoyo cycles of mood, hunger and cravings, plus increased weight gain, check out the post on insulin resistance.

Here's some foods that are healthy and check the boxes for complex, 'smart' carbs...

For more health and nutrition tips, join our facebook group; https://www.facebook.com/groups/metabolicboostergroup