The best way to lose weight or avoid gaining excess weight is to pay attention to your balance of food and activity. As we get older, our calorie requirements go down and often so does our activity level. That is what leads to unwanted pounds in many middleaged adults. Carbohydrates are no more fattening than any other food. In fact, ounce for ounce, they provide half the calories of fat.
Carbohydrates are an excellent source of energy and provide valuable vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Simple carbohydrates, or sugars, are found naturally in foods, such as fruits. When you eat these carbohydrates in their natural state, you get vitamins, minerals, and fiber, in addition to the sugar. In refining, carbohydrates lose much of their nutritional value but retain their calories. And since they tend to be concentrated in foods like candies and pastries, refined sugars should be limited, especially by people with diabetes. Complex carbohydrates, or starches, are found in a wide variety of foods and for that reason are usually the major source of carbohydrates in the diet.