1. Refined carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates are foods such as white bread and pasta that have been made using wheat that’s been processed to remove the wheatgerm. Wheatgerm is what gives unrefined brown bread and pasta their more natural colour and their nutrients.
Sugary foods and drinks are also considered refined carbohydrates. When we eat these foods, the gut quickly breaks them down into simple sugars, and for this reason, they have a high Glycaemic Index, or GI. High GI foods quickly raise blood sugar levels, any excess sugar is then stored as fat.
It’s considered healthier to avoid or limit these foods, and if we eat them before bedtime when we don’t have a chance to burn them off, they can be even more detrimental to our waistlines and body fat percentage.
Summary:
Refined carbohydrates have a high GI and quickly flood the blood with simple sugars when we eat them. Some sugar is used for energy, but the rest is stored as fat which can lead to weight gain.