The buzz word around town today is carbohydrates and much debate has ensued over whether they are all that good for you or not. In fact there are diets which even forbid their inclusion in a diet. Getting a complete list of all carbohydrates is very helpful when planning a diet. Made up of carbons, hydrogen, and oxygen, these often misunderstood essential nutrients help to provide energy to the body and are an important part of any diet, but to make an entire list would take many pages.

There are two basic categories for carbs; good and bad. It sounds simplistic, but it is really that easy. They are called simple (bad) and complex (good) because of their structure and the way the body processes them. Regardless of which they are, they should not be totally avoided, as some diets advocate, but complex food sources should be selected over simple ones if given the option.

Complex carbohydrates are foods such as whole grains and edible parts of plants like stalks and leaves. Because they contain longer chains of sugar molecules as well as a lower "glycemic load, " they take longer for the body to process. In turn this provides energy for a longer period of time while lacking the substance that turns sugar to fat.

Simple carbohydrates, on the other hand, are made up of high sugar foods that are processed very quickly. When fiber is low and sugar is high, the food is processed before it can be burned off turning most of it into fat. These would include foods such as cakes and cookies.

Many think that any fruit and vegetable is good for you; however, many are actually simple carbs as they are high in sugar. They differ from traditional simple foods in that they do contain fiber which is processed more slowly by the body which makes them react more like complex carbs.

Simple compounds which should be avoided include foods such as soda, candy, sugar, potatoes, pastries, desserts, and rice, bread, and pasta that is white. Although they can be included in a diet occasionally in limitation, it's important that better choices be made whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Most products today require labels indicating whether the carbs they contain are simple or complex. Additionally, the "glycemic index" explains how quickly these foods will be processed by the body. Both are extremely important when making better choices in a diet. Although trying to find a list of all carbohydrates can be extremely difficult, knowing the categories and researching the ones that help the body maintain an adequate energy level and reduce fat should be the focus.