Complex Carbohydrates

Ok, I know that it doesn't seem like it, but I am trying to eat healthier in order to avoid a crazy last-minute diet before the wedding (why on Earth did I think that I could fit into a dress with a 24.5 inch waist?!?! Must be that I haven't been measured since high school). What I need, though, are the facts.

Yes, everyone knows that brown (meaning whole wheat) rice, bread, and pasta are much much better for you. But sometimes I don't wanna choke on all of that whole grain, getting those little indigestible bits stuck in the back of my throat. Yes, I will try to incorporate these into my cooking but since I'm not totally committed, let's evaluate their bleached and unhealthy counterparts, the white grains. Afterall, knowing is half the battle.

White Rice (1 Serving Size = 1 cup (165 g.) cooked)

Nutritional data and images courtesy of www.NutritionData.com

Pasta (1 Serving = 56 grams or 2 oz. dry - about 1 cup cooked)
It's always hard for me to judge how much uncooked pasta really is. But this handy website actually shows you what 200 calories looks like - that's 56 grams below. Their pic of 28g of butter is also a nice slap in the face.


Bread
I can clearly see how many calories are in each slice of bread by reading the nutrition label. But just because I only buy wheat bread doesn't mean that I've conquered bread nutrition. It's those baskets of free bread at restaurants that get me. Of course I'm starving and bored so I'm gonna eat that crummy (or sometimes very tasty) bread. But according to this, there are 140 calories in a white, crusty bread roll. No thanks! Take it away!

The best time to exercise off (and readily digest) carbohydrates is less than an hour after eating. Which means I'll probably be going back to the evening spinning class.

In my quest to develop a healthy lifestyle, I read that you should drink a glass of water when you wake up. Interesting...and perhaps an easy improvement. Let me know if you have any tips!