In addition to choosing complex carbs over simple sugars, you should make sure that at least some of these complex carbs are from whole grains. Your body digests whole grains more slowly than refined grains, which provides your body with a steady stream of glucose, something that helps keep your brain running smoothly.
Whole-grain foods supply vitamin E and B vitamins such as folic acid as well as minerals like magnesium, iron, and zinc. Whole grains (like whole wheat) are rich in fiber and higher in other important nutrients. In fact, eating plenty of whole-grain breads, bran cereals, and other whole-grain foods can easily provide half of your fiber needs for an entire day. Avoid refined grains, such as white bread and white rice. “Whole grain” describes the entire edible part of any grain, including wheat, corn, oats, and rice. Refined grains go through a milling process in which parts of the grain are removed. In refined grains, many of the essential nutrients are lost in processing. Some nutrients are added back in, or the product is enriched, but this usually does not include all of the nutrients that were lost. To make sure you eat more whole-grain foods rather than refined grains, look for words such as whole grain, whole wheat, rye, bulgur, brown rice, oatmeal, whole oats, pearl barley, and whole-grain corn as one of the first listed ingredients on a food label.