It’s a New Year and some of us have made new year resolutions that involve our diets. And many of these fad diets tend to demonize carbs and so many people automatically think of carbs as a food group that will automatically lead to weight gain when consumed.
So this post will take a look at this vilified food group called carbs.
What Are Carbs?
Carbs is short for Carbohydrates. They’re one of three types of food that give your body energy. The other two are proteins and fats. Together, they provide the fuel your body uses to build and repair itself. Carbs are broken down into glucose (sugar) that you can use right away. This is important because your body runs on glucose. Your brain, in particular, needs it to work properly. Carbohydrates are an almost instant source of it. Your body can break down and use fat for some of the same needs, but not all of them. Plus, fat that’s used for fuel makes compounds called ketones that can raise the level of acid in your blood, and that can be unhealthy over the long term. This is one of the things that can happen to people on the popular keto diet.
Workout Prep
Because carbs are a source of energy, they can keep you going strong while you exercise. Experts recommend fueling up 1 to 3 hours beforehand with a combination of carbs and protein, like oatmeal, Greek yogurt, peanut butter, or nuts and raisins.
Full of Nutrients
Many people do not realise that many fruits and vegetables are sources of carbohydrates. The best-quality carbs — berries, vegetables, and whole grains — are packed with vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants that are important for good health and well-being. Whole grains have fatty acids, magnesium, B vitamins, folate, and zinc. Fruit and starchy veggies have some of those, plus phytonutrients like flavonoids and carotenoids that help prevent disease. If you leave out the carbs, you lose out on those nutrients, too.
Simple Carbs
These are the less healthy carbs. Think of table sugar as simple carbs in pure form. They’re very small molecules, which makes them especially easy for your body to break down and use. That means they raise your glucose levels (blood sugar) really fast. Examples of simple carbs include foods like white rice, white bread, pasta and so on. Candies, pastries, and desserts are also loaded with these kinds of carbs.
Complex Carbs
These are larger molecules. Your body has to break them down into simple carbohydrates and then into glucose before it can use them. This takes longer, which means your blood sugar goes up more slowly and they’re less likely to be changed into fat. These kinds of carbs include multigrain breads and pasta, beans, potatoes, and other vegetables.
If you do too much
If you overdo the carbs, your blood sugar levels can get too high. This causes your body to make more insulin, which tells your cells to save the extra glucose as fat. That can be unhealthy if you’re already carrying a few extra kilos. It can lead to diabetes and other related health issues.
Before your body turns leftover glucose from carbs into fat, it stores what it can in your liver in the form of glycogen. This keeps your body going between meals. But your liver can only keep a certain amount of glycogen at a time. Only enough to last a few days without being replenished.
If You Don’t Have Enough
If there aren’t enough carbs in your diet, you could get constipated from lack of fiber and nutrients. Your body is also forced to use protein or fat for energy. Proteins are the building blocks of the body. If you use them as fuel, you may not have enough left to make more cells and keep them healthy.
The Right Amount
The amount of carbs you need can depend on your gender, size, and how active you are — and that can change as you get older. But as a general rule, about half your daily calories should come from carbs in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and dairy products. As long as you choose healthy, complex carbs and don’t overdo the simple ones, this should not result in any unhealthy changes.
Low-Carb Diets
In theory, fewer carbs mean less sugar. And “ketogenic” diets have been shown to help some people lose weight and control their blood sugar in the short term. But these diets include lots of protein, and your body may need to use stored calcium to digest it. Also, digesting lots of protein can be hard on your kidneys over time. You also tend to eat more saturated fat to replace the carbs, and that can be unhealthy in the long term, too.
Diabetes and Carbs
If you have this disease, you need to watch your carbs carefully because your body is not able to do a good job of controlling your blood sugar. If you have too many, your body may not be able to bring your blood sugar down quickly enough. But if your blood sugar gets too low, a glass of juice or another simple carb might be just the thing to kick it back up again. If you have diabetes, talk with your doctor about the best way to manage carbs.
Sources of Healthy Carbs
Look for unrefined whole grains like quinoa, rye, and barley instead of highly processed white bread and pastries. Whole unprocessed fruits and vegetables are better than juices. And it’s a good idea to pass on the processed high-carb foods, especially french fries, in favor of beans, chickpeas, and other legumes.
Hopefully this has been able to convince you that carbs are actually good for you and necessary for your body to function normally. As with everything else, just apply moderation and you should be fine.
