Why you shouldn’t avoid carbs
Do you actively avoid carbs?
Do you think they're the main contributor to weight gain?
Do you avoid carbs at night for fear of weight gain?
Do you think fruit contains too much sugar and should be avoided?
Confused yet? Let me break it down for you...
Carbohydrates are a macronutrient - something we derive energy from and need in large amounts in our diet. They are the sugars, starches and fibers found in vegetables, fruits, grains and milk products. For every one gram of carbohydrate in a food product, it will yield 4 calories of energy. For some perspective; protein also contains 4 calories per one gram, while fat on the other hand is the most energy dense at 9 calories per gram.
Why do we need carbs? They are your body's preferred source of energy! And your brain runs almost exclusively off glucose (a carbohydrate). To put it really simply; your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose which is then absorbed into your blood where with the help of insulin will enter the body's cells. It can be used by your body for energy; such as thinking, walking, talking, weight lifting, all the cellular processes that take place you can't see... Any excess is converted to glycogen and stored in the muscles or liver. If you've had more glucose than can be stored as glycogen it will be converted into our long-term storage facility - fat.
Which type of carbs are best? Ideally, you want to be selecting low GI foods - not sure what they are? Have a look at this fact sheet here. The glycemic index is a ranking of how fast or slow a food affects blood glucose levels. Eating a low GI diet can also help with weight management - bonus. To put it simply; look for wholegrain, wholemeal, minimally processed foods; such as grainy breads, wholemeal pasta, basmati rice, rolled or steel cut oats, legumes... Obviously avoid too much white in your diet. White bread, lollies, sugary cereals, soft drinks - these are all very poor sources of carbohydrates and should be limited.
How many carbs per day should you have? Well that really depends and is a highly individual answer; but I will say that they should be matched to your activity levels. I'm not talking solely about exercise but how active you are in your lifestyle too. If you need individual macronutrient advise you can book in for a consult with me here...
Fiber intakes per day are currently set at 25g/day for women and 30g/day for men. Getting enough fiber in your diet is super important for your gut health and lowering your chronic disease risk. Easiest way to get more fiber.. Eat more whole grains! Don't be afraid of bread, it isn't the reason you have gained weight (I hear it all the time). What you're putting on it and how much you're having might be more to blame.
Does it really matter when you eat carbs? Again it depends! Purely in terms of weight loss, nope. The biggest factor in weight loss is a calorie deficit. If you don't have that in place, then it won't matter where your carbs are placed, you won't loose weight. Some of the healthiest diets in the world (Blue Zones) are very high in carbohydrates.
For those of you who are exercising regularly or training quite hard - then yes, it can make a big difference to your performance and recovery. I also suggest having a small amount of carbs prior to and after training to help fuel your workout and restore lost glycogen post-training. Most clients I work with notice an improvement in their stamina when they have a small amount of carbs prior to training (1 small banana for example). Once again, it depends on the type and duration of training that you are doing as to how much carbohydrate you need pre- and post-training. Someone about to partake in a marathon is going to need a different carb loading compared to someone doing a 5km cycle.
So you cut carbs and lost weight? Yep, that's because glycogen is stored with water. So for each gram of glycogen stored in your body it is attached to 3-4g of water. So when you cut carbs out of your diet, your body then uses its stored glycogen, and takes the water away with it, leaving you a few kgs lighter thanks to that water weight.
So next time you're thinking about ditching the carbs - think about how you can select the most nutritious option and have it in an amount that matches your activity levels. They're not to be feared...
Want to know more about carbs? Send me an email empowermenutrition@gmail.com
**Obviously the advice listed above is for those without a chronic health condition such as type 2 diabetes. For more information about diabetes and low carbohydrate diets I suggest taking a look here at the Position Statement for Low carbohydrate eating for people with diabetes
