These guys get a bad rap. But are carbs actually bad? Should you avoid them?
Annoying answer: It depends. In the end, it’s your choice to make – I’ll just give you some info. Carbohydrates can be complex (pun intended) but I’ll try to keep this short & sweet.
Let’s get something straight. What has carbohydrates? Bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, pretzels, other starches, cookies, candy, soda & cereal. But also peas, green beans, carrots, apples, squash, strawberries & watermelon. The latter items definitely have a lot of health benefits so why are they the enemy? Why do we follow certain diets that require us to purposely minimize antioxidants, vitamins & minerals and replace them with bacon & cheese?
Another question: When you say “I’m a carboholic” what are you referring to? Most likely the pizza, bread & pretzels. It’s easy to forget that sugars are carbohydrates. So are you a chocoholic? Or needing ice cream every night? Those are carbs, too.
Let’s look into forms carbs. There are a bunch of different forms of carbs that we won’t get into specifically today. But when it comes down to it, digestion breaks carbohydrates down into their simplest form called monosaccharides which are absorbed by our bodies. These then can be used right away as energy or stored as glycogen mostly in our muscle cells & liver cells. Once the glycogen stores are filled the glucose might be stored as fat but this doesn’t necessarily mean it will make you gain fat. It’s just not as efficient of a way for your body to use the glycogen as energy when it’s needed.
Let’s talk sugar. Some sugars are simple (monosaccharides) & some are two parts like lactose, sucrose & maltose (disaccharides). Some sugars are completely man-made or man-modified, foreign to our bodies & as high as 20,000 times sweeter than table sugar called artificial sugars & non-nutritive sweeteners. (One of the artificial sweeteners being High Fructose Corn Syrup. If you can avoid one thing completely, make it this.) Non-nutritive sweeteners are typically carb & calorie free & can aid in weight loss or lower blood sugar when substituted for traditional sugars. Sugar itself is a topic I’ll cover at a later date.
Then there’s fiber. Fiber is a form of carbohydrate that your body can’t digest it so it’s not counted towards your overall carbohydrate count (if you are into the counting thing). Fiber is necessary to keep your bowels regular, help regulate blood sugar & keep you full longer when consuming foods high in fiber like fruits & veggies paired with a healthy fat or lean protein. Some high fiber foods are avocados, beans, brussels sprouts, broccoli, raspberries, peas & lots of other tasty, whole foods.
Should I cut out carbs? Well, what is your health situation & why are you considering this? Reduced carbohydrate intake has been proven to reduce symptoms of Diabetes Type II, hypertension, cancer, obesity, coronary heart disease, metabolic disorders & more. Reduction of specific foods with carbohydrates like eliminating gluten, gluten-like foods or both reduce symptoms of celiac’s disease, many skin disorders, autoimmune diseases, thyroid disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia & more.
I’m getting to the point. There are good carbohydrates & there are ones that do not benefit your health (like processed sugar & high fructose corn syrup). When choosing foods in general you should ask yourself, “Is this helping my health or hurting it?” Same with carbs. Consume the carbohydrates that are whole & unprocessed. Meaning the fruits & veggies. Keep in mind, if you are an endurance athlete you need more complex carbs than someone who is sedentary.
What if you’re addicted to sugar? If it’s the sugar form of carb you want to kick, start working to get those cravings replaced with a healthier choice is important. If you want to kick some cravings, turn down the bread basket or office donuts & reduce processed carbs/sugar, try distancing yourself from that area, kindly yet firmly decline the item , drink a cup of green tea, or eat some fruit or veggies.
Final statement. Make the best choices you can as often as possible. If that choice is to reduce certain forms of carbs, then go for it. If you are happy with where your health is, then keep on keepin’ on.
Happy eating!
*Obviously T. Swift wrote this very universally useable line. Probably not about carbs.
Moxie Nutrition & Fitness 