Skip to main content

The Dirty "Carbs" Word

Most of the time, if you mention the dreaded “Carbohydrate” word to people trying to lose weight, they will tell you they’re talking about bread, pasta, sweets (desserts like cakes, pies, ice cream, candy, etc.), potatoes, rice – and they would be correct.

However, talking about carbs isn’t as simple as you might think.

Broccoli is a carb.

Strawberries are carbs.

Beans are carbs.

Almonds are carbs.

When it comes to carbohydrates I think we, as the general population, have gotten a lot of mixed messages over the years – as research has continued and studies have been conducted – and our understanding of carbs has become a bit skewed.

We have lumped certain unhealthy foods into the general category of “Carbohydrates” and by association, a lot of healthy – even NECESSARY – foods have gotten a bad rap.

The most common sources of carbohydrates include Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Milk, Nuts & Seeds, and Beans, Peas & Lentils.

And all of these food sources – even the unhealthy, processed ones – break down into 3 Categories: Sugars, Starches, and Fiber.

So, I think the question that gets overlooked by people who are trying to eat healthier and/or lose weight is more about “How are Carbohydrates breaking down in my body?” versus, “Should I eat Carbs?” And the second question that should be asked is “What nutritional value am I getting from the carbs I’m eating?”

The body’s preferred fuel source is glucose – a simple sugar. If the body isn’t getting glucose from the food you eat, it will literally break down any substances available in the body (fats, proteins like muscle or bone, organs) in order to get the energy it needs to survive. That’s a little bit of a dramatic way to put it, but that’s the bottom line. The body PREFERS glucose, but it will use whatever is necessary.

45% to 65% of the total daily calories you eat should come from carbohydrates. And that is when you apply the ACTUAL important questions – “How are these carbs breaking down in my body?” and “What nutritional value am I getting from them?”

45% of your carbohydrate needs can come from cupcakes, if that’s what you want. But then you have to ask the important questions. Because cupcakes are going to breakdown into simple sugars – glucose – very quickly, hit your bloodstream very quickly, and cause issues within your body from the flood of glucose molecules and the body’s ability to manage them properly.

But when those sugars hit the bloodstream SLOWLY because they have to be broken down from complex carbohydrates (starches) or slowed down by fiber, then the body has time to deal with the slower stream of glucose in a more efficient manner.

As well as the other nutrients (fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals) that healthy carbohydrates also offer.

So, before throwing “Carbohydrates” around like it’s a dirty word when it comes to eating healthier, think about the types of foods you’re actually referring to – do you mean heavily PROCESSED foods that have been stripped of nutrients, or do you mean whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, barley), whole fruits and vegetables, nuts & seeds, or milk products (milk, cheese, yogurt)?

Your body absolutely needs carbs to function, but the type of carbs and the quality are what matter most to your health and wellness.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

I’m Going to Tell You the SECRET No One in the Fitness Industry Wants You to Hear….

Got your attention? Okay.  Now that I’ve gotten the theatrics out of the way, I really am going to tell you the “secret”.  This applies to most, BUT NOT ALL , cases of people who are trying to lose weight, deal with medical issues, overall health, living longer, etc. Pretty much anything health related. WHAT YOU’RE EATING HAS A GREATER EFFECT ON YOUR OVERALL HEALTH THAN ANYTHING ELSE YOU DO . I managed to get myself into a debate on social media, which was unintentional and not meant to be disrespectful. But RESPECTFULLY, I completely disagreed with their stance that food and weight loss do not have an impact on health conditions.  Health risks related to diet .  Nutritional Deficiencies . Is exercise important? Yes, it is.  But you can be very active, eat terribly, and deal with all kinds of health issues. Or be active, but still overweight because of eating too much sugar, fat, salt, or too many calories overall, and have NO health issues (high blood pres...

PERSONAL JOURNAL ENTRY

This week my mother-in-law passed away. Hubs has been traveling back and forth between two states to take care of all the things one must handle after losing a loved one - final arrangements, legal, financial, etc. And in the midst of this, Hubs is also trying to take care of his own health and medical issues. I'm not really sure what this post is about, other than being a bit of a personal journal of my thoughts. So, if you're not really interested, that's fine. I'll be happy to catch you next week with more health and nutrition coaching information/tips/hacks/etc. I honestly didn't know her VERY well. When Hubs and I met, she was living two states away, and then ended up moving a little closer to his extended family, which was still a four-and-a-half-hour drive. So while we saw each other occasionally, we didn't have the chance to spend a lot of time together. But I did know this about her. She was fierce. She raised three sons as a single mom. I've heard...

DO YOU KNOW “WHY”?

Why do you want to start a health journey? Why are you on a health journey? Why is your health important to you? As a busy mom, these three questions are important to ask yourself if you’re working on your health or thinking about working on it. Because, honestly, we've already got enough going on in our lives.  You might find out you’re not even trying to be healthier/eat better/move more/lose weight for the reasons you THOUGHT you were. Maybe you’re thinking about losing weight because someone made a comment that hurt your feelings. Or you went to put on a dress you haven’t worn in a while, and it doesn’t fit anymore. Maybe you don’t have energy like you used to and you’re tired of feeling tired all the time. Maybe you’re noticing that you overall don’t feel good after eating candy or cookies when it didn’t used to bother you before. Or maybe a relative is in poor health much younger than they should be and it’s got you thinking about how you want to be capable and act...