Carbohydrates…Friend or Foe?
Carbohydrates tend to get a bad rap… Everyone seems to be scared that eating them will lead to weight gain. Although that could happen, eating too much protein or fat will do the same thing. If you eat more calories than your body needs then you will gain weight. Just because you eliminate carbs doesn’t mean you will lose weight or not gain any weight. So… get out of your head that carbohydrates=weight gain! Carbohydrates are actually very important to our bodies and are the main source of energy. They are used for anything from exercising to breathing. According to The Dietary Guidelines for Americas, the average person should be consuming 45-65% of their total kcal in carbohydrates. For a 2,000kcal diet that would be 225-325g carbohydrates per day.
However, not all carbohydrates are the same! Some are better than others. Simple sugars like candy, cakes, cookies and pop…the stuff we all love… are unfortunately not the best sources of carbohydrates for your body. Although they will give you energy and can be enjoyed in moderation, the main benefits of carbohydrates come from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These types of foods have been shown to help control and stabilize weight. They also have been shown to improve digestive tract function and to decrease risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Obesity.
Now that I gave you some positives to consuming carbohydrates, I am going to tell you the negatives to not consuming them. Cutting carbohydrates out of your diet could put you at risk for deficiencies of many different vitamins and nutrients. Second, if you are eliminating carbohydrates and replacing them with more fat your saturated fat intake is likely to be higher which can lead to heart disease. Lastly, red blood cells can ONLY use carbohydrates to function. Low amount of carbohydrates will cause decreased oxygen flow throughout the body. So next time you see an article bashing carbohydrates… Remember they are vital for your body to function properly and can be a healthy part of your diet. Especially if you limit those simple sugars!
JM
I really enjoy your clarification on carbs and why we shouldn't be afraid of them. Nowadays, it is like everybody is going "carb-free" (cough, cough keto diet) and are blaming carbs for their weight gain. But just like you said, too much of ANYTHING is going to lead weight gain - not just carbohydrates. I think this is specifically important for us as health professionals, and make sure we stress to our clients/patients/consumers that we do in fact need carbohydrates and they are not the "devil".
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