Should I cut out the carbs completely and go on a low carb diet?
Many people think that in order to lose weight or live a healthy life the answer is to cut out carbohydrates (carbs) altogether or go on a low carb diet.
Carbs – what are they?
However, carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source. Carbs contain 4 calories per gram. They are an important macronutrient but in theory you could cut out carbs altogether and still survive. However, even though you will lose weight rapidly if you do – it will not be permanent or healthy weight loss.
Basically, carbohydrates are plant sourced nutrients foods found in vegetables, fruits, beans, rice, pastry, dairy products and cakes and sweets. They are sugar molecules and are a union of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The following is a list of the names of the different types of sugars:
- Fructose: found in fruits and honey.
- Galactose: found in milk and dairy products.
- Glucose: found in honey, fruits and vegetables.
- Lactose: found in milk, made from glucose and galactose.
- Maltose: found in barley.
- Sucrose: made up of glucose and fructose and found in plants.
- Xylose: found in wood or straw.
Your body breaks down carbs into glucose (sugar) , which is then transported throughout the body via the blood stream to provide energy. Any glucose that is not used is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen or fat.
Three different types of Carbohydrate
Carbs can be basically classified as simple and complex. One or two sugars is simple: monosaccharides and disaccharide. Complex – with many sugars – are called polysaccharide.
Simple – are foods such as: fruit, milk, table sugar. They are easily absorbed into the body because of their simple structure. They are digested quickly and raise the blood sugar levels very fast (they have a high glycemic index).
Complex – are foods such as: pasta, potatoes, fibre. They are slower to digest and are good for a healthy bowel. They take longer to be broken down. The presence of protein and fibre helps to slow the glycemic response of the carbs.
Advice: reducing the amount of carbs in your diet ( a low carb diet) lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes.
What are the healthiest Carbs?
Sadly, simple and complex are a definition of a carbohydrates structure but not necessarily of health benefits. For example: white bread is an unhealthy, complex carb and blueberries are healthy simple carb. The reason for this is that blueberries contain fibre, vitamins and anti-oxidants. White bread contains wheat that has been processed and refined and literally stripped of all its goodness!
White bread has the same glycemic response as pure sugar!
In general – the healthiest carbs are whole grains and whole foods. Brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole fruit, whole vegetables, beans and legumes. Generally anything that comes straight out of the ground and hasn’t been processed is better for you! Unhealthy carbs have been refined: white bread, white rice, regular pasta, sugar. These are the carbs you want to cut back on and avoid altogether if possible.
Healthy whole grains.
A whole grain consists of:
Bran – the outer core or shell which contains fibre, Vitamin B and trace minerals.
Endosperm – the middle which is the starchy white portion carbohydrate , some protein and Vitamin B
Germ (seed) – contains Vitamins B and E plus unsaturated fats and phytochemical ( found in plants which protect against cancer and other diseases)
White bread is stripped of the bran and the germ leaving just the endosperm!
Whole grains are important in the prevention of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Addictive Carbs
In today’s modern world we have available a range of highly addictive and unhealthy processed foods. These carbs give the brain a dopamine rush as they are absorbed very rapidly into the blood stream. They are engineered to contain an addictive 2:1 ratio of carbs and fat. The reason for this addictiveness is because human breast milk contains exactly the same ratio:
100ml of human breast milk contains around 4g of fat and 8 g carbs. Milk is one of the few natural foods that is liquid and contains carbs.
Ice Cream: 24g carbs 12g fat – 200 calories
French Fries: 32 g carbs 15g fat – 270 calories
Pepperoni Pizza: 30g carbs 10g fat- 266 calories
Crisps: 50g carbs 30g fat -536 calories
Sponge Cake 52g carbs 26g fat -460 calories
Cheeseburger 30g carbs 14g fat – 303 calories.
At least 50% of your grains should be whole grains.
Why we might need extra Carbs
To fuel physical activity
During high intensity activity (such as a workout) your body uses glycogen and converts it back to glucose for new fuel. If glycogen levels are low, a high intensity workout is not so easy and will downgrade muscle growth.
Additionally, well maintained blood-glucose levels will directly benefit the nervous system which means better concentration, muscle recruitment, fatigue resistance and even more workout motivation. Much of the tiredness during a fitness regime is due to the nervous system rather than sore muscles. Therefore, optimum levels of blood glucose will support workout intensity and duration.
Therefore, consuming carbs before a workout can be beneficial as they can give you extra energy to work out harder and build more muscle.
Summary
In conclusion, what changes can you make? Are you eating too many carbs? Most of us are, especially the unhealthy ones!
The balance of the main macronutrients should be as follows:
The average healthy person should consume 10 to 30 percent of daily calories from protein, 45 to 65 percent from carbohydrates and 25 to 35 percent from fat.
Basically, you need carbs for energy, fat for nutrients and proteins for building muscle and other important bodily components.
So, a low carb diet can be healthy but don’t cut them out altogether especially if your’e working out and strength training as they give you energy to work out harder.
Cut out unhealthy addictive carbs such as snacks and replace with whole fruit.
Avoid processed carbs such as fast food if at all possible.
Avoid high glycemic index carbs if possible.
Eat whole grains: cut out the white bread.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a20706575/healthy-whole-grains/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/legumes-good-or-bad
