“Dave Sheahan there’s loads of stuff going on about carbs – whether to eat them or not and if you eat them what ones to eat etc etc. I don’t believe in cutting out food groups completely but know some carbs should defiantly be avoided. Would like your thoughts on carbs 😊”
Let me start by telling you this – quite simply we need carbs. We need carboyhdrate foods to function, both brain and body. All those advocating a low carb diet are just ridiculous. The diet and weightloss industry just constantly brings out rehashed ideas or new “revolutionary” ones not backed by science or factoring in the reality of how our bodies function and what they need. So why do I say we need carbs?
The sole purpose of carbohydrate foods is for energy. That is the benefit our bodies gain by consuming them. The truth about carbs is that we ingest them and our bodies use them to function, in moving and in any use of our brain which consumes 20% of the calories we consume and carbs are it´s main fuel. It is the same as how a car needs petrol or diesel. Our body is not naturally designed to use fat or protein as fuel. It is designed to consume carbohydrate foods and then break it down into glucose and continue the process of feeding our body energy and fuel. So it is just ridiculous when anyone says we don´t need carbs and shouldn´t consume much or any of them as the popular low carb diets and “experts” proclaim.
Now there is one thing you need to be mindful of. It is important not to consume TOO MUCH carbohydrate foods. The modern lifestyle has changed dramatically and everyone is much more sedentary and typically consuming more calories than before. Therefore there is not the same calorific requirement as say 50 years ago. Therefore we must be careful not to consume too much carbohydrates as any excess must go somewhere and for most it will result in increased body fat. For example if you consume 2000 calories a day and burn 1800 then there are 200 that have to go somewhere. Now your muscles store glucose but when it reaches capacity any excess has to go somewhere and in time will convert to fat. This process takes some time before results in fat but you just need to be mindful that your intake of carbohydrates (like any nutrients) is to the level you need. So consume a realistic amount and keep active.
Thirdly is there a difference between carbohydrates foods ? Yes there is and there are good carbs to eat and bad carbs. The simple rule to follow with all food is that the more natural it´s state the better any food is. The modern lifestyle is full of packaged and convenient meals and foods. Also the diet and weightloss industry tend to classify all carbs the same. How can you compare a piece of fruit to a candy bar? One is full of good carbs and the other is full of refined sugars and chemicals and fats. You cannot compare the two. So there is a good carbs list like fruit, vegetables, grains, beans, legumes and there is a bad carbs list which includes all those products full of refined sugars and typically all the sweets, cakes, biscuits and treats as well as any processed and convenience focused food. So I hope you now understand what are good carbs to eat.
So to summarise the truth about carbs :
1. Carbohydrates are not evil and are crucial as energy for our body and brain
2. While you can eat alot of carbohydrate foods each day just be mindful of your activity levels and eat accordingly as any excess not used up may eventually convert to fat.
3. There are both a list of good carbs and a bad carbs list. Focus on mainly consuming the good carbs to eat like fruit, vegetables, legumes, beans and grains.