What are carbs?
When a lot of people think about carbohydrates they think things like bread, pasta, potatoes and associate them as bad foods and weight gain, unhealthy etc.
Actually, the opposite is true! Most of our energy comes from carbohydrates. Our bodies need carbs to function. Especially our brain! What is important in regard to carbs is the TYPE.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF CARBOHYDRATES, SIMPLE AND COMPLEX.
Simple carbs are quickly digested by the body while complex carbs take a bit longer to break down and will makes us feel fuller for longer while keeping our blood sugar more stable so we have more energy throughout the day.
It’s also not as simple as bread/pasta vs the wholemeal alternative. Yes more highly processed versions or the ‘white” version are more simple but shall I throw a spanner in the works and tell you most fruits are actually carbohydrates?
YES. Most fruits and vegetables actually have a higher carb content than we think but I mean really a banana certainly isn’t a protein is it?
Simple and complex carbs both have their place in our diet. Our focus should be on the less-processed versions.
DID YOU KNOW CARBOHYDRATES ARE ACTUALLY SUGARS?
Yep that’s right, those I quit sugar people are full of BS. Sugar is a naturally occurring substance and it is not bad! Added sugar to our diet that is not found in whole food should be minimized (obviously lollies are not an everyday thing!) however the fructose found in fruit (unless eaten in excess) is not inherently bad for you.
Try to choose Fruits, Root vegetables, Whole Grains (or whole grain options), Beans and Legumes
Although we should focus on the less processed options from a micronutrients, vitamins and overall health standpoint, at the end of the day a carb is a carb and a calorie is a calorie, whether you get that from an apple or rice or chocolate.
One may fuel your body better from a performance standpoint as well as sleep, mental clarity and function etc. but in regard to a weight loss, calories in vs. calories out standpoint they are not all that different.
