Are carbs bad for you?
Carbs have gotten a really bad wrap lately. We’re constantly bombarded by stories about how people have lost loads of weight on the Keto or other low carb diet. As soon as my friends tell me they are trying to lose weight, this is immediately followed by them telling me how they are cutting out carbs. People now seem to think that carbs are bad for you and that the only way to lose weight is to cut out carbs. This isn’t the case.
Is cutting out carbs a good idea?
While cutting out carbs and loading up on protein and fat might help you lose weight in the short term, the Keto diet is so bad for you it was rated the worst out of 35 diets for healthy eating in 2020 in the annual diet roundup by US News & World Report. To put this in perspective, even the Paleo diet rated better.
Carbohydrates get converted into glucose, or sugar, in our bodies during digestion. Glucose is the main source of fuel for our body. It is especially important for the brain, which cannot easily use other fuel sources (such as fat or protein) for energy. Eating grains and cereals can also help reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
Keto and other low carb diets also mean restricting or eliminating large food groups, including whole grains, starchy vegetables and fruit. Doing this means it’s much harder to have a balanced diet and can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Cutting out carbs means an increase in the amount of fat and / or protein which you have to consume. This can lead to heart problems, increased cholesterol and other health issues.
If you want more proof, the Keto diet was originally developed in the 1920s as a means of controlling seizures in children with a severe and difficult-to-control form of epilepsy. Does that really sound like a diet you want to follow?
How much do I need?
Any food can cause weight gain if you eat too much. Whether your diet is high in fat or high in carbohydrates, if you frequently consume more energy than your body uses, you’re likely to gain weight.
Gram for gram, carbohydrate contains fewer calories than fat. This means eating carbohydrates rather than fat is more likely to lead to weight loss.
Ideally, about 45-60% of our energy intake should come from carbs. The main source of carbs in our diet is cereals and grains.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that women under the age of 50 consume 6 serves of cereals / grains a day. This reduces to 4 serves for women 51-70 and 3 serves for women over 70.
Each of these is one serve:
- 1/4 cup muesli
- 2/3 cup wheat flakes
- 1 slice of bread
- 1/2 medium sized bread roll
- 1 English muffin
- 3 crispbreads
- 1/2 cup cooked pasta, rice, noodles or oats
What kind of carbs are best?
Not all carbs are created equal. All carbohydrates turn into glucose and raise our blood sugar. But some do it faster than others. Controlling blood sugar levels is important for weight management as well as reducing your risk of developing diabetes.
Refined or simple carbohydrates, such as white rice, white bread and white pasta have had most of their fibre and nutrients removed. Complex carbohydrates which are found in whole grains, such as brown rice and whole-wheat pasta, haven’t. This means that simple carbs have a higher glycemic index than complex carbs. Therefore the glucose from refined carbs can get into the blood stream faster than the glucose from whole grains.
This means that eating refined carbs can lead to a rapid spike in blood sugar levels followed a little while later by a slump which can leave you feeling tired and hungry and can lead to overeating. This is why the Australian Eat for Health Guidelines recommend that at least 2/3 of your grain intake is in the form of wholegrains or high fibre grains such as brown rice, wholegrain pasta and wholemeal bread.
One note of caution here. Brown rice has a lot of insoluble fibre, which can make it difficult to digest, especially for anyone with gut issues. If you find yourself feeling, bloated, gassy or just generally uncomfortable after eating brown rice, switch to white rice but make sure it’s one of the lower GI varieties like basmati or one of the “smart” rices rather than jasmine.
What about other foods?
If you want some more information on eating healthy, head to this article: Eat Healthy, Don’t Diet.
