Should We Kill The Carbs?

February 1, 2008

Photo by Al-Fassam
carbs.jpgCarbohydrates.  Either you love ‘em or you hate ‘em.

As I read various blogs on the topics of good health and dieting, I find that some claim all carbs should be avoided in order to maintain weight while others claim carbs are essential for good health.  The Atkins Diet is probably ringing a bell right now.   So in this post, I want to share with you the scoop on carbs, from both sides … the good, the bad, and the ugly.  That is, my take from what I’ve learned. 

The good.

We’ve all learned it.  In order to maintain good health we need to eat all the proper nutrients:   water, protein, fats, and even carbohydrates.   Carbohydrate-rich foods contain vital nutrients important for disease prevention, plus carbs supply the body with energy and, therefore, should not be avoided.  But not all carbs are the same.  There are two types of carbs.  There are simple carbs, which are digested quickly and include fructose, sucrose, and lactose.  We get a lot of simple carbs through processed foods such as soda and cookies.  These foods have few nutrients but lots of calories.  And then there are complex carbs, which take longer to digest and contain fiber and starch.  Examples of complex carbs are legumes, whole grains, and many vegetables.  According to Wellness Magazine, “Both simple and complex carbs are converted to blood glucose, which fuels our body’s cells and is the only source of energy for the brain.”  That statement alone explains why carbs are essential to our health. 

The bad.

Now for the bad, and it can be really bad.  The amount of carbs we consume can go way over the body’s energy needs, and when that happens it is stored as fat.  When too many carbs are consumed, blood glucose is raised and the pancreas releases insulin so as to lower the glucose level.  When insulin is released, it promotes the accumulation of fat.  That is why so many people have difficulty losing weight and why they are at risk for diabetes.   On top of all of this, excess insulin stimulates the liver to make more cholesterol. 

In addition, if you are doing high intensity sports or exercising, a low-carb diet could be a bad choice.  You will feel lethargic if you don’t have enough carbohydrates stored up since they are your body’s main energy source. 

The ugly.

Many foods that are high in carbohydrates taste wonderful!  Just take a look at the picture above.  The food in the picture doesn’t look ugly, but the damage it can do to one’s body when consumed in large amounts sure can be ugly.  We need to differentiate the good carbs from the bad carbs and stay away from the bad.  Even with the good carbs, we must learn to eat in smaller portions.  Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. 

Things to remember when you grocery shop.

  • Choose only good carbs and keep the servings small.  Eating complex carbs, which are digested more slowly and are higher in fiber, will prevent blood sugar from spiking. 
  • Look for whole grain foods such as oats, whole wheat, and brown rice.  These foods are more nutritious than say french fries or white bread.
  • Eat more beans and vegetables.  These foods have fiber with many health benefits. 
  • Read the label and look for the fiber content.  The higher the fiber, the better.   Also remember that “low carb” on a label doesn’t always mean what it says.  The FDA has not yet provided a definition for low carb.   A low carb message on a package does not necessarily mean it is nutritious or lower in calories. 
  • Skip processed foods which tend to be lower in fiber.  These are usually flour products which can raise blood sugar levels quickly. 

One good website to check out is the Home of the Glycemic Index.  The GI is a numerical system that measures the rise in blood sugar triggered by eating carbohydrates.  The higher the number, the greater the spike in blood sugar.  Another good site is GoodCarbs.org, which provides a simple guide to eating the right carbohydrates for health and weight loss. 

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Posted by Julie Alexander | Filed Under Blog, Weight Loss, Wellness 

Comments

2 Responses to “Should We Kill The Carbs?”

  1. Julie Alexander on February 1st, 2008 9:05 pm

    {Moved from a different post on behalf of Kathleen at http://www.massageforadults.blogspot.com}

    Hi Julie,
    Great post. Too many people do think that it’s necessary to totally avoid carbohydrates, and it’s great to see a detailed and accurate explanation that sorts out the issue.
    Thanks,
    Kathleen

  2. Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog Carnival 35 | FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog on February 4th, 2008 8:20 pm

    […] Alexander presents Should We Kill The Carbs? posted at The Health & Wellness Post, saying, "The good and the bad on eating […]

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