Are carbs good for you?

Carbohydrates (carbs) are a good source of energy for your body. In fact carbs are essential for providing the body with fuel to function throughout the day. They do this by breaking down into glucose to provide energy to cells, tissues and organs either immediately or over time after being stored in the liver or muscles.

Due to mainstream multimedia platforms, many people associate carbs with being bad for the body and contributing to weight gain or poor health. However, carbohydrates don't just sit under one umbrella so to say. There are good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates. The good carbohydrates contribute to energy production, muscle growth and energy balance. Where as the "bad carbohydates" better known as refined carbs, lead to weight gain, insulin resistance and poor health.

Some good carbs include: vegetables, whole grains, fruits, rice, potatoes, bananas, oranges, lentils, beans 🍊🍌🍒🍐🫐🍊🥑🍆🥬🥦

Some bad carbs include: white bread, cakes, cookies, candy, white pasta, sugary cereals, sodas 🍞🥯🧇🥞🍬🍦🍰🍿🥤🍩

Now that we understand the difference between good and bad carbs how to carbs benefit the body?

As stated, carbs benefit the body by providing energy. They are our body’s first selection of energy source before turning to less-efficient sources such as fat and protein. If natural whole food carbs (the good carbs) are selected, they provide energy but also help the body by providing fiber and antioxidants which lower blood sugar, fight free radicals that contribute to the development of aging skin, Alzheimer’s, cancer and more.

So how much carbs are we supposed to be eating throughout the day?

According to the Dietary Guidelines, most people should be getting 45-65% of their total daily calories from carbs. While the remaining amount should be from fats and protein. However, the types of carbs, portion sizes and how often you eat them all make a difference in your health. This is where simple and complex carbs come into play.

Simple carbs are more of the refined carbs such as breads, pasta, cakes, etc. these are simple carbs that the body easily breaks down and usually contain a high amount of sugar with a low amount of fiber. Therefore, these types of carbs are absorbed more easily and contribute to faster swings in blood sugar levels. Whereas, complex carbs contain higher amounts of fiber and starch making it harder for the body to easily digest these carbs. This allows for a slow digestion which in turn, helps to stabilize appetite, blood sugar and energy levels. Diets that contain more complex carbs have been found to not only help with weight management but blood sugar control, digestion, heart health, mood and energy.

So next time you consider cutting carbs from your diet as a way to help your health, make sure you are cutting the right ones!!