Carbs are not your enemy.

For generations carbs have been the bad guy, many people mistakenly think that cutting out all carbs from their diet will help them lose weight and that's where they are wrong. Because the body uses carbs, proteins, and fat all for energy, cutting one of them out, such as carbs, and replacing it with more of proteins and fats, for example, does not mean you are cutting out calories if you are just replacing them with calories from other sources.

Carbs are our bodies main source of energy, our brains and red blood cells rely on them almost totally in order to function properly. The problem with a high carb intake nowadays is that many of the carbohydrates that Americans are eating have very low quality and a very large quantity. To understand this we have to look at the two types of carbs, simple and complex. Simple carbs usually are made up of one unit of sugar where else a complex carb is made up of over 100 units of sugar.

Types of carbs

Simple -

Monosaccharides- Glucose, Fructose, Galactose

Diaccharides- Maltose, Lactose, Sucrose

Examples: Cookies, candies, fruits, sports drinks, corn syrup, sugar, fruit juice concentrate

Simple carbs are essentially sugars, they have higher glucose levels which are enabled to to enter the body quickly, and when this occurs the pancreas releases insulin to get glucose to your muscle or fat cells in order to store them. When this process is forced to happen too often, over time it will result in excessive insulin which negatively affects the pancreas and can cause insulin dysfunction, typically causing weight gain. These simple carbs you should stray away from are table sugars, syrups, sweetened beverages etc. While simple carbs, such as light dairy and fruit are nutritionally valuable they are not built to be meals.

On the other hand complex carbs, such as whole grains and veggies have lower levels of glucose and are able to slow the release of glucose and insulin, resulting in healthier blood glucose levels.

Complex

Polysacchardies- Starches, Fibers, Glycogen

Examples: Apples, brown rice, oats, broccoli, cauliflower

If your goal is to feel fuller longer and increase your energy levels, complex carbs are the way to go. When you haven't eaten in a long period of time and you give your body a sugary, simple carbohydrate, the glucose release in to the body is very rapid, but it will leave the blood quicker, causing a dip in your glucose levels. Eating simple carbs all day will make your energy levels dip more frequently through out the day. Simple carbs take a shorter time to digest in the body and because of this you will feel much hungrier quicker. When you choose complex carbs they should ideally be unrefined starches and veggies, which are much more sustainable.

Examples: quinoa, brown rice, barley, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, legumes etc

Almost all of these complex carbs are high in fiber, keeping your blood sugar from getting too high and regulating your glucose and cholesterol levels.

When meal planning be sure that you are getting your carbs from natural sugars such as fruits and less processed starches and vegetables, this will ensure that you are getting everything you need nutritionally and feel fuller longer.

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References