Are all Carbs bad?

Not at all.

Carbs are the fuel our body burns to make glucose or blood sugar, which then gets converted to energy. Carbohydrates are type of macronutrients, like fat and protein, found in certain food and drinks. Sugar, starch and fibres are carbohydrates. They are the source of nature’s cleanest fuel, which burns down into glucose, water and carbon dioxide, which we breathe out with every breath.

But if carbs are so essential for energy, why would diets recommend cutting on them to lose weight?

Because most people do not understand the difference between a low-calorie and low-carb diet. So, before you start with a similar diet plan, I would ask you to at least learn about the role of carbs in your body.

Images from Pixabay

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I’ve been reading ‘The Okinawa Way’ by Dr Bradly Willcox, Dr. Craig Willcox and Dr. Makato Suzuki, who have studied for 25 years the lifestyle of Okinawans, world’s healthiest and longest lived people. The book reveals the age defying secrets of the Okinawans: a low-fat diet, exercise, stress management, strong social and family ties and spiritual connectedness. It’s the same thing researchers have been recommending for years, but authors of this book provide concrete evidence that adopting these healthy habits pays off significantly.

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When you cut on carbs, your body starts breaking fat reserves and lean muscle tissue to make glucose, because glucose is the preferred fuel for brain. Unfortunately fat and muscle do not burn clean. The toxic residual products of fat metabolism, known as ketones and aldehydes will result in bad breath, a weird smelling skin and cloudy thinking, as the brain is breaking down non-essential tissue to make glucose. Low carb diet equals starvation for the body, putting it in the survival mode. The body will do anything to get that glucose. At first you will feel it’s a fair game, ‘Sure I feel miserable but look at the weight I’ve lost‘. Well that weight partially consisted of your fat reserves, body water and lean muscle tissue, the last thing you want to lose.

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Our diets should be made of low calorie and unrefined complex carbohydrates. Note that I mentioned unrefined complex carbs and not high calorie refined carbohydrates, that digest quickly and spike blood sugar levels. Simple carbs or refined carbohydrates include sugars and refined grains that have been stripped off their fibre, bran and nutrition like white flour, refined sugar, breakfast cereals, white bread etc. Increased sugar levels, trigger spike in insulin, which leaves you feeling hungry soon after a meal and crave for more carbs, eventually resulting in over-eating, putting on weight and type II diabetes.

Our focus should be unrefined complex carbohydrates or whole carbs, that include fruits, vegetables and whole grains with their natural fibre intact. They digest slowly and the blood sugar enters bloodstream slowly, offering solid nutrition and keeping us healthy. Examples of good carbs that you can include in your diet:

Pulses: dry edible seeds of lentils, beans, kidney beans, chickpeas and peas, plant based protein, packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre. Excellent source of protein for vegetarians and cost less than meat products.

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Fruits: especially the ones with edible skin, apples, berries, peaches, melons, strawberries

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Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds

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Whole grains: oats, brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat bread and pasta, buckwheat, barley

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Vegetables: All of them. Some of them with high complex carbs, sweet potatoes, lima beans, corn, peas, potatoes, beets, carrots, broccoli, brussel sprouts and pumpkin

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