Ever since people lost weight eating lots of protein on the Atkins Diet, carbs have gotten a bad rap. Today, the focus is on the balance of healthy eating. But also the adverse effects of carbs on the body.
Proper nutrition is essential to provide all the vital nutrients for good health and disease prevention. These nutrients include carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals as well as water.
No matter what you do every day, it helps if you have carbohydrates as fuel for daily activities such as walking, reading, cooking, or gardening. So what is a carb, and why is it so important to us?
Carbohydrates or carbs are the body’s primary energy source and the main fuel for working muscles. Carbs get broken down during digestion into glucose, which is used immediately for energy.
The carbs not used for energy get stored as glycogen in the muscle and liver, or there is a conversion to fat with continued consumption of excess calories. The more the muscle glycogen stored means, the more fuel you have to power your activity.
Even though they’re delicious, carb-heavy favorites like bread, pasta, cereal, and rice, often the villains contributing to the staggering statistics and growing rates of heart disease, obesity, and insulin resistance.
Not all carbs are a dietary evil, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that carbohydrates make up to 45 to 65% of your total daily calories, based on a 2,000 calorie diet that’s 225 to 325 grams of carbs per day.
Regardless of age, activity level, and individual metabolism, everyone should aim to consume healthy slow-digesting carbs – like 100%whole wheat bread, steel-cut oats, beans, lentils, and whole fruits and vegetables.
It would help if you avoided fast-digesting carbs such as sugary drinks, white bread, white rice, and processed snacks. So, no more Little Debbie and Tastykake.
It’s worth noting again that fast carbs also promote insulin-resistance, meaning the body can no longer regulate blood glucose. Insulin is a hormone the body products to move glucose into the cells, which it uses for fuel.
The biggest take away with having too many fast-digested carbs at one meal or even during the day puts your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride, causing us to overeat, gain weight, and eventually become ill.
The bottom line, if you feel sluggish or tired after a meal, it may be that you consumed too many carbs.
As always, thank you for reading. Please follow CDC guidelines to help stop the spread, wear a mask and social distance.
