carbohydrates get a bad rap when it comes to losing weight. Conventional wisdom has us believe that to lose weight, we should limit, or eliminate, carbohydrates in our diet. But it’s not that simple. Actually, carbohydrates (sugars and starches found in grains, fruits, and vegetables – provide crucial, fast-acting energy to fuel your brain, muscles, and metabolism. And when they are not processed into puff pastry, they also contain many of the minerals, vitamins and fiber necessary to maintain good health. In fact, carbohydrates are generally your body’s main (and preferred) source of fuel.
The problem is that many eating plans of the last two decades consider carbohydrates to be the enemy of weight loss. These diets demonize all carbohydrates, from oatmeal and lentils to Fruit, and I urge you to exorcise them from your life. It’s true that limiting highly processed carbohydrates can make weight loss much easier. But avoiding the good stuff can get in the way of your health and fitness goals. Read on to learn how to cut it.
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates, like protein and fat, are macronutrients, sources of energy that keep you alert, active, and, well… alive. Think of carbohydrates as your body’s main source of crude oil. Through digestion, carbohydrates are transformed into glucose, something like high-octane unleaded gasoline. “Carbohydrates are the only nutrients that exist solely to fuel the body,” says Donald Layman, nutrition consultant at the University of Illinois. Without glucose, your blood oxygen levels suffer, your energy levels plateau, and your brain becomes cloudy.
You should aim to get 45% to 65% of your daily calories from carbohydrates. If you’re a moderately active man consuming 2,600 calories a day, that means between 1,170 and 1,690 calories should come from carbohydrates. And since carbohydrates, whether sugar, starch or fiber, contain four calories per gram, you should aim for 295 g to 425 g per day. This will help your brain, blood, and nervous system function at their best, says Dr. Layman.
If you keep your intake below 80g a day, as some diet plans suggest, your body will begin to break down fat stores to produce ketones to use for fuel, which can lead to that cloudy low-carb feeling. Excess carbohydrates in the diet, like all calories, are stored as body fat. You want to strike a balance.
complex carbohydrates
However, there’s more to it than grams and serving sizes, says Frank Sacks, professor of nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. The type of carbohydrate is important, as is the amount you eat. Complex carbohydrates, found in starchy vegetables and whole grains, are linked to a healthier weight and lower risks of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
“Complex carbohydrates are difficult for the body to break down, and that’s a good thing,” he says. Gail Cresci, gastroenterology and nutrition researcher at the Cleveland Clinic. These carbohydrates are digested slowly, which means that the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream is also slower. The increases in blood sugar and insulin levels are moderate enough that they don’t reach levels associated with body fat storage, says Dr. Cresci. Plus, your gut likes them, in more ways than one. “The gut microbiota prefers complex carbohydrates to any other food source,” says Dr. Cresci. After your gut bacteria feast on carbohydrates, they send compounds called short-chain fatty acids into your bloodstream, which can help reduce inflammation and strengthen your immune system.
Most foods that contain complex carbohydrates are also high in fiber, which helps you feel full. In one study, people who were told to eat 30g of fiber a day in addition to their usual diet lost as much weight as those who followed a strict (and probably much less enjoyable) meal plan.
carbs you don’t want
Refined carbohydrates (those found in white bread, cookies, and potato chips) have the opposite effect of complex carbohydrates. After you eat, say, a jelly donut, your blood sugar rises, your insulin levels rise, and your gut bacteria spits inflammatory compounds out of it, says Dr. Cresci. Strange indulgence won’t do any harm, of course. But too much, too often, will set you up for possible metabolic malfunction.
It is true that if you eliminate almost all carbohydrates from your diet, you will lose a lot of weight, but not for the reason you think. With a low-carb diet, your body churns through its muscle glycogen stores. And for every gram of muscle glycogen you burn, your body releases twice as much water, says Dr. Cresci. So those initial pounds you lose will be from water, not just body fat.
Eating more oatmeal, quinoa, beans, and sweet potatoes and fewer cakes sounds incredibly simple, but there are a few pitfalls to be aware of. Beware of products that are marketed as low-fat. When food manufacturers remove fat from foods like yogurt or salad dressings, they often replace the lost flavor with processed sugar (a carbohydrate), which converts more easily to body fat than unprocessed carbohydrates, says Dr. I grew up You better stick with the real deal.
Don’t let the gluten-free trend get you hooked, either: Many gluten-free foods contain more sugar and calories than their conventional counterparts. Unless you’re among the relatively small minority of people who have celiac disease or a known sensitivity, you probably don’t need to stray from grains like wheat, barley, and rye.
And, finally, to settle the debate on the fruit. While berries, bananas, and the like contain simple carbohydrates, they come with a lot of fiber, which slows down their absorption. In fact, a recent BMJ study found that the fiber in the fruit may reduce the risk of heart disease. “Anyone who cuts back on fruit to lower their sugar intake is making a mistake,” says Dr. Sacks.
Fueling your fitness with carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver, serving as fuel for high-intensity, endurance exercise. If your exercise regimen is intense, for example if you’re training for a marathon, you need an additional 40 g to 60 g of carbohydrates per hour of training to perform at your best, says Stuart Galloway, who studies exercise metabolism at the University of Stirling, Scotland. Another way to think of this is an additional gram of carbohydrate per minute of exercise.
As for ‘carb cycling’, there is no strong evidence to suggest that switching between high and low carb days helps performance. Some experts say it can even harm your health by contributing to low-grade inflammation, says Dr. Cresci.
After your workout, you need to refuel on carbs in addition to consuming protein. Raising insulin levels may help with protein synthesis and muscle building, according to a study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests. Aim for a 1:1 or 2:1 carb to protein ratio after the gym. Some good choices are chocolate milk (really), apple slices with almond or pitta butter, and hummus.
The bottom line? Eat a consistent amount of complex carbohydrates every day (unless you’re running a marathon or something similar) from a variety of whole food sources. For an appetizing recipe, try our recipes on the page.
