Are carbs good or bad? – Nics Nutrition
As a nation – we Adore to demonise specific foods and food items teams! More than the previous handful of a long time, there’s been a craze for ‘cutting carbs’ fuelled by meal plans these kinds of as Atkins, Keto, Dukan to title a couple of, as effectively as phrases this kind of as ‘no carbs in advance of marbs!’ or ‘carbs make you fat’.
Quite a few of these phrases and diet plans have baffled men and women with the value of carbs, generating them out to be ‘bad’ or a driver of pounds acquire. But in actuality, no foods is inherently ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – it relies upon on the portion and frequency in which we consume them (+ of training course how we prepare dinner them and what we increase to them!)
Carbs also contain the Similar sum of energy for each gram as protein (4 kcal/g), in comparison to 9 kcal/g for fat!
𝗪𝐇𝐘 𝐃𝐎 𝗪𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐒?
1️⃣ Vitality – Carbs are the body’s major source of electricity. When we consume them, our physique breaks them down into glucose which is then transported into the bloodstream to our organs that require it. It can also be saved as glycogen in the liver and employed when our human body needs it – e.g. for movement!
2️⃣ Cognitive Functioning – Our mind necessitates approx. 120g of glucose a day to assist exceptional psychological general performance – which include notice, memory and understanding. A diet deficient in carbs may perhaps result in exhaustion, ‘brain fog’ and headaches.
3️⃣ Calorie intake – Carbs (which includes grains, potatoes, fruit, dairy, starchy veg and some protein foods these kinds of as beans) have a tendency to make up about fifty percent of an ordinary adult’s calorie consumption if this is not met, there may be a depletion of electricity to assist fat management, our brain and other organs in the system.
4️⃣ Spare protein and fat for their uses! – Consuming adequate carbs can make positive our body does not vacation resort to making use of (much too much) protein or fats alternatively, which are necessary for bodily capabilities these as advancement, repair and nutrient absorption.
5️⃣ Fibre – Fibre from complex carb sources this sort of as whole grains, fruits and veg are vital for a wholesome digestive system and supporting chance reduction of some diseases this kind of as form 2 diabetes and coronary heart illness.
🤔 What are your fave carbs?!