Carbohydrates: are they our friends or enemies?

Let's find out!

Most of you have probably heard that if you want to lose fat, you must eat as few carbohydrates as possible.

There are many fad diets that demonize certain food groups and put them as the source of your weight management problems. But are they really the problem?

What are carbs and how they work

Carbohydrates, aka carbs, are basically sugar (glucose) molecules. Along with protein and fats, carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients, meaning our body needs them in larger quantities.

After consuming carbs, your body breaks it down into glucose, which goes into the bloodstream and is delivered to the cells. It is essential because our body uses glucose as its primary energy source. Basically, we need it to survive.

However, how difficult it is to break the chains down depends on the type of carbohydrates you consume. This difference divides carbs into simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates contain 1 or 2 sugar molecules (mono and disaccharides) in a group. They are pure glucose, thus our body does not need to "work" to break them down. Simple carbohydrates include white bread, any type of sugar, fructose syrup, pastries, sodas, and other highly processed or refined foods. These items contain easily digested carbohydrates that may contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote diabetes and heart disease if eaten in abundance. That's why they are usually called "unhealthy" carbs.

Complex carbohydrates are polysaccharides, meaning there are more than 3 monosaccharides in the chain, and they are more difficult to break down. These include unprocessed or minimally processed whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, which promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and an abundance of essential phytonutrients. They are usually considered "healthy" carbs.

Essentially, carbs are carbs, they are glucose. The main difference is how difficult it is for your body to break down, meaning how long will you have the energy. Simple carbs provide fast glucose release, which spikes your sugar levels quickly after consuming them. Complex carbs make your body work for that glucose, meaning you will experience a smoother glucose spike. After each spike, there will be a stabilization period, when your body manages the fluctuations by releasing insulin.

The quantity of glucose that your body needs at the moment will be supplied to the cells, the extra will be stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen, and the rest will be stored as fat. Glycogen is used by your body to get energy when glucose is not available at the moment, for example when you are physically active or are in a fasting state. However, glycogen molecules are quite large, thus if not being used, they will be eventually converted into "lighter" fat cells for long-term storage.

Carbs and fat loss

So carbohydrates are the primary energy source, making glucose more bioavailable. But carbohydrates are not the only source of glucose. Fat and protein can also be indirectly converted into glucose, through a very complex process called gluconeogenesis. They are our secondary energy source, by the way. Because this process makes our body work more, it does not spike the blood sugar levels as much as carbs do.

Due to the excess of carbohydrates in modern diets, most fad diets demonize them. Though they should not be, our body needs them regardless. Each of the macronutrients provides a specific "service" for our body, carbs are our energy source, protein helps to "rebuild" damaged tissues, and fats help in the transportation of nutrients and hormonal regulation. Thus, if we want to achieve optimal health, we should not exclude any of the macronutrient groups!

However, we need to know which and how much carbohydrates we should consume if we want a higher quality of our bodies and our lives.

Which carbs and how much?

If optimal health and fat loss are your goals, prioritize complex carbohydrates. These are some of which you may consider:

• Whole grains are minimally processed foods like whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole cornmeal, and oatmeal. They offer lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. However, whole grains are still man-made, so really pay attention to the way your body responds to them - do you feel bloated? heavy? or retain water after consuming them? If so, try different types like quinoa, buckwheat, or amaranth. If the symptoms persist, try to eliminate them and talk to your healthcare provider, as it may be a sign of inflammation.

• Vegetables, especially those low in starches, such as artichokes, brussel sprouts, and broccoli.

• Whole fruits. Whenever you have a choice between juice and whole fruit, always choose the latter. During juice preparation, the fruit is stripped of its highly valuable fiber, vitamin and mineral contents, providing pure glucose and fructose. Furthermore, do not forget that some fruits are high in fructose, which our body can process in limited quantities (approx 30 gr per day). Excess fructose damages the liver, which may result in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, bloating, and inflammation.

The general recommendation is that you consume 45-65% of total calories from carbohydrates. So if the daily caloric intake is 2000 calories, around 900-1,300 should come from carbs (225-325 grams of carbohydrate).

The acceptable range of carbs per kg of body weight is between 4-10g. This is highly individual, depending on your gender, fitness goals, and daily physical activity levels.

In our Alyana Fit programs, we discuss how to individually calculate your macronutrient needs, based on available scientific evidence. We also educate you on all things nutrition, so you can build and manage your needs throughout different periods of your life. So don't be shy, join us!

Yours sincerely,