We are not surprised with how many times we get asked about carbohydrates or ‘carbs’ – how to reduce them, if they should be avoiding them or what is the right time to have them/stop eating them.
We’ve met people who avoid carbs after 5pm, people who ‘don’t eat any carbs’ at all (they actually do- we’ll explain in this post) and those who tell us they want to give up carbs but just love them too much.
So, first up, let’s get one thing straight – carbs are NOT your enemy.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, tone up, gain muscle or even improve your immune system; you need to understand that carbs are your friend.
When you think about carbs, what comes to mind? Pasta, pizza, cookies, bread, right? And you’ve been bashed around the head with how ‘bad’ these are for you, so you feel guilty for even thinking about having them. (And then you feel that have to workout extra hard to make up for it, right….)
What if we told you that feel guilty over eating carbs is a waste of time. That you now have permission to eat carbs. And that, in fact, you need carbs!
Asking if carbs are bad is such a common question, but it doesn’t have a black and white, yes and no type of answer.
After all, how can you compare 2 heads of broccoli to 2 pieces of pizza? Both are carbohydrates, so are carbs good or bad for us?
Yes, that’s right, VEGETABLES ARE CARBS! How anyone can say that carbs are bad is pure insanity.
When we think of carbs, we think of simple carbs like pizza, bread, donuts and even cereal, and you could be right, thinking that they are not so good for you.
But there are complex carbohydrates like wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, which are fantastic foods for your overall health.
And your body LOVES carbs – which is why it can be so hard to ‘give up’ that not so good ones. Our bodies break down carbohydrates into glucose, which is used for energy in our muscles, tissues and our brains. Without carbs, it would be hard for us to think, walk and even breathe – all the things we do without effort. In fact, our brain functions best from carbohydrates.
However, with simple carbohydrates, there comes a problem. Which is where carbs get their ‘bad’ reputation. The problem is that during the processing, the fibre is taken away and they are generally packed full with preservatives, chemicals and loads and loads of sugar. When our bodies aren’t able to use all this sugar, it gets stored it as fat, which is why it’s best to keep these as sometimes foods.
So, although we thrive on carbs, we need to be smart about which ones we are choosing to eat.
When you are doing your shopping, look for foods with 5 ingredients of less. Just 3? even better. What if it has no packaging at all!? Prefect, this means you’re in the fresh produce section!
In short, carbs are not bad for you. You should LOVE carbs – your body and your brain would be struggling to function without them. Each time you eat your broccoli or bananas, your body is thanking you. Celebrate this. Enjoy your carbs, without any guilt at all.