The No Good Very Bad Carb
Our brain is warped when it comes to carbs. For decades, fitness influencers and fashion magazines have convinced many of us that carbs are bad. The reality is that they are an essential food group you just can’t skip.
This article is about the basics and demystifying what our diet obsessed skinny by any means necessary culture has confused us about carbohydrates. Most clients come to me in a moment of hardship around their bodies and eating. They are usually struggling with a health issue and need additional nutrition guidance—someone to answer questions and help them understand how nutrition changes can help them with their health plan. As we begin working together it is common to review the basics as so many of us haven’t had enough or any nutrition education besides what we see in food ads and on social media.
Some common misunderstandings around carbohydrates are that bread is the only or at least the most important carbohydrate. They may also think potatoes and corn are bad for your health, eating some vegetables (while underestimating how many servings of vegetables are they actually eating) is enough fiber for the day, and carbohydrates is the main reason why they can’t lose weight. The other big misunderstandings I hear often are about what is and is not dairy and sugar. This is why I’m spending a few weeks digging into the basics of nutrients in my publishing.
So, let’s get to it!
Carbohydrates are considered a macronutrient because our bodies need them in large quantities compared to other nutrients. Protein and fat are also macronutrients. Micronutrients are required in smaller amounts and tend to stay within our bodies for longer amounts of time.
Where do we find carbohydrates? All fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, milk, cheese, table sugar, ice cream, and grains are carbohydrates. Grains include the wheat used to make breads and pastries. They also include quinoa, farro, barley, corn, rice, oats, rye, spelt, and others.
What do carbohydrates do? Carbohydrates are the basis for all energy created and used in the body. Carbohydrates are essential in regulating hormones, absorbing water, powering the brain, and providing every cell with energy. Carbs break down in our body into glucose, which is what every single one of our cells uses to function properly. It is not the only way to get glucose, but the most efficient way.
Carbohydrates should make up roughly half of your calorie consumption per day. This might come as a shock as we have heard so many different suggestions about whether or not even to eat carbs. If you are over 40, you might be starting to panic. Deep inside our Gen X and Elder millennial brains are the messages from the 1990s and early 2000s about dieting and the shame of a muffin top. So ingrained might this misinformation be that seeing something white or tan on the plate may give you pause.
Carbs are essential to a healthy diet.
Please don’t cut out entire food groups or drastically decrease the amount of a nutrient you get each day for fear of gaining weight. Our bodies need all these nutrients and you deserve to eat delicious meals that make you happy, not just keep you alive. Even if you aren’t someone who loves food and can remember meals throughout your life, you still deserve to have satisfying and filling meals.
If we struggle with disordered eating or are constantly consumed with trying to lose weight we may think any amount of food is ok. Or we may be obsessed with some arbitrary calorie per day amount we heard from an untrained, beautiful person on social media. The reality is we don’t just need any food at any amounts for our bodies to function. We need specific amounts of food through a diversity of food types over a long time.
Our body's need for glucose isn’t the only reason we need to eat enough carbs daily. Carbohydrates also include an array of micronutrients and fiber. Fiber is critical to our health, and it’s been found that less than half of Americans eat enough fiber each day. Fiber helps slow down the whole digestion and absorption process. We want that slowed down so we can effectively absorb all the nutrients we are eating. The time after we eat is considered rest and digest period. It is critical to slow down before, during, and after eating so our body can do the work of pulling out all the nutrients from the food. This will also reduce cravings and keep us feeling fuller longer. Fiber (aka Carbohydrates) helps us do this.
Fiber also helps us absorb water. We are all drinking a ton of water, but if we don’t eat enough fiber, we aren’t going to absorb it well. We are just going to spend all day running to the bathroom. Fiber also binds with cholesterol to get rid of it. As our hormones decrease, our cholesterol, because that’s what hormones are made of, goes up. Eating more fiber during peri- and menopause contributes to keeping our cholesterol levels healthy. Fiber is also linked to lower rates of chronic disease due to fiber’s contribution to keeping the lining of our digestive tract healthy.
Let’s look at how carbohydrates fit into a healthy meal:
My definition of a Healthy meal is: A colorful plate of food with multiple textures, mostly vegetables, a little fat, enough protein to meet your needs, and some dairy and/or grains. You don’t need to eat a perfect meal every day, but you should eat healthy meals like this most days over time.
Carbohydrates should make up roughly 45-65% of calories eaten daily. This is why I say make about half your plate vegetables plus some grains for a healthy meal. Adequate intake recommendations for dietary fiber are between 25 - 30g per day.
Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. It is the fiber from the plant that we cannot digest, absorb, or metabolize. Yet, it is critical for us to have in our colon for healthy bacteria to help absorb water and slow down digestion enough to absorb all the nutrients. Remember, there is a microbiome, gut-brain connection that is really starting to become more understood. So feeding that bacteria with enough fiber is also crucial to improved mental health and reducing chronic disease and pain.
Let’s go back to this question: Should I go low-carb?
Probably not, no.
Eating enough food is very important to our health. If you are eating tiny meals and eliminating groups of food to lose weight, you are not sufficiently taking care of yourself. Your physical and mental health is being compromised, which will compound over time. Because it’s not just about eating any amount of any food, it’s about eating a diverse diet with enough calories for your body to work. Taking care of yourself includes creating meals that are mostly vegetables, the right amount of protein for your needs, with more fiber than you’re probably getting right now, and some fat to help absorb micronutrients and keep your organs safe. Even if you are diabetic and are closely tracking your carbohydrate intake, you still might not need to go low carb but instead rely on consistent carb intake throughout the day.
One thing to consider if losing weight is important to you. You only need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. No evidence suggests a specific calorie intake must be met or sustained to be a certain size. Every body is different. Even if we ate the exact same amount of food and performed the same amount of physical activity each day, all our bodies would look different. But science is clear: losing weight in a healthy, sustainable way means keeping the calorie deficit small over a longer period of time. If, while trying to lose weight, you feel obsessed over calorie counting, how much food is on your plate, and weighing yourself daily, something bigger is happening. And it probably doesn’t concern your physical health or your need to lose weight. Additionally, if you have metabolic issues such as a chronic disease or insulin resistance (which happens during menopause), a calorie deficit may not matter at all, and you will not lose weight. Dealing with your underlying health issues should be the priority, not eliminating or severely limiting carbohydrates from your diet.
I hope this was a helpful short brief on carbohydrates. There is so much misinformation circulating, and it is often difficult to understand. That isn’t your fault, but we are all responsible for taking great, gentle care of ourselves.
Go slow. Drink water. We got this!