THE CONFUSION OVER CARBOHYDRATES
At the start of working together, I often hear clients express fears about eating carbs, which is unsurprising given how demonised they have become in the media and the rise in popularity of restrictive diets such as keto and paleo. This fear presents in many ways such as eating carbs = gaining weight, or the client is somehow ‘bad’ for eating rice, or they’re worried about feeling out of control or bingeing when they do eat them.
Clients often share how their relationship with carbohydrates can affect their social life, confidence and self esteem. They associate carbs as being the reason why they can’t achieve their health goals, which can lead to restriction, cravings, hunger followed by overeating. This can result in feelings of shame, guilt and frustration, often starting the cycle again.
But carbohydrates are not the villain. In fact we need carbs for many reasons such as fuelling our body, brains, and maintaining regular bowel movements. However, there are different forms of carbohydrates, which is where some of the confusion might come from, and often all it takes is a few simple swaps and adjustments to make all the difference to our mood, appetite, cravings, energy levels and the ability to achieve our health goals.
So let’s break it down.
Refined Carbohydrates:
Refined carbs are mainly made up of simple sugars, some of which are naturally occurring and some are added (depending on the food). When consumed, these sugars are quickly broken down and absorbed, resulting in a spike in our blood sugar levels. Examples of refined carbohydrates include: white breads, pasta, sugar, white rice, sweets and highly processed foods such as biscuits and crisps.
These foods are not necessarily bad foods, but in order to support your health, energy levels, mood, cravings and appetite, it is recommended to consume refined carbohydrates in moderation.
Complex carbohydrates:
Complex carbs are a rich source of fibre, vitamins and minerals. In addition to providing a valuable source of food and energy for our gut bugs, complex carbs also take longer to be broken down, helping to regulate blood sugar spikes. Examples of complex carbohydrates include:
Root vegetables
Legumes, beans and pulses such as chickpeas, lentils, butterbeans, cannellini beans etc,
Whole grains such as wild rice, brown rice, buckwheat, oats, rye, spelt
Quinoa
Fruits and vegetables
5 reasons to consume complex carbohydrates:
They are our brain’s preferred source of fuel
Fruits and vegetables provide an abundance of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fibre needed to support overall physical and mental health
Bowel regularly - fibre is essential in promoting regular bowel movements as well as maintaining a happy gut and digestive system
Improving our mood - our brain cells need carbohydrates to produce serotonin (the happy hormone). Inadequate carbohydrates can lead to irritability, lack of concentration, low mood and disrupted sleep
They are delicious
We need carbohydrates for many reasons and no food should be labelled as ‘bad’. Food restriction plays no part in a healthy relationship with food, and carbohydrates absolutely can and should be included in a healthy diet, despite what you may read in the media. If anything, eliminating foods and food groups often leads to overeating them later on.
I encourage you to think about what substitutions you could make to increase your intake of complex over refined carbs and of course, continue to enjoy the occasional slice of pizza or piece of cake.
If you’d like to talk to me about optimising your carbohydrate intake, or how you can enjoy a healthy relationship with food, why not book a free discovery call and we can chat all about it.
