Carbohydrates –Do We Really Need Them In Our Diet?

Low- and No-Carb diets have been pretty popular over the years. But after further research, there is more to a Carbohydrate than what we previously thought!

What is a carbohydrate? Carbohydrates or Carbs, are basically made up of sugars, fiber, and starches. They are one of the three major components needed in our daily dietary calorie intake; with the other two components being proteins and fats.
Carbohydrates (which when digested turn into glucose or sugar) can be placed into two main categories; complex and simple.

Complex Carbohydrates* – These foods are made up of three or more sugar molecules. The sugars from Complex Carbs are broken down or digested more slowly and therefore not absorbed as quickly into the bloodstream. These foods keep our energy levels more even throughout the day, and contain more fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Simple Carbohydrates* – These foods are made up of one or two sugar molecules. The sugars from simple carbs are digested very quickly and absorbed into the bloodstream right away; making that source of energy available immediately for the body to use. If that source of energy isn’t used right away, we experience that sudden drop in our blood sugar levels which is known as a “sugar crash”.

Essentially, carbohydrates should make up approximately 50% of our daily dietary intake with the majority of that percentage coming from Complex Carbs. This form of Carbohydrates not only provides the body with energy, but it also helps our brain and nervous system to function properly. Our bodies require a constant supply of energy just for our daily functions. If we aren’t getting enough Complex Carbs in our diets, we set ourselves up for fatigue and tiredness, illnesses, and lack of concentration, just to name a few. But if we are consuming too many Simple Carbs, we not only could experience the same symptoms as not getting enough Complex Carbs but could also potentially lead to mood swings, diabetes, other illnesses, and weight gain.

Some examples of Simple Carbs are soft drinks, sweets/candies, cakes, pastries/doughnuts, processed foods such as white rice, white bread and pasta, table sugar (sucrose), most packaged breakfast cereals, and fruit juices.

Some examples of Complex Carbs are whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals, oatmeal, potatoes, brown rice, and some fruits and vegetables such as carrots, peas, oranges, strawberries, apples, and grapefruit.

So if you’re trying to lose weight – instead of cutting all Carbs out of your diet simply cut back on the Simple Carbs and add in more Complex Carbs. Doing this will not only impact your cardiovascular health in a more positive way, you’ll also notice the positive changes on the outside as well.

*These are also referred to as Refined (Simple) and Unrefined (Complex) Carbohydrates.