Why Carbs Aren’t The Enemy

Hola everyone! I’m going to start today’s blog with a bit of a confession …I have eaten like an unsupervised child at a buffet…all week. Now, i’m not one to diet or feel guilty about eating – food is massively important but eating mindlessly is not good at all! It started with having a few snacks in the house (I never buy snacks in the house for this reason) and a few biscuits at work and concluded with me making a chocolate cake FOR ONE on Friday night (Betty Crocker cake mix – it’s vegan – i couldn’t believe it either, small amount of coconut oil to substitute eggs, mix it together in a bowl, pour into a large cup and put in the microwave for 2 mins and hey presto you have a lil cake). I’m blaming the cold weather personally. I’ve decided that instead of being annoyed at myself, it’s a new week and a new opportunity to enjoy a fresh, healthy diet. I’ve made sure my food shopping is snack free for the week ahead meaning any snacks i’ll have to make myself from scratch  which will stop me from just mindlessly grazing when i’m watching TV.

Also thought i’d shamelessly plug the new Instagram account I’ve made for Wilfred’s Cruelty Free – link is at the top of the page on the Instagram icon or just click the link http://www.instagram.com/wilfredscrueltyfree. I’ll be doing a giveaway next weekend (3rd December) so give us a follow to take part. Will post a bit more about that next week.

Anyways, I’m going to stop rambling and move onto the actual topic of today’s blog. I got thinking about this whilst having lunch this weekend and it’s something I bang on about all the time: I’m a self confessed carboholic but all I hear about all the time is people talking about how carbs are the devil and I just can’t agree! I sat down to a lovely lunch on Saturday – at The Good Apple obvs – and I ordered a curry (didn’t actually look at what was in it because just the word curry had me sold…I also had curry for dinner, too but who’s counting) and it turned out to be potato and aubergine curry with brown rice…and I ordered a side bowl of sweet potato fries. I just can’t help it, I just love carbs on carbs but I know so many people would frown upon this meal for being so carb based.

So, I thought i’d blog about (aside from my undying love of carbs) my reasons why a carb heavy diet can actually be good for you. Thought i’d add as a little side note that I have absolutely no nutritional training and everything i’m writing on here is either from online research/studies I’ve read and personal experience.

I feel like all too often I hear people talking about ‘quitting carbs’ and acting as if they’re some sort of public enemy. I believed this too for years (not that it stopped me) because it’s something so ingrained in Western culture. I’ve heard people on diets countless times refer to having foods like pasta and jacket potatoes as cheat day foods as if these are really unhealthy meals.

Carbs actually refers to a whole range of food; sugar, starch and fiber and each of these is an important element to anyone’s diet  and as with anything, it’s all about moderation (i’m not saying go and eat a multi pack of space raiders…unless you really want to). For someone like me, who eats a predominantly plant based diet, carbohydrates are a large part of my intake as most of my meals are centered around starchy veg such as sweet potatoes, butternut squash etc – and this is fine!

Obviously, people can definitely lose weight by cutting out carbs and there’s plenty of evidence for this but there’s often side effects to this such as hunger headaches, mood swings, dizziness and breakouts. Often, people on low carb diets end up replacing carbs with highly fatty foods which then increases saturated fat intake which although leads to weight loss, is terrible for the heart (e.g. atkins diet).

The great thing about carbohydrates (yes, even broccoli, carrots etc) is that they are a great source of energy and your body can feel pretty low without them. It is important to maintain energy on a busy/on – the – go lifestyle and you can easily feel run down if you are under carbed. Carbohydrates are important for producing glucose which is needed  for high energy activities like running down to fundamentally important bodily tasks like breathing. Eating a breakfast with slow-release carbs (such as oats) 3 hours before exercise has been proven to help the body burn more fat.

Carbs are also good for mental well being! Healthy carbs promote serotonin being released which is a feel good chemical.

Carbs can also be a fantastic aid to healthy weight loss rather than hindering it like lots of people suggest. A study at Brigham University (Utah) studied two groups of middle aged women for 2 years. One group ate a diet which included plant based fibers such as legumes, beans and potatoes which are predominantly carb based and lost weight – managing to keep off the weight they lost. The study found that women who decreased their fiber/carb intake actually gained weight.

In a nutshell, healthy carbs are FINE. Enjoy your jacket potato, enjoy your brown rice or pasta, enjoy your sweet potato wedges…the list is endless. The key to a healthy life is obviously moderation. Carbohydrates are an essential group of foods that keep your body moving and your brain ticking. On a diet free from carbohydrates you can not enjoy fruits, fibers or any healthy starchy veg thus restricting yourself from all those nutrients your body needs.

What are your experiences with low carb diets? Comment and let me know!

 

S     x