Most of the time when you tend to slim down your waist and you share it with anyone. What is the one piece of advice that you get most of the time? Cut down your carbs.
According to the best doctors in the top private hospitals, people tend to think that when they are thinking about losing weight, they should abandon carbohydrates. So today we will be discussing the case of carbohydrates. Do carbohydrates really deserve all the notoriety that they have been getting?
What Are Carbohydrates?
If there is one macronutrient that your body majorly demands it is this one. Your body needs these carbohydrates because they are the main source of energy for your body.
They are mostly present in the following foods.
- Bread
- Beans
- Popcorn
- Potatoes
- Cookies
- Spaghetti
- Corn
- Soft drinks
- Cherry pie
- Peas
Note:
it is important to note here that carbohydrates is an umbrella term that is mostly used for sugars, fibres as well as starches.
What are the major types of carbohydrates?
Depending upon the type and number of sugar molecules we can classify carbohydrates as simple or complex carbohydrates.
Simple Carbs
We have other names to address these simple carbs such as sugars, simple sugars, or saccharides. To put it simply, those carbohydrates have a number of sugars that reside between one and ten. Most of the time they are present in fruits, vegetables and are a huge part of dairy products.
Monosaccharides are those who have one sugar molecule and those who have 2 are named disaccharides.
Complex Carbs
Those carbohydrates which are composed of large numbers of sugar molecules are what we call complex carbs. Starches and dietary fibres both fall under the heading of complex carbs.
Peas, potatoes, beans, and grains have a high level of storage carbohydrates such as starches. They are the primary source of energy for your body.
The indigestible part of plants is what we call dietary fibres. These dietary fibres are important for your bowel movements.
The Debate at Hand; Are Carbs Healthy or Unhealthy?
We all tend to blame sudden weight gain, obesity, and metabolic syndromes on carbohydrates. But are they really the culprit?
Researchers have coined a special term for this condition and that is Carbotoxicity. This is because the over-the-top and unregulated consumption of carbohydrates leads to the onset of chronic diseases.
This is the main reason why we witness the trend of people preferring the consumption of low carbohydrate diets in modern times. This trend elevates in the athletes as well as in those who are interesting in losing weight.
But the main thing to notice here is that which is also the conclusion of several pieces of research is that it is not always the type or quality that affects a person the quantity and the portions of consumption also matters.
The fact still remains true that there do exist some carbohydrates that are nutritionist favourites and some that you should avoid.
The Good Ones
Yes, just like not all the fingers are equal there are some carbohydrates that are nutrient-dense than the other ones. Some of the best examples of these nutrient-rich foods are
- Fruits such as apples, bananas, and berries
- Vegetables such as spinach, kale, carrots, tomatoes
- Whole grain, brown rice
- Legumes, beans, peas
- Dairy products, low fat milk, yogurt, cheese
The Ones that Have a Bad Reputation
Yes, there do exists some carbohydrates whose consumption is not that healthy for your body. Refined and processed sugars take the lead as being unhealthy ones.
Make sure to refrain from eating refined sugars such as rice and flour that have been polished. In addition to all that beverages such as sodas and juices, are also quite damaging for your body as they tend to increase the blood sugar level.
Cookies are also high in the carbohydrate count as well as in processed sugars. These processed sugars are highly damaging for your body and its basic metabolism.
Closing Argument
It is important for people to realize the fact that under and overconsumption of carbohydrates both can have deleterious effects on your body.
Carbohydrates are essential for your body because they provide your body with a much-needed dose of energy. So, remember to eat the good ones and refrain from the unhealthy ones.