Five reasons carbs are back on the menu according to nutritionist Kathleen Alleaume
CARBS: You might try to ditch them, but you can’t live without them. Five reasons they’re back on the menu, and can even help you lose weight.
CONFUSION about carbohydrates still reigns.
They’re often viewed as a diet wrecker — an even bigger enemy than fat.
But before you completely ditch them, keep in mind that you couldn’t survive without them.
Here are 5 reasons why you can still have the right carbs and eat them, too.
1. Brain food
As far as food goes, the brain is a fairly picky eater, demanding a constant supply of glucose. When your blood glucose levels drop because of the wrong foods, missed meals, or eating low carbs, it can hamper normal brain function.
This is why so many people struggle with difficulty concentrating, thinking and ability to recall, because brain cells are being depleted of their primary fuel.
2. Nourished gut
Getting enough fibre is important, but getting a combination of fibre is imperative for good digestive health. Australians are doing a great job of eating roughage like wheat bran, which promotes bowel regularity, but we also need to eat more of the fermentable type, such as resistant starch.
Research shows that resistant starch has a favourable effects on bowel cancer and reduces the rise in glucose after eating, so the body demands less insulin, which is particularly important for people with diabetes.
You can find resistant starch in many carbohydrate-rich foods, such as hi-maize corn starch, cooked lentils, white beans, rolled oats, ripe bananas and cooked (then cooled) potatoes.
3. Lift your spirits
The connection between carbohydrates and mood is all about a type of amino acid called tryptophan.
When you eat carbs, more tryptophan can enter the brain, where it stimulates the release of serotonin — a happy hormone which calms you down and improves mood. Without enough tryptophan — and therefore serotonin — you’re more likely to get depressed and have sleeping difficulties.
4. Exercise efficiency
The immediate impact of carbohydrate intake (or its absence) on daily training and exercise has been widely researched and documented. Carbohydrates, fat, and to some extent protein all provide energy, but exercising muscles rely heavily on carbohydrates as their main source of fuel.
Going low-carb can deplete muscle glycogen stores, which can result in lack of energy during exercise, early fatigue and delayed recovery.
5. Flab fighter
Eating a diet packed with quality carbs is key to getting and staying slim. Quality carbs act as powerful appetite suppressants because they are digested more slowly than other types of foods, triggering a sensation of fullness, reducing the likelihood of overeating.
BUT not all carbs are created equal
In the past, carbohydrates were commonly classified as ‘simple’ or ‘complex’, and more recently, the terms low and high glycaemic index (GI) are being used, which is a way of comparing different carbs by ranking their effect on blood sugar levels.
However, nutritionist are now finding it more helpful to classify carbohydrates as nutrient-dense, nutrient-poor or high-fat. As a part of a healthy, balanced diet, aim to each more nutrient- dense carbohydrates.
Nutrient-dense carbohydrates
They contain rich sources of other nutrients including protein, vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants in addition to carbohydrate.
They include: wholegrain breads and cereals, wholegrains (e.g. brown rice, quinoa, freekeh, amaranth, spelt), fruit, starchy vegetables (sweet potato, corn) and dairy-based foods.
Nutrient-poor carbohydrates
These contain carbohydrate but minimal or no other nutrients.
They include: white potatoes, white bread, white rice, soft drink, energy drinks and lollies.
High-fat carbohydrates
These are typically high in fat and added sugars.
They include: pastries, cakes, chips (hot and crisps) and chocolate.
Kathleen Alleaume is an exercise and nutrition scientist, and author of What’s Eating You? Follow her on Twitter @therightbalance
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