5 myths about carbohydrates

Potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, beans, bananas, and cakes… hearing those foods mentioned or seeing them on your plate when you are on a diet is like hearing the name of your worst enemy. Are carbohydrates really that bad? Nutritionists and expert dietitians say no. Find out so you can include them in your diet without feeling like you are betraying it. Myth # 1. Carbohydrates are flours This is the first myth you need to debunk, as it is not entirely true. While it is true that most flours contain carbohydrates, they are also found in sweets, grains (beans, lentils, corn), and cereals (like oats). Additionally, there are carbohydrates in certain vegetables and fruits with high starch and fructose (fruit sugar) content, such as carrots, apples, bananas, among others. Even milk and dairy products contain carbohydrates. Myth # 2. Carbohydrates make you gain weight When you eat, your body digests carbohydrates to obtain sugar, its main source of energy. But don't think that it is the same as the sugar that sweetens your coffee. The body's sugar is called glucose and is somewhat like its fuel. Obviously, foods that provide sugar and calories to your body should be eaten with caution. But it is unfair to label all carbohydrates as fattening foods or blame them for our overweight. The culprits are ourselves, as we do not know which ones to eat, in what quantity, and how. Firstly, it is important to differentiate healthier carbohydrates from less healthy ones. Secondly, if you eat a lot of carbohydrates but maintain a sedentary lifestyle, what do you think your body will do with the extra energy and calories? Obviously, it will store them! And thirdly, many times it is not the carbohydrates that make you gain weight, but how you prepare them and what you pair them with, such as fries with ketchup or bread with sweet cream on top. Myth # 3. There are no healthy carbohydrates False! Unfortunately, the carbohydrates we are most familiar with or that we commonly eat are the ones that provide the least benefits, as they only provide sugar to your body and lack fiber and other nutrients. These are refined carbohydrates, like white flour or white rice, and the refined sugar used in many desserts. But it is possible to choose healthy carbohydrates. These are carbohydrates that are primarily made up of fiber, such as whole grains and cereals, vegetables, and fruits. Fiber is excellent for health and also for your diet because it gives you a feeling of fullness that prevents overeating. Additionally, whole foods as well as fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals very beneficial to your body. Myth # 4. If you stop eating carbohydrates, you will lose weight immediately This may be true, but it does not happen exclusively with carbohydrates. When you stop eating any calorie-rich food, you will surely lose weight. The same goes for low-fat diets or vegetarian diets, for example. If you usually eat a lot of carbohydrates regularly, when you completely eliminate them from your diet, your body will feel that absence and will start looking for energy in other reserve sources in your body, such as stored fat. As a result, you will lose weight. But… at what cost? The next myth will help you understand the risks of stopping eating carbohydrates. Myth # 5. Stopping eating carbohydrates is healthy It all depends. Indeed, eating carbohydrates in excess, or eating only refined or processed carbohydrates, is not healthy as it raises your blood sugar levels faster than others, and provides you with extra calories that your body does not burn and that accumulate, causing you to gain weight. But, completely stopping eating carbohydrates is not healthy either. According to the Institute of Medicine, carbohydrates should make up between 45% and 60% of the calories you consume daily (between 6 and 11 servings) to meet your body's nutritional requirements. When you stop receiving that amount, your body may lack the nutrients and fiber it needs to function properly, especially due to the limitation of fruits (which are also carbohydrates) and that could cause you digestive problems like constipation. Additionally, did you know that athletes have a carbohydrate-based diet? Yes! Many athletes follow a high-carbohydrate diet before an endurance competition because they fill them with the energy they need to perform at their best. If athletes do it, it must be because they are not as bad as many think, don't you think?