Are Carbs Good or Bad?

There is a lot of discussion around whether carbohydrates are good or bad for you and it has left people confused and trying to figure out the truth. It seems to be the new media trend that cutting out carbs and going keto is the best way to lose weight, but is this true?

What is a Carbohydrate:
Carbs are a type of macronutrient found in certain foods and drinks. Sugars, starches and fiber are carbohydrates. Your body requires energy from calories to perform all day to day activities and carbs are the preferred source of energy, this is carbohydrates main role in the
body, supplying energy. This is why we hear of athletes “carb loading” the day before a game, so that they have enough of the most efficient source of energy production. Having an adequate amount of carbs in your diet also spares other macronutrients such as proteins and fats from getting converted into energy (which they do less efficiently than carbs) and allows them to perform their primary roles such as rebuilding cells, allowing muscles to build and recover.

Should I cut carbs to lose weight?
Many people have used the Keto diet to lose weight and some have had success and swear by it. The idea is that when you reduce your carb intake to 5% or less of your diet your body adapts in about three weeks to using fatty acids or “ketones” instead of carbs as your primary fuel source, allowing people to still indulge in some of the more fatty foods they enjoy and still lose weight. So what’s the catch? First off, limiting carbohydrate intake to only 5% is very difficult to sustain as you need to be very strict with your diet, if you consume too many
carbs your body will easily fall out of ketosis. This results in “yo yo’ dieting, losing 20 then gaining 25, losing 10 and gaining 15 and repeating. This kind of up and down swings negatively affects your metabolism which makes it harder and harder to lose weight and also has shown to
increase mortality. Furthermore, since the carbohydrate intake is so restrictive it can cause you to be deficient in many important nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fiber that you usually obtain from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

How many carbs should I be consuming?
Now that we understand that carbs are needed in the body to produce energy, what kinds of carbs should we be consuming and how many. In general 45-65 percent of your caloric consumption should come from carbohydrates. Deciding whether you fall closer to 45 or 65 is
going to depend on your activity level, if you workout and are very active throughout the day your carb intake should be higher to supply your body with enough energy. Not all carbs are created equal however, so make sure the majority of your carb intake is from quality carbs like
fruits, vegetables, legumes and also whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, oats, and wheat. While avoiding simple or refined carbs which have been stripped of all bran, fiber and nutrients, such as white bread, pastas, pastries, cereal, juices, etc.