Carbs 101: Myth Busters

Carbohydrates. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t li…. wait a second… yes, we totally CAN live with carbs! In fact, carbohydrates are the brain’s number one preferred source of fuel. How do we know this? Well, SCIENCE.

What’s the first word you think of when you hear “carbs”? Is it a negative word that comes to mind? Maybe you associate the word with weight gain or negative health effects? You’re not alone. Unfortunately, carbohydrates get a bad reputation which stems from the plethora of misinformation in the world, often times spread through the internet or even diet programs that are designed to make you want to lose weight fast so they can make money fast. So which information can you believe? Let’s work through some of the carbohydrate myths that you may have come across and determine which claims are facts backed by science, and which are not.

Let’s play a game of true or false…

True or false? “Carbohydrates are unhealthy.”

You can probably tell by now that I’m on Team Pro-Carbs… but why? As mentioned earlier, carbohydrates are the brain’s number one preferred source of energy. Carbohydrates are made up of a variety of starches, sugars, and fiber that help maintain health. While providing the body with energy, nutrient-rich carbohydrate sources bring along fiber that helps promote regular digestion, as well as vitamins and minerals that support overall health and disease prevention. Carbohydrates provide the body with a variety of benefits, making this first statement FALSE.

True or false? “I should eat as little carbohydrates as possible if I want to lose weight.”

I’d be willing to bet you know at least one person who is currently trying to “cut out the carbs” in order to lose weight. It seems to be the one weight loss trend that has stuck around for years, but is there any science to back up this method of weight loss? I’m going to go ahead and confirm that this statement is FALSE. Yes, eating significantly more carbohydrates than your body needs on a regular basis can lead to consistently eating an excess of calories, which may lead to weight gain, and yes, eating less carbohydrates may lead to weight loss due to the calorie reduction. Weight loss truly comes down to energy taken in through our diet versus energy used up through movement and normal daily activities. When we take in more energy than our body needs, our body stores it for later. Weight loss can be achieved through reducing calorie intake, but there is an abundance of ways to reduce calorie intake… not just by cutting out carbohydrates. Instead of eating as little carbohydrates as possible, therefore cutting out many vitamins and minerals and leading to a dive in fiber intake, weight loss should be achieved through balancing the diet to allow for proper nutrition to ensure overall health is not compromised, while maintaining a safe calorie reduction or increasing calorie usage.

Talk to a Registered Dietitian to determine your daily calorie and carbohydrate requirements.

True or false? “All carbohydrates are created equal.”

This one is a definite FALSE. Where do carbohydrates come from anyway?

Carbohydrates can be found in fruits, vegetables, grains and starches, dairy, and even beans. As you may know, these foods are known to be nutritious foods that promote overall health as part of a balanced diet. Carbohydrates can also be found in processed foods such as cookies, cakes, soda, juices, snack foods, and more.

Again, carbohydrates are made up of starches, sugars, and fiber. Whole, nutrient-rich carbohydrate foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and beans contain more health benefits from the vitamins, minerals, or fiber they contain. Processed carbohydrate foods like cookies, cakes, and sugary beverages lose nutrients and fiber during processing, leaving them to provide the body with a boost of sugar and little to no health benefit.

Whenever someone mentions to me that they are “watching their carbs,” I always recommend starting with looking at the overall diet and what types of carbohydrates they are eating most often, and moving toward more whole, fiber-rich carbohydrates on a regular basis as part of a balanced overall diet.

True or false? “Fruit should be avoided when trying to lose weight.”

Fruit is one carbohydrate source that gets a particularly bad reputation, which is honestly mind-boggling to me. Fruit may have more carbohydrate content than vegetables, but it may surprise you to know that when fruit is eaten in reasonable portions they really do not provide the body with the excessive carbohydrates that many think they do. Fruit brings along a lot of water, fiber, vitamins and minerals, that all can support overall long-term health and be part of a balanced diet to help with weight loss.

True or false? “I can’t eat fruit because I am diabetic.”

If I had a dime for every time I heard this one… but surprise! This one is also FALSE.

Again, yes, fruit has more carbohydrate content than vegetables most often, but it really is the portion of carbohydrates eaten at one time that make a difference in how that food impacts the body’s blood sugar levels. If someone with diabetes eats three cups of strawberries in one sitting, sure, their blood sugar may shoot up too high. However, if someone with diabetes eats one cup of strawberries in one sitting, blood sugar levels may not rise as quickly or as high, especially when paired with a source of protein as part of a balanced meal or snack.

True or false? “Sugar is sugar. No matter the type, it has the same impact on the body.”

Technically, this statement is TRUE. Sugar, whether in the form of white sugar found in candy, cookies, or other sweets, or in the form of natural fruit sugar, lactose in milk, or even honey, impacts the body in the same way. However – foods that contain more processed sugars are more likely to contain less nutrients and have more of a negative impact on overall health when eaten consistently, versus foods that contain natural sugars like fructose (fruit) or lactose (milk), which also bring along vitamins, minerals, fiber, or protein, supporting overall health.

So to recap, sugar is sugar, but the foods that contain different types of sugars are not created equal.

True or false? “The keto diet is the best way for me to lose weight.”

Raise your hand if you know someone on the keto diet! I imagine everyone reading this article is raising their hand right now. Keto is the new black, am I right?!

The “keto diet” (formally known as the ketogenic diet) is a very low carbohydrate but high fat diet that has actually been used for many years to treat conditions such as epilepsy, but is now being used by the average person striving for weight loss. Can the keto diet lead to weight loss? Absolutely. Is the weight loss that results purely from a lack of carbohydrates? No. Most people going from the typical American diet to a suddenly very low carbohydrate diet are ending up with a significant calorie reduction in their diet, which as mentioned earlier is what will lead to weight loss.

I have a couple concerns with the ketogenic diet being used for weight loss.

First off, it does not help build long-term health-supporting habits, making it quite unsustainable. The keto diet is not meant to be a life-long diet for the average person to maintain a weight that they feel good about. Again, carbohydrates are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, all of which provide the body with benefits to support long-term health. What happens when we remove most of those foods from our diet, without making up the fiber, vitamins, and minerals elsewhere? Maybe digestive health will be sacrificed. Maybe we will end up deficient in vitamins leading to illness down the road. Overall, the keto diet is not going to support long-term health.

Second, the standard ketogenic diet supports moderate protein and high fat intake. Proteins and fats are very filling, so increasing intake of these types of foods may help someone on the keto diet to still feel full and satisfied from their meals. However, most people I’ve talked to who are on the keto diet are not thinking through what types of proteins and fats they are increasing, but rather just assume they can eat whatever fats they want since their carbohydrate intake is so low. In reality, significantly increasing intake of foods that contain saturated fats such as fatty meats, full fat dairy, fried or processed foods, etc, can increase LDL cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.

My third concern with the ketogenic diet is that it is forcing our body to do something that is not necessarily natural. When the body reaches a state of ketosis, it will resort to using stored fat for energy instead of glycogen from carbohydrates. Sounds great? Well, remember, your brain’s number one preferred source of energy is carbohydrates. Your body is smarter than you might think and will use what it has available to stay energized and safe, but why trick it into doing something that it doesn’t want to do? We know the body needs fuel, we know the brain needs carbohydrates, and we know our body needs water, fiber, vitamins, and minerals (all of which can be found in carbohydrate-containing foods), so I recommend starting with what we know the body needs and fulfilling those needs with delicious foods that you enjoy. Fulfill your body’s baseline needs first, then reassess if there are other steps necessary for achieving your weight goals. You may be surprised what you find when your body is fully nourished!

So, can someone go on the keto diet to kick start weight loss in a healthful way? Possibly, but this is not a method I recommend. Sure, the keto diet can be used as a ‘kick start,’ but when weight loss comes so quickly after starting this diet there is a chance it is mostly water weight to start out, and when the time comes to wean off keto and move toward a long-term balanced and nutrient rich diet, it will still be necessary to learn how to balance the diet in a way that provides the calorie and macronutrients your body needs. I instead recommend skipping the fad diet phase and jumping right into balance, nutrient-rich over calorie-rich food, and starting on your long-term health from the get go. Start now and you’ll thank yourself later. Remember, the faster the weight loss comes, the easier it will most likely be to gain it all back when those habits subside.

Overall, you may notice a trend with what we’ve covered so far. Carbohydrates love our body, and our body loves carbohydrates. GO TEAM-CHO! So how can we move forward in a way that supports our goals and our long-term health? See my tips below.

1. Fill half of your plate at each meal with fruits or vegetables. Remember, fruits and veggies are naturally low in calories, but they bring along water, fiber, vitamins and minerals, making them a great option to fill most of our plate with at meals to support a healthy weight and healthy organs.
2. Choose whole grains over processed grains most often. Whole grains are minimally processed, leaving them with the fiber, vitamins, and minerals they naturally contain, giving your body more benefits. Processed grains, like white bread, white pasta, or processed sugary snacks, have lost much of their benefits and often times contain more sugar. Whole grains can help support healthy digestion, a healthy weight, and balanced blood sugar levels.
3. Moderate sugar intake. Sugar is sugar, but foods that contain sugar are not created equal. Choose foods that contain naturally occurring sugars most often, as they often bring along vitamins, minerals, and other benefits, whereas more processed sugary foods or beverages may not. Aim to increase consumption of fruit, while enjoying sugary processed snack foods or beverages in moderation.

These three goals, when maintained consistently, can set you up for success by putting you on the path toward a nutrient-rich, health-supporting diet that is sustainable, easy to maintain, and enjoyable. Remember, no foods are off limits. Food is meant to be enjoyed. What is the point of getting to a weight that makes us feel confident in how we look, if we are not enjoying the foods we eat or are depressed over the foods we cannot eat? Talk with a Registered Dietitian to learn how you can eat the foods you love, achieve your goals, and support your overall health for life.

Ready to take action and try some nutritious carbohydrates? Here’s a nutritious carbohydrate shopping list to get you started!