Carbs for Weight Loss-The Good, The Bad, and The Toxic

Keto, Paleo, Atkins, and Slim Fast. These diets all have one thing in common: They are low-carb diets. Carbs are instantly associated with bread, pasta, and rice (basically all processed foods). We live in a world where carbs are seen as forbidden and a weight gain method. But what if it wasn’t? What if carbs were a good thing for us? The truth is that we need carbs to survive and even the healthiest of foods contain carbohydrates. We’re entering 2022 and the perception of carbs is slowly changing as the awareness of our health and wellness concerns are growing. Luckily, this means that we can have our cake and eat it, too.

Healthy Carbs vs. Unhealthy Carbs

Although carbs are often defined as a contributor to weight gain, it depends on the type of carb. There are two different types of carbohydrates: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are basic because they are the carbs that are added to foods during the manufacturing process. For example, when sugar is added to candy, desserts, soda, and other processed food items. While these are obviously unhealthy, these simple sugars can also be found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and milk (something that is not manufactured like the foods above.)

Within Complex carbohydrates, there are two categories: starches and fiber. With starches, it is many simple sugars, only combined. Our body breaks these starches down into sugars to use them as energy throughout the day. These are the starches that everyone identifies carbohydrates like bread, cereal, and pasta. They can also include starchy vegetables eaten less often, including corn and potatoes. The other complex carbohydrate, fiber, has several health benefits and plays a significant role in weight loss. While our body is unable to process most fibrous foods, eating foods that are high in fiber makes us feel full, therefore aiding in the prevention of overeating. Fiber is also beneficial for intestinal problems, such as constipation, and can help lower cholesterol and blood sugar. Fibrous foods generally come from plant-based foods (fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains).

What Carbs Should I be Eating?

Now that we know what foods have carbs, it’s important to know which ones to eat and which to stay away from.

Grains: Healthy whole grains

• Wheat bread
• Brown rice
• Oatmeal
• Quinoa
• Farro

(Avoid refined grains such as white bread, white rice, and pasta.)

Fibrous foods:

• Broccoli
• Beans (edamame, kidney, white)
• Berries
• Avocado
• Nuts
• Legumes

What is the Recommended Daily Dose of Carbs I Should be Eating every day?

When it comes to daily values of nutrition, every person is different. It can vary by height, weight, gender, and weight goals. “The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that carbohydrates make up 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calories. So, if you get 2,000 calories a day, between 900 and 1,300 calories should be from carbohydrates. That translates to between 225 and 325 grams of carbohydrates a day” (Mayo Clinic).

How do I Lose Weight Using Carbs?

The first step is to look at our eating habits and define the types of carbs that we consume each day. Cookies, fast food/ takeout, chips, and candy are the biggest processed foods. These are loaded with sugar, carbs, fat, and other toxins that shouldn’t even be considered food anymore. Even Refined carbs (white bread, pasta, etc.) our body breaks down into sugar and spikes our insulin levels, storing fat in our body. Complex carbs that are minimally processed and high in fiber like fruit and nuts will take longer to digest, keeping our insulin level balanced and less of a chance of spiking, leading to weight gain. Keep an eye on the complex carbs being consumed as even though they are healthy, they can still be high in calories, natural sugars, healthy fats.

Here are a few food options that are healthy carbs that anyone can benefit from:

Oatmeal is a healthy grain packed with 4g of fiber and 27g of carbohydrates for 1cup. It is also said to help lower cholesterol and provide antioxidants.

Blueberries have a long list of benefits including lowering the risk of heart disease and cancer, being anti-inflammatory, and are believed to have one of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit or vegetables. One cup of blueberries has 11g of carbohydrates and 3.6g of fiber.

Broccoli is one of the highest protein vegetables with 3.7g of protein per cup cooked. It also has 6g of carbs for one cup cooked and 5g of fiber. They are high in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium.

Almonds, while high in fat, are a healthy fat, carb, and fibrous food. For one ounce of almonds, they contain 6.11g of carbohydrates and 3.54g of fiber. Like oatmeal, eating almonds can lower cholesterol, but they can also lower blood sugar levels and even reduce blood pressure.

Kidney Beans are one of the healthiest sources of protein and fiber we can add to our diet (a great source of protein for those on a plant-based diet). One cup of kidney beans gives us 110g of carbohydrates, 46g of fiber, and 43g of protein. A two-month study was conducted with 30 obese adults on a weight loss diet. The results showed that eating beans and other legumes 4 times per week led to a higher weight loss than a bean-free diet. Kidney beans are also rich in vitamins and minerals including manganese, potassium, and Vitamin K.

At the end of the day, overthinking every little thing we eat will do more harm than good. It will eventually turn into making us gain more weight. Enjoy indulging in treats once in a while. Enjoy exploring new, fresh foods and maybe consider changing up meal plans. The best part about this journey is the difference our body will feel, not necessarily in weight loss, but the energy and performance in our everyday routine.