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Carbohydrate Confusion
By Kylie Andrew (Dietitian)
One of the biggest areas of controversy with respect to diet these days is that of carbohydrate. While athletes are piling their plates with pasta; the likes of Atkins are telling us not to eat it.
To help you decide whether carbs should be on your menu, we’ll take a look at the case for and against carbs?
The case for carbs…
Carbohydrate-rich foods are the body’s basic source of fuel, providing energy to the muscles as well as to the brain. In fact, glucose (the final product of carbohydrate digestion) is the only fuel that the brain can use. Omitting the carbs from your diet will leave you feeling fatigued, tired and lacking in concentration and if continued long term, can be quite dangerous to your health.
Carbohydrate rich foods like breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, fruit, vegetables and legumes are also good sources of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. One of the short term side effects of a low carb diet is constipation, due to a lack of fibre.
Very low or no carbohydrate diets are extremely difficult to maintain in the long term. The side effects that come with avoiding carbs make it to hard to sustain.
The case against carbs…
The likes of Atkins who promote a low or no carbohydrate diet would say that carbs are fattening. A theory supported by various celebrities who advocate such a diet. And yes it’s true, give up the carbs for a few days and you will see the scales go down. However your clothes will probably not be any looser. The weight you lose is not fat, but your body’s carbohydrate stores. So after that first few kilograms, when you’ve emptied the petrol from your tank, the weight loss will cease.
Carbohydrate in it’s purest form, as glucose or sucrose in lollies, soft drinks and the like are what we call empty kilojoules, meaning that they provide energy in the form of kilojoules from carbohydrate but no other nutrients.
So how much is enough?
The key to keeping the carbs in check is controlling the quantity. The amount of carbohydrate you need depends on how active you are. The more exercise you do, the more you’ll need. If you are a couch potato, then you won’t need as much as if you were training to run a marathon.
Carbo check:
- Choose carbs - include a serve of carbohydrate at every meal
- Only the best - choose nutritious carbs, such as wholegrain breads and cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables
- Control the carbs – avoid piling your plate with excess carbs
- Mix and match – add a protein serve and plenty of vegetables/fruit to your carb meal
- Forget the fat – don’t spoil your carbs by smothering in butter or drowning in cream sauces
- Burn it – don’t forget the importance of exercise too