Are Carbs Good or Bad?
Well, it depends…..If you ask anyone what’s the easiest and fastest way to lose weight, they will tell you to stop eating carbs. It has become the common answer to weight loss over the years. Even while eating out with friends and family you may notice the table breadbasket goes untouched the entire meal. What’s with that? Is there science behind this? I often hear clients say that eating carbohydrates is a problem for them and for so long they have been trying to get rid of them in their diet. Sometimes the reason they hire me is so I can help them stop eating carbs.
Imagine their surprise when I tell them they don’t have to do that to lose weight. In fact, in some cases, it only makes weight loss harder. After the face of confusion, a sigh of relief comes from realizing that eating their favorite foods can help them reach their weight loss goal!
Let’s back up a bit. What are carbs? Carbohydrates or carbs are foods such as bread, pasta, and rice containing starches, and sugar. Our bodies consume these foods and break them down to a substance called glucose which gives us energy. So, carbohydrates give our bodies energy. There are two main types of carbohydrate foods categorized as complex and simple. It boils down to how fast or how slow nutrients are absorbed in our system and what effect this has on our health.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates have a higher amount of nutrients in the food item such as B vitamins for energy. Because of the higher nutrient composition, absorption of glucose in the body is slower and blood sugar levels are more regulated throughout the day helping maintain normal levels and giving us adequate energy and clarity throughout the day. Complex carbohydrates also help improve insulin resistance in women with PCOS or diabetes.
Examples of complex carbohydrates are:
Whole Grains
Brown Rice and pasta
Multi-grain bread
Fresh and frozen fruits
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates do not contain as many nutrients and therefore get absorbed in our cells at a fast rate and can spike blood sugar levels. High and low spikes in blood sugar levels can worsen insulin resistance. They really only contain sugar with very little if any additional vitamins and minerals. While they taste really, really, I mean good it is ok to have sometimes as part of a meal or snack. They can help curb cravings and raise your blood sugar instantly if it’s low!
Examples of simple carbohydrates include:
Candy
Ice Cream
Cookies
Doughnuts
Cake
Carbs provide our bodies with energy to function throughout the day and other nutrients to help speed up our metabolism. Carbs also help regulate our insulin levels which help manage our weight.
How does this relate to PCOS, well carbs affect your insulin. If you have insulin-resistant type PCOS it is recommended to balance your carbohydrate intake focusing on complex carbohydrate intake with meals containing protein and vegetables. This helps the body overcome insulin resistance because complex carbs have a less dramatic effect on blood sugar levels and help keep them “even” throughout the day thereby causing the body to not store as much fat. A good rule of thumb is to mix it up a bit and balance out carbs in your meals and snacks throughout the day. Try snacks such as crackers and peanut butter, cookies and Greek yogurt, apples, and cheese. Eating carbs combined with protein can also help slow sugar absorption helping improve insulin levels.
So you see our bodies need carbohydrates and it’s ok to eat a cookie sometimes. Carbohydrate foods as part of a healthy diet can help manage weight even in women with PCOS. Carbs serve as part of the fuel we need to function every day. We really should strive to balance are eating to include a variety of nutrients including carbohydrates in our diets. A huge part of weight management is learning how to balance metabolism. The goal is to speed it up. When certain nutrients are missing in the cycle that is what can slow it down. That being said, there are medical conditions, such as PCOS, that are better managed when you watch the type of carbs you eat so in cases like these I recommend seeking medical professional help from a dietitian or doctor.
