The “C” word

Carbohydrates

There, I said it.  The word that’s guaranteed to strike fear and loathing into the hearts of many people who are managing their weight. Ruth puts it beautifully: “There are so many Low Carb / Carb free diets going around that it makes one think that we need to try and avoid them from our diets in order to lose weight.”

And it’s a real tough one.  With the apparent success of these diets visible on celebrities, female friends and colleagues alike, it really does seem like cutting carbohydrates is the ticket to quick weight loss. And strictly speaking, yes, restricting your carbohydrate intake will help you lose weight.  But in the long-term?  It’s not healthy, it’s hard to maintain, and you can do serious damage your body.*

What are carbohydrates?  Why do we need them?

Carbohydrates are found in grains, bread, rice, pasta, fruits, vegetables pulses and dairy products.  They are chains of sugar molecules that your body breaks down into simple sugars, such as glucose.  The glucose is then carried to cells and burned to product heat – the fundamental unit of energy.  So, carbohydrates are main source of energy for physical exercise and many vital bodily functions (glucose also the sole source of energy for your brain!).

Why the stigma?

It’s a common misconception that carbohydrates are fattening - they actually contain less than half the calories of fat.  But if you eat more than your body needs, the excess is converted to fat and stored.  Unfortunately, the only way to use up any excess is to exercise!  But there’s no great controversy here, it all comes back to that simple equation:

If calories IN is greater than calories OUT – you will gain weight
(regardless of whether you’re eating carbohydrates, protein or fat)

The bad press originated around refined, starchy foods like white bread, rice and potatoes, and sugary foods like biscuits and soft drinks.  These foods are high GI, which causes your blood sugar levels to spike, and they can also be high in saturated fat.  But unless you’re using a lot of energy, your body has to store all this as… you guessed it, fatty tissue.

What happens if you exclude carbohydrates from your diet?

A lack of carbohydrates means lower energy levels, and can cause feelings of lethargy and nausea.  You may also suffer headaches, constipation and bad breath.  Nice!  If there isn’t enough glucose in your body (for example, because you’re restricting intake) then your body has to look for other sources of energy – it resorts to burning the protein in your muscle tissue.  This leads to a loss in muscle mass and, if it continues for a long time, can result in death.

But most importantly, if you restrict carbohydrates in your diet, you also restrict all the other vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in these foods.  The nutrients in whole grains, fruits and vegetables protect against conditions such as heart disease and cancer!

Ok, ok, so what should I do?

It’s generally recommended that about half your daily calorie intake comes from good quality carbohydrates – that’s whole grain foods, fruits, vegetables, pulses and reduced-fat dairy products.  (A diet without all these foods would be incredibly boring, don’t you think?)

The math behind it looks something like this:
Daily calorie intake = 2,000 calories
Daily carbohydrate intake = 1,000 calories
Converted to grams = 250 grams
You’ll find carbohydrates content in grams on most nutritional labels.

If you don’t fancy keeping a running tally of your carbohydrate intake (I certainly don’t), these simple suggestions should keep you covered:

1. Have a serving of good quality, low GI whole grain food with every main meal (1 whole grain roll, 1 slice of wholemeal bread, medium bowl of porridge, 2 heaped tablespoons of brown rice, ½ a baked sweet potato, 2 oatcakes, etc)
2. Make sure you’re getting 5 servings a day of fresh fruit and vegetables every day
3. Choose low-fat dairy over fuller fat versions

Beans, lentils and chickpeas are all great sources of good quality carbohydrate, as well as protein and iron.  (Veggies, take note!)  They’re incredibly versatile ingredients and are often perceived as “lighter” meal options, so if you’re still worried about bringing back pasta and rice, why not start by basing your main meals around pulses instead?  The BBC Get Cooking site is a fantastic resource for more information and recipe ideas.

I hope this information is helpful and, if you’re currently restricting carbohydrates, it’s made you think twice.  Having a varied diet is fundamental to being healthy, carbohydrates included!

* NB restricting or eliminating carbohydrates is not the same as controlling carbohydrate intake, which is often required with diabetic diets.