Fuel - Carbs Edition
Hi there! This week I am kicking off an informative series of blog posts. Over the next several weeks, I’ll be sharing with you the foundations of nutrition, starting with macronutrients. I’m sure you all have heard the terms carbohydrates, protein, and fats. But do you really know how your body uses each of them, and why?
I going to begin by talking about carbohydrates. There are many diets that place restrictions on certain macronutrients, labeling them as “bad” to scare you into avoiding them, but as humans we NEED all 3 nutrients to properly fuel ourselves and function. These days, the popular macronutrient category to restrict is carbohydrates - think of the Atkins/keto diet fads. This is a self-defeating approach, though, because your body is designed to run on carbs. Carbohydrates are the fuel that you burn to handle the daily activities of moving, breathing, and even thinking!
In my work as a Clinical Dietitian, we use the general guideline that 45-65% of daily calories should come from carbs. If you are following the standard of 2000 calories/day that means 224-325 g CHO (carbs)/day. Now, these numbers are not meant for you to get your calculators or MyFitness Pal Apps out and start macro counting. You probably do not need that degree of measurement, it’s just important to remember what these nutrients do for you, and to have a rough idea of how much you need. Your body relies on you consuming carbs as fuel and any diet that suggests restricting carbs is CRAY because that is just not how your body works!
So, why are carbs important?
Carbs are our #1 source of energy. Our bodies have amazing systems to break down carbs into glucose and use that as energy for daily activities , including physical activity. It is our body's preferred way to fuel ourselves. If we restrict our carb intake, our body looks for different ways to fuel itself, including breaking down muscle proteins.
Carbs help protect against certain diseases. Dietary fiber is a component of carbohydrates. Dietary fiber is known for protecting against cardiovascular disease. Cheerios is known for marketing this on their cereal boxes.
Carbs can help you feel fuller for longer. Dietary fiber contributes to satiety, specifically, insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber takes longer to break down in the GI tract, which provides you with the feeling of fullness for longer. Having a diet rich in fiber is so important!
Sources of carbs- fruits, vegetables, dairy, nuts, grains, & legumes
Your body also needs carbohydrates to fuel your brain. Ever felt foggy or not with it because you were hungry and hadn't had carbs in awhile? Yeah, that's a real thing. Your brain relies on carbohydrates almost exclusively for fuel. Low CHO diets are pretty infamous for causing this exact feeling.
I do not recommend a low CHO/keto diet to anyone besides epileptic children, as multiple research studies have concluded. If you are restricting carbs, you may realize that when you “allow” yourself that cheat meal, you binge eat. That is because carbs are your body's number one fuel source and your body is preparing for another restriction. Your body does not know the difference between restriction and famine, so that is why you binge. It is its biological way to protect itself! Isn’t the body cool?!
If you have been monitoring or restricting your carb intake, I challenge you to put the restrictions aside and allow yourself to eat all the bread, pasta, and fruit to your heart’s content. I challenge you to feel the difference and try to listen to what your body is telling you.
Next week, we’ll discuss the ever-so-scary (at least according to diet culture) fats.