The question is: Should you eat carbohydrates or not? According to who you ask, carbs are either loved or hated. Everyone is different and I’ll be giving you good advice through my meal plans for the Wellness Challenge about how to eat carbohydrates in the right amounts. But today, we’ll just cover the basics.
Remember that eating too few carbohydrates can cause your hormones and digestion to malfunction. Find the right balance.
Here are some of the most common carbohydrates that you can find:
- Fruit
- Grains (Rices, breads & quinoa, even though it is technically a seed).
- Beans and legumes: (Yes, this is often called a protein, but in reality it’s actually a carbohydrate that contains some protein.)
- Vegetables: (Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, yams and beets have more carbs than broccoli, peppers or zucchini).
Here are the 3 most important habits to avoid.
Avoiding Carbohydrates Completely
You can harm your body by avoiding carbohydrates: hormones, digestion and pregnancy.
Studies have shown that when it comes to digestion a low carbohydrate diet can reduce gut flora diversity, which is vital for your overall health. You lose a lot of prebiotics and soluble fiber when you cut out carbohydrates. I experimented myself with very low carbs at a time and noticed that it affected my digestion.
In terms of hormones, the thyroid and adrenal glands are most important. Insulin is needed (in small quantities) by your thyroid to make thyroid hormones work. Insulin levels are usually very low on low-carb diets.
Low carbohydrate diets may also increase cortisol in people with adrenal fatigue. This can exacerbate your problem if you already have a high level of cortisol. Carbohydrates, in the right amounts, can be relaxing as they stimulate the body’s production of serotonin. This hormone is calming, happy and makes you feel good.
Eat Too Many
Duh, right? But let me explain further. I often have clients who come to me with low energy and lots of cravings. When they tell me they are eating well, I look at their food diary and see that it is actually high in carbs.
Fruit and smoothies are both healthy. When you add a banana and a cup or berries and some mango, and I don’t know what else, the sugar and carbohydrate content increases.
Beans and legumes are also a good source of protein. This is likely to be the case if you’re a vegetarian out of ethical reasons. However, if it’s just for ‘health’, you’ll find that your carbohydrate consumption has skyrocketed. One cup of chickpeas has 21g of carbohydrate and 7g of protein.
For females, a good guideline for portioning is 1/2 cup of cooked complex carbohydrates like yams, chickpeas, or brown rice or 1/2 cup of fruit in a smoothie.
Abstinence Around Exercise
Athletes need carbohydrates to fuel their performance. Eating the right carbohydrates will help you achieve your goals. Instead of artificial fuels like Gatorade and highly processed bars try Medjool Dates, Coconut Water or even Maple Syrup in water if your exercising really hard!
It’s unlikely that a simple 30-45-minute workout will require a huge carbohydrate intake.
Low carb is effective
Low carb diets can be effective in a few situations, but only if they are used for a limited time. If you suffer from any type of metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes (types 1 & 2), high blood pressure or PCOS, then a low carb diet may be beneficial. You will see good results if you reduce your intake of starchy carbohydrates and replace some with green vegetables, healthy fats, and protein.
