Carbohydrate – what it is & why you need it

The body can use protein and fat for energy; but, and this is an enormous but,…. as protein is vital for so many other essential functions in the body, why an earth would you allow your body to use the protein for energy when that is the role of carbohydrates?! If you haven’t read up on protein, then read about it here.

So, what are carbohydrates?

Carbs are easily digested and get broken down into glucose and then absorbed into the blood. When the glucose meets insulin (more about insulin below), it enters the body’s cells and fuels our activities, everything from breathing to running.

Unlike protein, our body can store carbs. Any unused glucose gets converted to glycogen and gets stored in the muscles and the liver (along with 3 times its weight in water).  If more is consumed than can be used or stored in the muscles and liver, then it gets converted to fat for long term storage where it can be used for energy at a later stage. If we do not eat enough carbs then our body will start taking it from our muscles which is a big NO, NO! Regular exercise depletes these reserves, and we need to top up our carb stores daily.

Carbs can be split into 3 different types

Simple Carbohydrates – sugars – Simple carbs are very small molecules which include glucose, fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (table sugar) and lactose (milk sugar).

The sugars that are added to food and drinks are known as free sugars. Think biscuits, cakes, fizzy drinks, breakfast cereals, flavoured yoghurts

In general, these foods are less nutritious, they contain high levels of salt, flavourings and trans fats. They cause our blood sugar and insulin levels to go up and down, BUT they do have their place. For people who are struggling to gain weight or are struggling to eat enough, as well as endurance athletes who need rapid refuelling around training, simple carbs can help get energy quickly.

Complex carbohydrates – starches – Complex carbs are made up of much larger molecules which consist of hundreds of mostly glucose molecules all joined together. Starch occurs naturally in vegetables, grains, beans, peas (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes)

Starchy foods are generally our main source of carbs; however, we should be choosing wholegrain versions rather than white. These carbs are much higher in vitamins, minerals, protein, and dietary fibre.  Complex carbs help keep our blood sugar and insulin levels stable with a gradual release of energy.

Non starch Polysaccharides, or to you and I, Fibre!! – Fibre is the name given to a wide range of compounds found in the cell walls of vegetables, fruits and cereal grains. Although this carb doesn’t provide much energy, it does so much for us. Most people in the UK do not get the recommended amount of 35g for women and 48g for men per day.

All carbs provide energy, but their dietary value really centres on whether they are refined or unrefined. So how do we recognise which is which?

Refined carbs will,

• Contain processed low-quality fats
• Contain excessive sugar (over 15g Per 100g)
• Contain no vitamins or minerals

White bread, white pasta, cakes, biscuits, white rice – all refined carbohydrates

Whereas unrefined carbs will,

• Contain fructose and glucose in varying amounts
• Contain antioxidants
• Have high levels of dietary fibre
• Contain vitamins and minerals

Whole grain bread and rice, whole meal pasta, vegetables, pulses – all unrefined carbs.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we probably know the difference between the good and the not so good carbs!

How much carbohydrates do we need?

Not all the macronutrients are created equally. 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories.

1 portion of carbs for women should fit into 1 cupped hand. 1 portion of carbs for men should fit into 2 cupped hands

For most people the government’s healthy eating advice recommends that just over a third of your diet should be made up of starchy foods and another third should be fruit and vegetables, which actually means that over half of our food should be made up of carbs.

I’m going to be vague here – 45 – 65% of your total calories should come from carbs. The amount a person has in their diet takes some trial and error. It needs to be adjusted depending on total energy needs, training needs, goals and feedback on how the body feels. It is key for an active person to eat a diet that provides enough energy. It’s not all science though, food should be enjoyed and not just an equation of what we think our body needs.

Can you eat too much?

Yes. Too many carbs can upset the body’s sugar levels which in turn can upset our energy balance, mood and cause tiredness. As above, as our energy demands change, the amount of carbohydrates our body needs also changes.

Should I cut carbs out of my diet?

Processed sugar – absolutely, reduce this. However, as carbs are our main source of energy, if we don’t have enough, even though our energy requirements will not change, the source of the energy will have to, meaning that our body will use protein and fat. It would also not be possible to get enough fibre in your diet if you cut carbs out and fibre brings so many health benefits

Processed man-made carbs do not offer much in terms of nutrition. They get broken down and used as energy very quickly so although we get a quick burst of energy, soon after comes a crash and we feel tired and hungry again. Ever notice how that lunchtime meal deal can leave you feeling like you’ve hit a wall?!

Will cutting out carbs help me to lose weight?

A calorie deficit will help you to lose weight!

If you consume more calories than you burn, you’ll put on weight. If you eat less carbs, you’ll most likely replace it with another of the macronutrients. Remember 1 gram of carbs is 4 calories, the same for protein whilst fat has 9 calories per gram so what will you swap it for?!

Starchy carbs are not fattening by themselves – How often do we eat a single food by itself though? How you cook food, how much of it and what you pair it with will alter the calorie content.

What about wheat? Should I cut this out to help me to lose weight?

Unless you have been diagnosed with a wheat allergy, sensitivity, or coeliac disease there’s very little evidence that cutting out wheat will benefit your health. Instead look at how much you’re eating, the timing and of course pay attention to how it makes you feel.

What if I cut out carbs below my energy requirements?

You’re potentially in for a rough time and could end up feeling really rather horrible. Without fibre our food remains undigested and hangs around in our system for much longer (yuk). Bacteria in the gut can lead to inflammation which in turn can lead onto other health complaints.

A diet lacking in fibre can lead to weight gain for 2 reasons;

1) fibre helps us to feel fuller and without it we may end up eating more

2) fibre helps us to go to the toilet and so without it we can end up rather bunged up (not nice!).

So, at this stage, you’re bunged up and actually eating more but what else? There’s potential for;

• Low energy
• Irritable
• Tired
• Dizzy
• Weak
• Bloating
• Feeling sluggish

I’d sooner eat the carbs and look at portion sizes and timing of meals instead of cutting this food group out.

A bit about blood sugar & insulin

This could be another blog on its own and those of you that know me, know that I can talk,….a lot but I’m going to try to keep it short and sweet (no pun intended!)

What is blood sugar? How much sugar is in our blood at any one time

Balanced blood sugar level helps to keep our brain healthy and when we don’t manage this it affects us in so many different ways. Weight gain, poor sleep, low energy, anxiety, brain fog, low moods, cravings and longer term, diabetes.

What is insulin? The key to our cells

The pancreas creates insulin. The insulin has a pretty important job essentially deciding what happens to the sugar, how much stays in the bloodstream and how much gets stored in our cells (liver/muscles/fat cells). Think of the insulin as a key to your body’s cells. It opens the cells and lets the sugar in. This keeps the level of sugar in our blood in the normal range which means we avoid all those horrible side effects listed above.

But when we eat more and more carbohydrates, our pancreas has to produce more and more insulin until eventually our body becomes resistant to insulin. This means the insulin can no longer do its job. The key to the cells no longer works and then we don’t get the energy that we need. We crave more carbs and sugar because we need the energy, and it becomes harder to lose weight and easier to gain weight. Nightmare.

We need to eat carbohydrates for energy, but we don’t want to end up playing havoc with our blood sugar levels. So, what do we do? No need to cut the carbs out, just make sure that your meals are a balance of carbs, protein and fat. Reduce the processed simple carbs and aim to eat your food in its most natural state. Protein with your carbs will help to bring the blood sugar levels to a more balanced state and fat will help to slow the process of absorbing the glucose into the blood stream.

Cutting out carbs is not the answer. Remember, in the absence of carbohydrates your body will convert fat or protein into glucose to provide energy. So, do bear this in mind, it’s not just carbs that can raise blood sugar and insulin levels.

If you need any help with making sure that you are eating the right amount of carbohydrates for your goals then drop me a message.