Why You SHOULD Eat Carbs To Lose Weight
We have all heard about a no carb, or low carb diet to lose weight. Cutting back on certain types of carbohydrates can help you lose body fat and weight on the scales because it’s these types of foods that can easily tip our balance in favour of fat storage (you know the types, donuts, muffins, fries etc.). So yes it does work, but my gosh is it a tiring and restrictive way to shape up if you try to cut them all out! Thank goodness there is another way and it involves enjoying delicious comfy carbs, although possibly not the ones you expect…
It wouldn’t make sense to cut out all carbs from your diet, they are one of your body’s main source of energy and are important for several health reasons.
Before we look at the type of carbs our body needs, let’s quickly take a look at what they actually are;
There are three different types of carbohydrates:
- Sugar (natural or artificial) is found in things like jams and condiments, soft drinks and juices, fruit, many breakfast cereals and all the other sweet stuff we know about. It’s fast digesting and provides a quick burst of energy.
- Starch is made up of many natural sugar (glucose) units bonded together and is found in food that comes from plants such as potatoes, corn, pumpkin, peas, beans and lentils. Starchy foods provide a slow, steady release of energy throughout the day.
- Fibre is only found in foods that come from plants. It doesn’t provide an energy boost directly, but it does help eliminate waste build up that causes fatigue, so it can help with energy levels indirectly.
Many people are surprised to find out that carbs are more than just bread and pasta. Which leads me on to, what type of carbohydrates should we be filling up on if you want to lose weight healthily?
The healthiest types of carbs
Breads – Wholegrain, bran, rye, and sourdough bread
Wholegrain rice & Risotto
Whole wheat pasta
Rice noodles
Wholegrain cereals without sugar
Peas, lentils, red kidney beans, chickpeas
Cous cous
Oats
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Fresh fruit such as peaches, apples, pears, cherries, coconut, plums, grapefruit, grapes, banana
Yoghurts with no added sugars or sweeteners
Dark chocolate (over 60% cocoa)
Soya products (if no allergies)
Vegetables including tomatoes (yes I know technically a fruit), mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, fresh corn and many more.
So from now on, when you think of carbs, think of these lot above! This of course is not a comprehensive list, but something to think about…
You can read about this and more in the Size HH book available here.
Have any more healthy carbs to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below!