Carbohydrates 101: What They Are and Why Your Body Needs Them
Whether you're looking to maintain your long-standing healthy lifestyle or make changes for the better, learning about carbohydrates is a great place to start. So let's dive in! In this article, we'll cover the basics of carbohydrates and explain why they’re so important for our health. Armed with this new knowledge, you'll know what carbs to focus on and which ones to limit in your own diet.
What Exactly Are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are a type of macronutrient that your body needs to function properly. They provide your body with energy, help keep you full, and are essential for breaking down fat and proteins. Carbohydrates can be found in a variety of foods including grains, fruits, vegetables, milk products, and legumes.
The most common type of carbohydrates are starches, which are broken down into simple sugars by the body during digestion. Glucose is the main source of energy for your cells and is necessary for the proper functioning of all major organs in your body. Other types of carbs include fiber and sugar alcohols, which provide energy but aren't as easily digested by your body as starches or simple sugars. Thus, they have less of an effect on your blood sugar levels than other carbs do.
Different Types of Carbs and Their Effects on Your Body
Carbohydrates are an important energy-providing nutrient, and they come in two types: simple and complex. Simple carbs are made up of just one or two sugars – like fructose, glucose, and galactose – which break down quickly in the gut. Complex carbs, on the other hand, are made up of three or more sugars joined together, taking longer to digest and nourish your body.
So what do these different types of carbs do? Simple carbs offer a quick source of energy that your body can use right away. Think of it like jet fuel: it will get you where you want to go faster but burns out quickly! Complex carbs are low-glycemic (take longer to digest) and provide a sustained source of energy for your body throughout the day, which makes them the ideal choice for long-term health benefits. So when you're planning out meals, think about balancing simple with complex carbs so that your body is nourished with both types!
Benefits of Eating Carbs
Carbohydrates play a huge role in your body’s function – here are some awesome benefits of adding carbs to your diet:
Increased Energy
Carbs provide quick, efficient, and easy-to-absorb energy for you to use throughout the day. In fact, carbs are the primary source of energy for most people and are essential for physical activity. So if you’re looking to increase your energy, eating more carbohydrates as part of a balanced diet can help.
Improved Brain Function
Your brain needs energy too – and carbs provide it! Carbohydrates boost your brainpower by helping it absorb glucose (sugar molecules) which is necessary for producing neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in your brain). This helps improve both mental clarity and alertness.
Balanced Blood Sugar Levels
Your body needs carbs so it can create insulin, which helps balance blood glucose levels. Eating good sources of carbohydrates such as wholegrain bread and legumes can help keep your blood sugar steady throughout the day so you don’t experience radical rollercoaster drops or spikes in energy levels.
How Carbs Impact Your Blood Sugar Levels
Now you know a little more about the types of carbohydrates out there and why they’re important for your body. But how do carbs actually impact your blood sugar levels?
The way it works is pretty simple. When you eat carb-rich food, it gets converted into sugar or glucose in your bloodstream. To keep your blood sugar levels in check, your body then releases insulin which helps to regulate those levels. Insulin helps to move glucose from your bloodstream into cells which can use them for energy.
The trick here is that not all carbs have the same effect on our blood sugar—the ones that are digested and absorbed quickly like white bread and sugary drinks raise blood glucose levels more quickly than those that take longer to digest like whole grains and beans. That’s why it’s important to get the right balance of different carbs in your diet over time—it can help keep your blood sugar levels steady throughout the day.
Recommendations for Adding Carbs to Your Diet
If you're looking to get more carbs into your diet, here are a few recommendations that can help you hit the mark.
Whole Grains
Whole grain foods—brown rice, oats, quinoa, etc.—are a great source of complex carbohydrates. Not only do they provide longer-lasting energy throughout the day, but they also contain essential vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, and fiber—a key macronutrient for helping to control your blood sugar levels.
Fruits & Vegetables
Fruits and veggies are some of the healthiest sources of carbohydrates because they're rich in fiber and full of vitamins and minerals. Apples, bananas, and oranges are all excellent sources of simple carbohydrates (sugars)—but since they are also quite fibrous—your body will absorb them slower than if you were consuming something like candy or cookies.
Legumes
Beans, lentils, and peas—all legumes—are packed with protein but also contain a significant number of carbs as well. Adding something like beans to your salad or some lentils to your curry is a great way to bump up the carb content without packing in additional fat or calories.
Incorporating carbs into your diet is important because it helps fuel your body's cells with energy so that you can go about your day feeling energized and satisfied. So don't be afraid to add some extra whole grains or legumes —your body will thank you for it!
Dietary Changes to Make if You Have a Carb Intolerance
If you have a carb intolerance, there are some dietary changes you can make to help your body better process and metabolize carbohydrates. Here are a few:
Eat smaller meals
Eating smaller meals more often during the day helps to prevent severe spikes in your blood sugar levels, which can be especially beneficial for those with a carb intolerance. This approach works to spread out the absorption of carbs over longer periods and may help reduce inflammation.
Limit processed carbs
Processed foods can contain added sugar, which can increase inflammation and cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket, so it’s best to limit these whenever possible. The same goes for refined carbohydrates, such as white rice, white bread, and other processed snacks. Instead, focus on whole-grain options such as farro, quinoa, or brown rice.
Include healthy fats
Healthy fats may help slow down the absorption of carbohydrates into your bloodstream by forming a protective coating around carbs before they reach the small intestine. Good sources of healthy fats include olive oil, avocados, and fatty fish like salmon or sardines.
Watch your fiber intake
Fiber is important in any diet because it helps slow down digestion too — but if you don’t have enough digestive enzymes available, you might have difficulty digesting it all at once. So watch your intake of high-fiber foods like legumes and nuts until your digestive system adjusts better to processing carbohydrates.
Conclusion
In the end, carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet. Carbohydrates are a source of energy, they provide essential vitamins and minerals, and they help you feel fuller for longer. But, like everything else, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the right types of carbohydrates in the right amounts. Different carbohydrates have different impacts on your body and can affect your overall health.
By understanding the different types of carbohydrates, you can better make informed decisions about what you eat. So keep in mind that all carbs are not the same and that it’s ok to enjoy carbohydrates as part of a balanced diet.