By Carbs – we love them, we love them not. Since we heard that eternal question on Mean Girls – “is butter a carb?” we’ve been squinting at the nutritional information at the back of all our food, afraid of consuming the so-called dietary poison. Most of us who are struggling to lose some stubborn inches are without fail advised to stay away from carbs as much as possible. We’re not sure why though. It’s just one of those accepted facts — but in reality, thinking carbs are evil is closer to myth and legend than truth. It’s time to debunk some of those myths, so you can stop dreaming of French baguettes at night, and continue your diet in peace.
1. Gluten Is Unhealthy For Everyone
Even though grocery stores are stocked with gluten-free products, they aren’t meant for everyone to purchase. Nor do they improve your health in any way, or help you lose weight. Gluten is disastrous for people with a gluten sensitivity, or those suffering from celiac disease. This makes them allergic which is why they have to stay away. The rest of us though? We’re in no such fix. It might be unhealthy if you’re consuming it in excess, but there’s no need to entirely eliminate it from your diet.
2. Carbs Make You Fat
This myth is the major reason you’re not losing weight. Yes, binge eating pasta and doughnuts can make you put on some extra pounds, but other carb-loaded items like peanut butter, oats, cereal, and fruit all contain high amounts of fibre which are essential to keep you healthy. They will also help you lose weight by speeding up your digestion!
3. Eating Carbs Increases The Risk Of Heart Disease
Heart disease has nothing to do with carbs! According to a study carried out in 2013, people who ate a low-carb diet had a higher risk of dying early than those who ate more carbs. Moreover, avoiding carbs did not help in lowering the risk of heart disease in any way.
4. Carbs Raise Blood Sugar
On the contrary, high-carb diets can actually reduce blood sugar level. As per a study conducted by McDougall in 2014, participants who had diets consisting of carbs accounting for 80% of their caloric intake saw a drop in blood sugar of 3 mg/dL.
5. Low-Carb Diets Are Healthier
A low-carb diet is not synonymous with being healthy. Replacing all your carbs with nothing but lentils or other such fillers will give you no health benefit, but instead can actually make you feel sluggish, as well as lead to illnesses.
6. Consuming Carbs Makes You Tired
One of the most common misconceptions about carbs is that consuming too much of them can leave you feeling drained and tired. But what many don’t know is that the cells in our body use carbohydrates for energy! In fact, eating carb-rich foods is recommended to athletes before an event.
7. Carbs Are Not Easy To Digest
It’s true that some high fibre foods can be difficult to digest, but this can be a good thing — it means you stay full for longer. If you’re really invested, then do some research about complex carbs and their benefits. Broccoli, kale and other cruciferous vegetables which are higher in insoluble fibre can cause difficulty in digestion. However, soluble fibre foods like bananas don’t have this problem.
8. To Avoid Eating Carbs Before Exercise
The right kind of carbs won’t weigh you down before an exercise session. It all depends on the time, and what type of carbs you’re consuming. It is, in fact, an essential part of every athlete’s diet and is proven to boost energy.
What do you think?
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