3 Reasons Carbs are Essential
Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN
It’s no secret that diet culture’s current target is carbs—foods like rice, potatoes, bread, fruit, and pasta. Keto, low-carb, and no-carb diets are super popular, so it’s understandable if you’re feeling confused as to whether you should be eating carbs or not.
Despite confusing messages from diet culture, carbs are super important and play a special role in our body’s functioning. In fact, they’re the main way our bodies get energy!
In this blog post, we’ll share three reasons why carbs are so important.
1.They’re our bodies' preferred source of energy.
Out of the three macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates), we need the most carbs! In fact, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45–65% of our total calories come from carbs.
That’s largely because they’re the main source of energy for our brain, muscles, and nervous system.
So, if your energy levels are pretty low, consider whether you’re eating enough carbs throughout the day. If you’re trying to have low-carb meals or avoid carbs entirely, your energy levels may fall.
Believe it or not, this is true for those with diabetes as well. The treatment for diabetes is NOT cutting out carbs. However, you may need medication to support healthy blood sugars.
If you have diabetes and are looking for individualized support managing your blood sugars, consider working with one of our dietitians. Learn about working with us through your insurance here.
Furthermore, carbohydrate needs are even greater for athletes or people who are very active. When you workout, your body uses carbs for fuel, so you need extra carbs to replenish what was used up, per the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Plus, the carbs help with muscle recovery, hormone function, and injury prevention.
2.They’re rich in other nutrients
Carbs don’t just give us energy; they also often contain important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. For example, most fruit is packed with antioxidants and vitamins!
Meanwhile, whole grains like whole wheat bread contain iron, magnesium, and B-vitamins, and dairy products contain calcium—an important nutrient for bone health.
Related: Caribbean Fruits: A Complete Guide
Plus, fiber is a type of carbohydrate that most Americans could stand to eat more of. Fiber helps support your digestive health, blood sugar regulation, and healthy cholesterol levels. If you avoided carb-containing foods you may also miss out on this important nutrient!
For the record, our Latine cultural dishes have lots of nutrient-dense carbohydrates. For example, corn tortillas are higher in niacin thanks to the nixtamalization process and platanos (plantains) are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C.
3.They’re delicious!
Let’s be real. Carbs are delicious! Unfortunately, because they’re demonized by diet culture, lots of our clients express guilt or shame about how often they want to eat carbohydrates.
Sometimes, they share that they avoid keeping certain kinds of carbs in the house or they avoid white rice out of fear they’ll “overdo it”.
If you relate, it may be a sign that your body is either deprived of energy and therefore craving carbs even more, or that you’re caught in the binge-restrict cycle where the restriction of carbs causes intense cravings and maybe even binge eating.
Even though it may sound counterintuitive, allowing yourself to regularly consume carbs can often help reduce those intense cravings.
Plus, there’s no shame in enjoying food! Rather than depriving yourself of the foods you love (and that your body needs, in the case of carbs), allow yourself to enjoy the carbs and move on with your day.
Final Thoughts
Remember, you don’t need to restrict food to find health! In fact, carbohydrates are a super important food group that are important for healthy energy levels. Plus, they often contain important micronutrients and fiber.
For education on how to ADD nutrition to your favorite Latine cultural dishes, make peace with food, and focus on your health without dieting, join our nutrition library for just $27/month.
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