Beyond providing a wide variety of delicious eats, the foods that contain carbohydrates offer health benefits to keep you living an active, balanced life.
Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, and sugary foods or beverages. Your body will gain energy from each of these foods, and they can all be part of a balanced, enjoyable nutrition pattern. Let’s talk about some top reasons to eat carbs!
Energy
Carbohydrates, or carbs for short, are the primary energy source for your body and the preferred source of fuel for your brain. This means that restricting carbs can keep you low on energy and sluggish in your thought process – not a good combo for keeping up with an active lifestyle and getting work done!
Carbs are the primary energy source for your body and the preferred fuel for your brain.
When you eat any carbohydrate-containing food, your digestive system breaks it down into its many different components that may include sugars, starches, or fiber. The form that gives the quickest energy is the sugar. Starches are also broken down into sugars for energy, but it takes a little longer. This final sugar product, called glucose, is the same whether it comes from a slice of chocolate ganache birthday cake or a handful of blueberries. The amount of energy will differ, but the glucose itself is the same. That glucose can be used right away to fuel your body and brain. Any glucose not needed immediately will be stored for future use. If you are not eating enough carbohydrate foods, you will lack ready-to-use energy and stored energy for later.
Vitamins and Minerals
All foods are made up of many nutrients; carbohydrate foods are no exception. There is a stigma that pops up about carbs being bad for you because they are "just sugar” or just “turn into sugar.” [Read above to remember why glucose (sugar) is necessary for body energy.] Beyond glucose though, carbs offer vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytonutrients, often water and even some protein! They are truly a package deal, offering the nutrients needed to not only provide energy, but also to properly store the energy and break it down again when you need it.
Heart Health
How do carbohydrates help your heart? The fiber in these foods helps to trap cholesterol in the gut and remove it with other waste. This helps manage cholesterol levels keeping your arteries and heart healthy, lowering your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack.
Gut Health
Carbohydrate foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables have fiber in them. This fiber helps with the movement of products through our GI system (regular bowel movements and no constipation!). Fiber comes in many varieties and some types offer the additional benefit of feeding good gut bacteria. This helps maintain a balanced gut, promotes adequate vitamin K production, and even helps our mood by producing most of the body’s serotonin.
Carbohydrates are best consumed as part of an overall balanced nutrition plan, and different types of carbohydrate affect each person differently. No one’s gut is the same. If you are struggling with balancing your carb intake or confused on how to choose the right carbs for your lifestyle and gut health, connect with me today. We will talk about your overall health goals and how to include carbohydrate in your intake to promote health and eat joyfully.