A common misconception in society is that if you want to lose weight, cut out your carbs. It is true that it would be beneficial for some people to cut back a small portion of their carbs, but not all of them. It is recommended that your daily caloric intake is roughly 44%-65% carbohydrates. Some of these low carb diets such as the Atkins diet can limit your carb intake to about 8% of your total caloric intake. In this blog I will, hopefully, convince you that carbs are not so bad. Here are the main reasons that carbs are necessary in your diet; your brain needs carbs to function properly, good carbs have alot of fiber, and carbohydrates are a major energy source for your entire body!
The number one energy source for your brain is glucose. When you eat carbs, enzymes and liquids in your body naturally break them down into a simpler form of sugar called glucose. Your brain needs large amounts of glucose to function properly. On low-carb diets, there may not be any immediate difference in brain function because your body can synthesize glycogen (storage form of glucose) back into glucose. But, after prolonged low carb intake. Those glycogen stores can run low, which means your brain will begin to get lower and lower amounts of glucose. Your ability to learn, think, and remember things will decrease because the neurotransmitters in your brain will not be getting enough fuel to work correctly
Let’s not forget the main reason why people start no carb diets, to lose weight. Let’s acknowledge the fact that there are good carbs and bad carbs. Bad carbs are processed and refined into less natural forms of their original self. Bad carbs would include white bread, white pasta, white sugar, etc. Good carbs would include whole wheat products, whole grain products, fruits, and vegetables. Good carbs contain a lot of fiber can be very important for losing weight. Fiber technically is not digested in the body, so it just passes right through the digestive system. This helps in keeping the digestive system moving and things will not just sit around in there. Fiber will help prevent you from feeling bloated or “puffy.” Probably the most important reason fiber can help you lose weight though, is that fiber makes you feel full. This will help send a message to your brain that you have had enough to eat, and prevent you from eating more than you actually need.
Arguably the most important reason for carbs is that they are your bodies main source of energy. There has to be a reason that the recommended daily intake of carbs is 45%-65% of your daily caloric intake right? Of course there is, and that reason is energy. Glucose is not only the main source of energy in your brain, but majority of your cells in your entire body use glucose as fuel. One of the main fuel sources for exercise are carbohydrates. Have you ever seen a marathon runner or a biker eating some kind of snack while in the middle of a competition? They do this because if their bodies run out of their main fuel source, they will hit a wall. Their skeletal muscle will begin to shut down because they are out of fuel. This could also happen to your body after prolonged carb depletion. Carbs are necessary.
Remember, there is a big difference in good carbs and bad carbs. Always be looking out for added sugars and refined grains. 45-65% of your calories should come from carbohydrates and the risks of consuming less than that are neither necessary or worth it.