Carbs which are short for carbohydrates have received a real bad reputation. Nobody serious about losing weight is showing carbs any love. There are low carb diets, no carb diets, etc. Even celebrities have come out and said that they barely consume any carbs to maintain their slim, toned figures. So, are carbs really bad for you?
Carbs can be good and bad for you. When consumed at the right times, carbs can in fact help to boost your metabolism and help you lose more weight. They give you the energy to work out harder and carbs also make you feel better. People on low carb diets often feel sluggish and easily irritated. This is a side effect of low carb diets.
Carbs are you friend and not your enemy. You just need to know which the good carbs are and when to consume them. You’ll also need to be aware of how to combine your carbs with the other macro nutrients for fat loss benefits.
First we’ll examine the negative effects of carbohydrates. The following points were taken from, Shaun Hadsall’s bestselling fat loss guide, The 4 Cycle Solution.
Carbs Impact or “active” carbs spike insulin levels and elevate blood sugar higher and faster than all other macronutrients (proteins and fats). In the presence of high insulin levels it’s pretty much impossible to burn fat as fuel.
Consuming too many unhealthy carbs over lengthy periods of time leads to a lot of internal inflammation, which can eventually lead to other serious health issues; obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc. --because it promotes excess fat storage.
Excess carb intake creates a lot of water retention, which leads to a soft look so it makes you look and feel bloated.
Now, let’s look at the positive effects.
Carbs are the purest, most natural forms of fuel, provided you eat the NATURAL carbs from sources like brown or white rice, potatoes, etc. A doughnut is NOT a natural source of carbs. Carbs help to build muscle, boost metabolism, raise thyroid output, keep leptin (your body’s #1 fat burning hormone) levels in check, improve the free testosterone to estrogen ratio for both men and women, burn more lower stomach fat and much more.
This are definitely good reasons to keep carbs in your diet. The benefits are just too many to ignore. In fact, if carbs help you lose weight faster, why would you even want to eliminate them? You’d just substitute bad carbs with good carbs in moderate amounts.
So what are good and bad carbs?
Cakes, doughnuts, white flour products and actually any processed form of carbohydrates are best avoided. Most people have difficulty doing this because of habit. They are so used to eating these comfort foods that giving them up just seems so painful. Making this crucial change to good carbs will make all the difference. Examples of good carbs would be rice, potatoes, quinoa, fruits, etc. Eating these starchy carbs when prepared the correct way, will really benefit you.
Of course, there are a few more factors like combining your carbs and when to consume them. However, those are beyond the scope of this article which just aimed to show you that carbs can be good for you.
If you wish to learn more about how to combine your carbs with other foods and when would be the best time to consume your carbs, you really should visit The 4 Cycle Fat Loss Solution. Shaun Hadsall, has information that will really help you eat wisely and lose weight at the same time.
