Carbohydrates, The Underdogs

Are carbohydrates bad for you?

Carbohydrates are often demonized in today’s diet. They are the macronutrient that is pulled back the most in an effort to lose weight. As this article outlines, there are a lot of overall health benefits to a lower carbohydrate diet. However, carbohydrates are very important to the body. They are needed for our body to run optimally, and if we’re exercising and training they are need to advance in our performance.

The brain runs strictly on a sugar called glucose, which we get primarily from carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are restricted in the diet, your body and brain send strong signals to eat more, resulting in more cravings for the sugary sweet stuff. If we give into our cravings, it can result in binge-style eating, sabotaging all our efforts to lose weight. Balance is what we always preach–so keep all the food groups in your diet. Nourish your body with what it actually needs and make changes you can sustain in the long run.

Raina Beugelink, Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist

This mini-article was in response to Is Low Carb Heart Healthy?