Carbohydrates are the major macronutrients required by our body to function properly. It’s a major source of energy, uplifts our mood, regulates our sleep cycle, prevents digestive problems, and is helpful for losing weight. YES! You read it right carbohydrates intake actually helps in losing weight. But it actually depends which type of carbs you are taking. Carbs can be classified in two types, simple and complex carbs. Simple carbs are monosaccharide’s (one sugar molecule) and disaccharides (two sugar molecules). While complex carbs are polysaccharides which consist of many sugar molecules. Simple carbs are a rapid source of energy as they are very easily absorbed by the body, for example- white bread, white sugar, candies etc. Complex carbs take longer to break down and absorb in the body and hence they create a feeling of satiety. These include whole grain foods, vegetables and fruits. Nowadays, a day’s Low carbohydrate daily diet has become most popular. People are following these diets to get instant results in weight loss. But unfortunately, carbohydrates have got the image of villains in the diet industry recently. But what we need to understand is this is not true although a low carb diet does have its benefits but it affects our overall body.
Low carbohydrate diet usually gives results but it slowly starts affecting our energy levels, usually people start facing constipation issues, you might start feeling lethargic, at one might you might observe the process of weight loss starts decreasing, you might start feeling hungry, you might start facing mood swing and overall it affects the body’s nutrition also because when we restrict carbs our body use proteins , fats as a source of energy and these macronutrients are not able to perform their respective functions. Therefore it’s important to understand that for an instant result you should not affect your overall diet. Instead you should adapt mindful eating habits which might give you slow results but the weight loss will be sustainable.
Even if you want to start with a low carb diet one should keep in mind that before starting any such diet a person should consult a qualified health practitioner. You need to start a low carb diet with a slow process. DO NOT completely cut out carbs from your diet because it can affect your energy levels. Best is to eliminate the consumption of refined carbohydrates like Potato chips, chocolates, pastries, cupcakes, breads, sugar etc. Limit the consumption of processed food. Focus on consuming complex carbs which come from whole grain food, fruits and vegetables as they are a good source of carbs and they are also important for digestive health and proper bowel movement. During a low carbs diet people usually compromise on their other macronutrients specially fats but it’s important to understand that consumption of good fats is important in the diet as it acts as a source of energy .Include olive oil, nuts, seeds, eggs in your diet. During a low carb diet it’s important to understand to eliminate the processed carbs and not healthy wholefood carbs.
Various studies have shown that people with moderate consumption of carbs have decreased risk of heart diseases as compared to people consuming high amounts of carbohydrates( processed, sugary food items) . “Too much and too little carbohydrate can be harmful but what counts most is the type of fat, protein, and carbohydrate,” said Walter Willet, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard. If you are going on a low carbohydrate diet due to some medical conditions don’t forget to keep your doctor in check. The key factor here is to be responsible enough to make the right dietary choices. Reducing the carbs should not compromise your body’s essential minerals and vitamins. Remember, there is never a one size approach in nutrition. What may work for one person may not work for another!
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