Carbohydrate Credits
Posted
Celebrities shun them, marathon runners swear by them. Carbohydrates have become a confusing issue so Fernwood's dietitian Kylie Andrews helps sort the fact from the fiction
Fact 1 - Clever girls eat carbs
If anyone ever tells you they don’t eat carbohydrates, there’s something wrong with their brain. Literally. Carbohydrates are digested to form glucose, the only fuel the brain can use. If you don’t eat them, you’ll feel tired and struggle to concentrate. They also provide a basic source of fuel for muscles. Without carbs, your body breaks down fat and muscle. That process takes so long that, if you’re trying to exercise, you’ll find you get tired very quickly.
Fact 2 - Fibre is the go
"People trying to lose weight regularly look to low-carb diets," says Kylie. "And within about three months they tell her they’ve lost weight, but they feel exhausted and they’re constipated. Carbs provide the fibre that keeps your bowels regular – without it you won’t go (in every sense of the word), and that can lead to serious bowel diseases like cancer."
Fact 3 - Atkins was wrong
The low-carb Atkins diet received massive publicity, and many skinny celebrities swear by low or no-carb diets. So are they such a bad thing? "Definitely", says Kylie. “You’ll lose weight, but that’s because you’re omitting an entire, very important food group. The only reason these myths seem to work is because they make you eat less.”
Fact 4 - Some carbohydrates are better than others
High GI foods are quickly digested. Low GI foods take longer, so they’re better for diabetics who need to control blood glucose levels. They are also good for people watching their weight because they make you feel full for longer. High GI foods include sugar, lollies, white rice, potato, parsnip, pumpkin, white and wholemeal bread, highly processed cereal and watermelon. Low GI foods include pasta, brown rice, legumes, carrot, sweet potato, sweet corn, fruit such as apples, oranges, pears and stone fruit, wholegrain bread, high-fibre cereal such as muesli and porridge, and milk and yoghurt.