The Carbohydrate Debacle

So if there's been one overall diet mandate during the last 10 years what would you say it is?? Most people will say LOW CARBS!!! And for good reason. For the last 10 to 15 years, the old Carbohydrate has had as bad a reputation as Fat did in the 80's. The problem is, Carbs, just like Fats, are an essential part of your diet. The main problem with Carbohydrates is that a lot of different types of foods fit into this category. Many of them good, many of them not so good. I'm never one to say that one or another thing is evil by definition (although some things really are), and some of the not so good members still have a very important place in the diet if eaten responsibly.

So what exactly is a Carbohydrate?? The word Carbohydrate is really the definition of a certain type of molecule, made up of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen. Generally there are two overall types of Carbohydrates found in nature, and in the diet of a walking talking human: Sugars/Starches, and Fibers. One of these is digestible, and the other is not (I'll let you go ahead and guess which is which). Fibers are basically the parts of plants that the human body cannot break down, and because of this they're very good at both slowing down food digestion, and helping to keep the digestive tract cleaned out and running smoothly. Fibers are an essential part of the diet, and you should try to eat as much as possible. The USDA recommends that an average adult get from 25-35 or so grams of fiber per day. Feel free to eat more than this of course if you so choose. The average American unfortunately eats about 5 grams per day. Failure.

The other form of carbohydrate comes in the form of different types of sugars. There are quite a few different types, including monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, etc. However those terms probably don't mean much of anything to you. Don't worry, it's not necessarily important that you know all the specifics. Basically sugars can be found alone, all by themselves, grouped with another sugar, or in large groups of sugars. The two individual sugars I want you to remember are Fructose, and Glucose. Chances are you Have heard of these two, which is good, because these are the important ones that you'll see and eat most regularly.

Fructose is generally known as fruit sugar, which is accurate since fruit does have fructose in it. However, overall fruits tend to be about 50/50 Fructose AND Glucose. And these days thanks to food scientists, fructose is found in a whole lotta places that it shouldn't be. Enter High Fructose Corn Syrup. The other place you'll find it is in actual Sugar, as in table sugar. Table sugar is a refined and purified form of Sucrose. Sucrose is a molecule combining both Fructose and Glucose. So again, not usually found in nature, but very easy to find in America. The real trick with Fructose is that when taken in by the body it's first shuttled to the liver and converted into Tri-glyceride, which is then either used for energy, or if in enough abundance can be stored as fat. This may sound bad, and in the case of a 32oz bucket of cola, very much is. But if you're getting your fructose from healthy fruits and veggies then you're not only not getting a whole lot of actual calories, you're also getting a bunch of Fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals. So if you're really concerned about fructose, just make sure it's coming from plants, and not a can or bottle.

The main culprit in the Carb problem is Glucose. Glucose is Everywhere, from fruits and veggies, to grains, breads, and pastas, and of course in all the sweets. When Glucose is digested in the body it passes directly into the bloodstream. In order for your body to use this glucose it has to release insulin into the bloodstream as well. This causes a certain sequence of events that is a bit too long for this particular post, but I promise I'll get back to it soon. The overall need for glucose is as a source of energy for your body, so it is an important part of your diet. But it's pretty easy to go overboard on the calories as well. Remember that 32oz bucket of cola? When your glucose comes from fruits, veggies, and extremely UN-refined grains, it comes with a lot of fiber to slow down digestion, and all those vitamins and minerals as well. However, many times it's found in the form of refined breads, baked goods like bagels or muffins, cereals, and pastas. Foods like these contain densely packed glucose molecules that form what we call Starches. While it seems like these aren't as bad as pure sugars, the fact is starches are very easily broken down in the body, and are also very calorie dense, meaning you'll get a whole lot more sugar from that bagel or bowl of cereal than you ever will an apple or bunch of spinach. Another unfortunate reality is that when these carbs are refined in order to be more palatable and easier to eat, they also have many of their natural vitamins and minerals removed.

So after all that, what's my point? The Carbohydrate is not in and of itself a bad thing. What matters is where it comes from, and what it comes along with, or without. When looking at your daily caloric intake if your 2-300g or so of carbohydrate comes from fruits, vegetables, and unrefined grains, then you're likely getting a ton of essential nutrients at the same time. But if it comes from breads, pastas, cereals, and/or beverages, chances are you're only getting empty calories with no actual nutrition. Extra calories taken in by your body will be stored. That's just how the body's supposed to function.

So, morale of the story: Don't be afraid of Carbs, just make sure they're the right ones!