Are carbs good or bad? Find a balanced approach to carbs
What’s the Big Deal about Carbs?
Starchy carbs get so much attention when it comes to nutrition conversations because they are the biggest double-edged sword our bodies have to deal with. On one hand, all of our energy in the body comes from glucose molecules (carbs in their basic sugar form) but on the other, our bodies weren’t designed to be surrounded by so many readily available carbs.
So when our body does get an onslaught of starchy carbs (usually from refined sugars in all of our indulgence foods or simple carbs found in anything baked with flour), it handles them by releasing insulin. Insulin is responsible for a lot of important functions in the body, but by design, it is a storage hormone. So instead of signaling our body to burn fat, our bodies actually get the signal to store fat whenever we eat a lot of starchy carbs.
This is why you can expect to make the biggest dent in your weight loss if you begin to control starchy carbs with every meal.
Where are Carbs Found?
Carbs are found in a lot of different foods but in general, you can view them in this distinction:
FIBROUS VS. STARCHY
Non-Starchy Fibrous Carb Rich Foods that Help with Fat Loss:
Raw or lightly cooked vegetables
Beans and legumes
Some fruits (mostly berries)
Salads
Starchy Carbs that Work Against Fat Loss:
All candies, jelly and jams
Sodas, fruit juices, fruit drinks
Pudding, custards and other sweets
Processed refined grains like flour or white rice
Bread and pasta made with any refined flour
Cakes, cookies and other sweet bakery products
What Do We Mean by “Controlling” Starchy Carbs?
First, notice that the emphasis is not on eliminating carbs but rather on controlling them. Our brains tend to be resistant to restriction, so we want to add the right foods to crowd out the foods that aren’t serving our interests.
In addition, “controlling” carbs also acknowledges that it’s not realistic to avoid all of the foods in the “Against Fat Loss” carb lists. We all like to indulge, so it’s important to learn how to enjoy those foods without affecting your waist line.
In this context you, can think of carb control as substitutional. The goal is to substitute as many of the “against fat loss” carbs with “help with fat loss” carbs.
So in order to achieve the above, you will be required to practice this strategy throughout your day to control carbs:
1. Substitute the carbs not working for you with more quality carbs
Fill more of your plate with protein about 25% or crowd it out with more non-starchy veggies about 50% of your plate (as they are technically a carb as well)
Shift from more processed foods to less processed foods
Shift from breads and pastas to whole grains like quinoa, oatmeal, and rice.
2. Portion control
There is a difference between eating 1 cup of pasta and 3 cups of pasta! So keep your portions in mind.
An ideal portion size of carbs is about 1 cupped handful or about 25% of your plate.
Also, don’t forget to add protein and fat when you do have a carb for blood sugar control!
I hope this gives you a better understanding of what carbs truly are and how they work in the body!
Here are some of my family’s favorite whole starchy carbs:
Our list of non-starchy carbs is pretty endless and can mostly only be bought fresh! I always encourage my clients to eat lots of salads, cucumbers, berries, carrots, and peppers!
-Coach Michele
And as a busy mom of 4, I know that meal planning can be really tough (yep - I struggle with it too!!) But this monthly meal planner has been a game-changer for both me AND my clients! In this FREE workshop, you will learn how to speed through meal planning and take the stress out of knowing “what’s for dinner”.
“As a way to help support this blog I earn from qualifying purchases as an Amazon associate.”
