Are carbs bad for you? We have low carb beers, low carb cookies, low carb snacks, low carb carbs. We’re told that carbs, like fats before them, are bad. I’m reminded of Joe Pesci’s opening statement in ‘My Cousin Vinny’.
This low carb stuff is Bull$h*t. Carbs should be 50-60% of your diet. Are carbs inherently bad for you? No; but there are good carbs, and there are bad ones. Let’s cut through the BS so you have piece of mind whilst eating.
Define carbs
Carbohydrates, above all, provide immediate energy for your cells. They come in 2 types: simple and complex. Simple carbs are often processed foods. Avoid processed food when possible. 3 ways you can spot processed food:
- You can’t immediately source the food to the earth or an animal.
- It comes in a bag or in a box.
- It survives on a shelf (doesn’t rot).
These foods are seductive. They usually taste great, and because they are simple, you digest them quickly. My friends at Precision Nutrition explain their effect. You’ll notice elevations in blood triglyceride (fat) levels, bad cholesterol, and insulin resistance.
Full disclosure- I eat simple carbs. We all do. Unless you’re Tom Brady with your personal chef and iron will you’re gonna consume some simple carbs. Don’t worry about it. Let’s work on spotting them (no clear source, box or bag, shelf life) and then limit them whenever possible.
Fun story- I read an interview with Tom Brady’s Dad where he said something to the effect of ‘I usually make a dinner reservation for after Tom and I have dinner’.
Complex Carbs
Complex carbs come from Mother Nature, straightaway. You can easily root them to the earth or an animal. Their packaging is minimal and they have a shelf life. These carbs that “are digested and absorbed slowly, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, can help to control insulin response, energy levels, and body composition. Such unrefined, unprocessed, complex carbohydrate sources may reduce triglycerides and improve one’s cholesterol profile“. Humans have eaten these foods forever; our bodies know how to digest them.
The Thermic effect of food
Complex carbs are slower to digest. The body expends more energy in their digestion. The Thermic effect of food (that energy expenditure needed to digest, absorb, and store the nutrients in the food you’ve eaten) is greater. Minimally processed foods have a higher thermic effect and, as a result, you actually increase the rate at which your body burns calories.
The low carb craze basically markets processed food that can live on shelves indefinitely. Eating low carb processed food is like getting punched by a middle weight instead of a heavyweight. Less damaging; still hurts.
Eat complex (unprocessed) carbs whenever possible. More advice: earn your carbs. Your body absorbs them more efficiently 2 hours post workout.
The Final verdict
Carbs are undoubtedly a great source of energy. As to the question of whether or not carbs are bad for you I suggest you to consider the kind of carb you are ingesting. On the one hand, we have simple carbs, like potato chips. I know plenty of people who put on weight eating too many of those. And on the other hand we have complex carbs, like Blueberries.
You ever hear of someone putting on weight eating blueberries?
Me neither.