Carbs aren't the enemy and never were...

 

 

The painting of carbs as the “bad guy” started well before the current popularity of Keto diets and other low carb diets. It can be traced back to the 1950’s and 1960’s, with the advent of the diet and weight loss industry – or, as it’s known these days, weight management... 

 

As a quick aside, if you’re in any doubt that it is an industry – and a very lucrative one at that – we quickly googled the value of this market while writing this post. We have no idea how accurate – or not (!) – these numbers are, but there are some truly astonishing estimates of the value of the global weight loss and weight management market. $224 billion in 2021. $405 billion by 2030. £2 billion for the UK alone. 

 

However, it doesn’t stop there. Not only have carbs become inextricably linked with weight increase and obesity – both of which are risk factors for many chronic and lifestyle diseases such as Diabetes and Heart Disease – but, more recently, digestive disorders too. Much of this is down to wheat or, more accurately, the gluten in wheat which has been linked to many digestive problems. It’s a topic we’ve written about before and the post can be found here. 

 

With the emphasis being on wheat and wheat based products, both in weight and digestive issues, it’s easy to see how the message has been simplified to all carbs being “bad” and best avoided. However, as we’ve already mentioned, it isn’t quite that simple. 

 

It’s all too easy to forget that wheat is only one type of carb, there are many others. Some are obvious, some not. 

 

Top of the obvious list come rice, potatoes and oats. It also includes all those lovely root vegetables coming into their own at this time of year. Carrots, turnips, swede, beetroot and celeriac. 

 

The less obvious list are basically all other fruit, vegetables and salad. True, they contain varying amounts of carbs, but all provide them to some extent. Here are a few which are higher in carbs than you might expect. Grapes, oranges, mangos and dates. 

 

Alongside this are all the other benefits of a wholefood diet, high in fruit, veg and salad which we talk about regularly in this blog. Not least the fibre and nutrients they contain. However, this is just the start. 

 

With carbs being easily broken down into glucose by the Digestive System, they tend to be thought of in terms of providing fuel for the body. But this is only part of the story. As already mentioned, they also provide fibre, which is essential for a healthy Digestive System. Not only does this provide “bulk” to help keep things moving (!) but also “feeds” the “good” bacteria needed to help digest our food. This, in turn, helps keep “bad” bacteria under control, so ensuring the whole system remains in balance, preventing problems such as Candida. For a reminder about the importance of maintaining a healthy “flora and fauna” in our Digestion System – and that description always makes us smile (!) – click here. 

 

But there’s another important effect of carbs that isn’t immediately obvious. They help protect the cells lining the Digestive System, as well as in producing and maintaining the mucous which protects it. Both of these are vital in ensuring the integrity of the gut. In other words that there’s no “leakage” of its contents into the bloodstream, while allowing nutrients to safely pass through. 

 

So, once again, the message needs to be updated. 

 

Whole food carbs from fruit and veg aren’t the bad guys and never have been. They’re an essential part of a healthy diet. However, their highly processed and packaged cousins are, which is where wheat comes in. Not only is wheat a key ingredient in many processed foods – it’s cheap to produce and helps “bulk them out” – but is also a mainstay of all those snacks we grab on the go. Biscuits, cakes, wraps, sandwiches and the rest. And this is without all the other ingredients included in these foods, many of which would never appear in a home cooked version. This is why reading labels is so important and often comes as a complete revelation. It’s a topic we’ve written about before and post can be found here. 

 

We’re sure you can see where we’re going with this (!). It’s the message we repeat regularly in this blog. Simple and straightforward. Despite what the advertisers may try to tell you, our bodies are designed to perform best on a varied wholefood diet, high in fruit and vegetables with good quality protein. And that means buying the raw ingredients yourself and making them into delicious and nutritious meals at home. 

 

As always, the choice is yours.