You Asked Series: “Are carbs actually the enemy?”

Oh, friends! This is a good one. 

How often have you heard that carbs are the enemy? How often has that made you think twice about eating that bagel, or even some mashed potatoes? 

If you raised your hand to either or both of those questions (...raises both my own hands high…), you are not alone. Diet culture has wired many of our brains (again, raises my own hands high…) to believe that eating carbs is an “unhealthy” choice and will only serve to hinder your fitness goals. 

But, guess what?

In reality, carbs do some pretty important things to not only keep our bodies healthy and functioning properly on a daily basis, but especially during exercise.

Here are just a few examples of the role carbs play in our bodies:

• Promoting healthy hormone levels, including serotonin, which can fend off depressive moods

• Providing fuel both for physical movement and brain function

• Replenishing the fuel that gets depleted when our body exercises

When it comes to working out (especially running and, honestly, just living), the goal is to keep your energy levels stable and consistent. Carbs serve this purpose incredibly well.

Simple carbs, like bananas, oatmeal (with the exception of steel cut), bagels and toast, digest quickly providing a nearly immediate energy boost while complex carbs such as whole wheat grains (including quinoa, millet, farro and barley), potatoes and legumes, take longer for our bodies to digest and will offer a more steady energy boost. This is why you may see marathoners “carb loading” the night before (or even two nights before) a big race and then chomping on a banana a few an hour before the race start. 

With that established, let’s tackle the real elephant in the carb room shall we: are all carbs the same? 

No, it’s true they are not. But that doesn’t mean they’re the “enemy” either. After all, as we’ve just learned, both simple and complex carbs provide different value to our bodies. In general, less processed carbs, like fruits, veggies, grains and whole grain options of pastas and breads will provide the most nutrient benefits to us. And remember, moderation is key too. If your whole diet consists of simple carbs, you’re going to be lacking in other nutrients, which is not going to help your body function well for exercise or for living.

But, there is also a case to be made about the positive emotional affect foods can offer to our bodies.

I’d guess that carbs are at the very top of the list of foods that bring us joy. Does eating a bagel make you happy? Do you look forward to a chocolate croissant from your favorite coffee shop as your Sunday tradition? Does eating a donut remind you of spending mornings with your grandmother when you were a kid? Then, by all means enjoy those foods and know that you’re giving yourself a little energy boost and taking in that happiness boost too!

Have a question you want answered, email it to whitney@whitneybfitness.com and you may see it in an upcoming blog post.