Are carbs ACTUALLY bad for you?

One of the questions we are asked time and time again is "how can I make that low-carb?". With the prevalence of social media and trendy diets, carbs have become villainized. Keto bars, Fat Bombs, and many other low-carb products are becoming very popular. So, are carbs ACTUALLY bad for you?

Glucose is the preferred energy source for our bodies. Why is this? Before civilization, we hunted and gathered. Today, we have many high-tech ways of hunting animals. However, back in those days killing an animal large enough to feed the village was a rare occurrence. Thus, we heavily relied on gathering plants for our energy source. MOST plants are carb-based. Things like nuts and seeds do grow on trees, but they're quite rare in nature. Thus, our bodies have heavily relied carbs (and thus glucose) for most of our existence.

With all of that said, carbs ARE NOT bad for you! In today's society, "carbs" is a term used to describe a wide range of foods. Typically all carbs are lumped into the same category. However, certain carbs are better for you than others. Things like whole grains are great because they keep the bran intact which adds a good amount of fiber to your diet. This fiber helps to slow the absorption of glucose and is a slow-release in the body. Brown rice, quinoa, and oats are some examples of whole grains.

Fruits are also a good carb source for the same reason as whole grains; they include fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The sugar in fruit is not absorbed the same way as processed sugar. The fiber slows the absorption of sugar in the blood. FRUIT IS NOT THE SAME AS PROCESSED SUGAR.

On the other hand, things like white pasta, bread, pretzels have the bran removed. This removes the fiber from the grain making it quickly absorbed by the body. When the bran is removed, you also lose a lot of the vitamins and minerals. Processed sugar is in this same category, though it's processed in a different way.

As you can see, the type of carb matters. Carbs in their whole form with minimal processing are a great way to add fiber to your diet and act as a slow-burning energy source. You should strive to include several servings of a whole grain & fruit in your diet while minimizing processed carbs.