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Carbohydrates are the sugars, starches and fibres found in fruits, vegetables, grains and milk products. They are a micronutrient, meaning they are one of the main three ways the body obtains calories, or energy.  There are two types: 

-Simple which includes sugars found in foods such as cakes, biscuits, honey, fruit, dairy products and table sugar. 

-Complex which include whole grains (bread, pasta, rice), some vegetables such as sweet potatoes, squash and oats.

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Cutting carbohydrates from meals was once said to be the answer to fast track weight loss. The Atkins and South Beach diets swapped bread, potatoes and pasta and replaced it with high protein sources like bacon and eggs. And so began a widespread misconception that carbs make you fat! This misconception along with the view that all carbohydrates should be cut from someone’s diet is quite simply mistaken. Any food consumed in excess can cause weight gain whether that be proteins or carbohydrates. Too many calories for the body are simply stored leading to increased weight.

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Carbohydrates, especially the complex ones containing fibre provide energy, nutrients, and even health benefits such as the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. With regards to exercise, carbohydrates can improve your performance by providing your muscles with much needed energy called glycogen. However, a diet low in carbohydrates can lead to reduced energy levels during exercise, early fatigue and delayed recovery. 

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Although some people experience initial weight loss from a no-carbohydrate diet, most can’t maintain it. Fad diets don’t work, but what does work is a varied, balanced diet. If you want to lose weight, look at portion control, a diet that’s tailored to your needs and increasing your amount of daily exercise so that you’re burning off more calories than you eat. Increasing your intake of complex carbs such as wholegrain pasta, quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes, wholegrain bread, oats and bulgur will not only serve to support a healthy body and a healthy gut but has also bee proven to support sustainable weight loss. 

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