{"id":857,"date":"2022-05-09T13:34:39","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T13:34:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=857"},"modified":"2022-05-25T12:10:11","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T12:10:11","slug":"stop-cutting-out-all-the-carbs-you-may-be-doing-more-harm-than-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/?p=857","title":{"rendered":"Stop cutting out all the carbs, you may be doing more harm than good"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"857\" class=\"elementor elementor-857\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e127fc8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e127fc8\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5c1b72e1\" data-id=\"5c1b72e1\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-76c4ee7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-title elementor-page-title elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"76c4ee7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-title.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Stop cutting out all the carbs, you may be doing more harm than good<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d797bde elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-featured-image elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d797bde\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-featured-image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Untitled-design-24.png?fit=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-858\" alt=\"photo of various breads\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Untitled-design-24.png?w=1640&amp;ssl=1 1640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Untitled-design-24.png?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Untitled-design-24.png?resize=1024%2C577&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Untitled-design-24.png?resize=768%2C433&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Untitled-design-24.png?resize=1536%2C865&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Untitled-design-24.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-10d03099 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"10d03099\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Poor carbs! They get such a bad reputation.\u00a0 First, fat was the enemy in the 90\u2019s, and now we\u2019ve turned on carbs.\u00a0 The good news is that carbs aren\u2019t bad for you; in fact, most healthy eating styles, from the Diabetic Diet to the Mediterranean Diet, encourage carbohydrates.\u00a0 The caveat is, some carbs are better than others.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>So, What Exactly are Carbs?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s take a step back! Food is made up of macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Most food is made up of a combination of two or more macronutrients.\u00a0 Take almonds for example: 1 ounce contains 6 grams of protein, 14 grams of fat, and 6 grams of carbs.\u00a0 So, carbohydrates are found in a LOT of foods.\u00a0 And that\u2019s a good thing!\u00a0 When a person consumes carbohydrates, our bodies break the food down and carbs enter our bloodstream as glucose.\u00a0 With the help of insulin, it\u2019s absorbed in our cells as energy for things like physical activity, brain function, or breathing.\u00a0 The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dietaryguidelines.gov\/\">Dietary Guidelines<\/a> recommend carbohydrates make up 45-65% of total calories, so for a 2000 calorie diet, this would be 900-1300cal.\u00a0 This works out to be 225-325 grams of carbohydrates spread throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Common Sources of carbs<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fruits: apples, bananas, berries, oranges, etc<\/li>\n<li>Vegetables: potatoes, corn, peas, etc<\/li>\n<li>Dairy: milk, yogurt<\/li>\n<li>Grains: bread, pasta, crackers, cereal, rice<\/li>\n<li>Beans, peas and lentils<\/li>\n<li>Snack foods and sweets: chips, pretzels, cookies, crackers<\/li>\n<li>Beverages: juice, soda, sports drinks, energy drinks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Which Carbs should I be Eating?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Great question! Carbs can be broken into two categories:\u00a0 Simple and Complex. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simple carbohydrates comes from two sources.\u00a0 One source is found naturally occurring in fruits, vegetables and dairy and the other source is from simple sugars added to foods like table sugar, honey, corn syrup.\u00a0 The CDC\u2019s recommendation for added sugar is not more than 6 teaspoons for women (100cal) and 9 teaspoons for men (150cal) per day.\u00a0 While added sugars do provide energy to our cells, they come with no other health benefits like vitamins or minerals.\u00a0 They would be considered empty calories.\u00a0 The sugars found in fruits, dairy, and vegetables are packaged with fiber, vitamins and minerals making them a better choice. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Complex carbohydrates also come from two sources: starches and fiber.\u00a0 Starches are found in grains and vegetables like potatoes, peas, and corn, and these starches are used for energy.\u00a0 Fiber is found in grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans and is used for blood sugar control and a healthy gut.\u00a0 Complex carbohydrates have been shown to have numerous health benefits:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Helps with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabetes.org\/healthy-living\/recipes-nutrition\/understanding-carbs\">blood sugar control<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Lowers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/files\/docs\/public\/heart\/hbp_low.pdf\">blood pressure<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Reduced risk for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/healthy-living\/healthy-eating\/eat-smart\/nutrition-basics\/whole-grains-refined-grains-and-dietary-fiber\">heart disease<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Improved <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usada.org\/athletes\/substances\/nutrition\/carbohydrates-the-master-fuel\/%23:~:text=Carbohydrates-,The%2520Master%2520Fuel,muscles%2520and%2520liver%252C%2520called%2520glycogen.\">athletic performance<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Regular bowel movements and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2017\/02\/170208151337.htm\">healthy gut<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Improved <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sleepfoundation.org\/nutrition\/food-and-drink-promote-good-nights-sleep\">Sleep<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Ready to up your complex carbohydrate intake?\u00a0 Try some of these tips<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Swap refined grains for whole grains<\/strong>.\u00a0 Food items like breads, bagels, crackers, pretzels, etc. made with white flours can be substituted with whole grain products.\u00a0 However, you first need to read the ingredient list. The first ingredient should say \u201cWhole [insert name of grain]\u201d . It could be wheat, rye, bran, doesn\u2019t matter, but if it just says wheat or enriched white, it\u2019s a simple carbohydrate.\u00a0 Try changing your cereal to Shredded Wheat or Cheerios.\u00a0 Swap your bread for a whole grain version, or switch your English Muffin\u2019s to 100% Whole Wheat. \u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Make \u00bd your plate fruits or vegetables<\/strong>.\u00a0 The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myplate.gov\/\">MyPlate<\/a> guideline actually is right!\u00a0 Increasing your fruits and vegetables at meals will allow you to cut back a little on protein (we only need about 3-4 ounces per meal) and the starches should clock in around an ounce, which isn\u2019t much.\u00a0 Take pasta for example, instead of eating two cups, a better idea is to eat a cup and increase the volume with vegetables. You still get to eat the same amount of food, but more is coming from complex carbs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bring on the beans<\/strong>.\u00a0 Swap your protein at a meal for beans occasionally.\u00a0 Try a black bean burger, put beans in your salad, dip your carrots in hummus.\u00a0 Instead of just protein, beans provide protein AND complex carbs. \u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Snack smartly<\/strong>.\u00a0 When you\u2019re grabbing a snack, how about whole grain crackers or fruit with a protein like cheese or peanut butter.\u00a0 Instead of simple carbs, like rice cakes, pretzels, or Cheez-its, take the opportunity to get some healthy carbs in.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check the added sugar.<\/strong>\u00a0 Labels are required to list Added Sugars under the Total Sugars on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/new-nutrition-facts-label\/added-sugars-new-nutrition-facts-label\">Nutrition Panel<\/a>.\u00a0 Check to see how much of the total sugars come naturally in the food, or are added.\u00a0 Ideally as little as possible.\u00a0 Remember, the recommendation is to keep it to 24-36 grams total daily.\u00a0 For example:\u00a0 Regular Cheerios has 2g of added sugar, vs Frosted Cheerios has 12g added sugar- that\u2019s \u00bd the recommended intake for some people, gone, at breakfast!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bottom line:you don\u2019t need to buy low carb bread, in fact a bread made with whole grains would be more beneficial to your body.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need to sub brown rice with cauliflower rice every time- try mixing them together to get the benefits of the complex carbs from the rice and the vitamins and minerals from the cauliflower..\u00a0 And for the love, eat a potato.\u00a0 They have so much nutrition in them, plus they\u2019re filling and delicious!<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let us know your favorite complex carbs!<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stay Happy, Stay Healthy<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-643 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-7.png?resize=131%2C101&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"131\" height=\"101\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-7.png?w=1650&amp;ssl=1 1650w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-7.png?resize=300%2C231&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-7.png?resize=1024%2C789&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-7.png?resize=768%2C592&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-7.png?resize=1536%2C1184&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-7.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 131px) 100vw, 131px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This blog was written by Chris Henigan MS, RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition.\u00a0 For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook.\u00a0 Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (<a href=\"http:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/\">simplestartnutrition.com<\/a>) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.\u00a0 We\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e9b2e04 elementor-post-navigation-borders-yes elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-navigation\" data-id=\"e9b2e04\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-navigation.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post-navigation__prev elementor-post-navigation__link\">\n\t\t\t\t<a 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They get such a bad reputation.\u00a0 First, fat was the enemy in the 90\u2019s, and now we\u2019ve turned on carbs.\u00a0 The good news<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/simplestartnutrition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Untitled-design-24.png?fit=1640%2C924&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=857"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":871,"href":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857\/revisions\/871"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simplestartnutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}