Some Misunderstood Facts About Carbs
Carbohydrates are an essential food class, making up one of the six primary food classes. They provide energy and heat that help the body perform its daily functions. However, because of its high-calorie content, most people see carbohydrates as a food to avoid to prevent weight gain. But eliminating carbs from the diet can severely affect the body, as carbohydrates help with many life processes like energy production. Here are some generally misunderstood facts about carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates make you gain weight
Most people view carbs as a weight loss nightmare. Everyone who has struggled with weight loss has at some point seen carbs as the number one enemy to eliminate from their diet. However, although carbohydrates are high in calories, with each gram containing 4calories, carbs are not the enemy. Weight gain is caused by consuming more calories than we burn. So even if you cut carbohydrates entirely from the diet, consuming other foods in excess can still make you gain weight.
Low carbohydrates diets
Although eliminating carbohydrates from the diet might help lose weight, losing weight results from a calorie deficit when you start eating less. Losing weight this way is also not sustainable because you can gain weight without a proper meal plan when you reintroduce carbs back into the diet. To lose weight and maintain it, rather adopt a healthy lifestyle.
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Fiber doesn’t contain carbs
On the contrary, fibers are carbohydrates, but they break down into sugar, which helps stabilize blood glucose levels. Fiber-rich foods, like oats, apples, and whole-grain wheat, help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of diabetes and other heart-related diseases.
Every carb contains gluten
All sources of carbohydrates don’t contain gluten. Gluten can have other sources like sauces and meats. Carbohydrates like quinoa, brown rice, legumes, and others are gluten-free and make an excellent addition to a gluten-free diet for gluten intolerant individuals.