The first diet I ever did was a NO carbs, High Fat and High Protein diet – sort of like the Atkin’s diet- I was 13 years old, and I lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks! Grosso modo, the rules where:

• To never be hungry
• To eat until you’re full
• To eat all the cheese, meat, ham, chorizo you want
• NO Dairy products (except for the cheese)
• NO fruits (NONE)
• ONLY certain veggies: cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, spinach – pretty much ONLY those who were green.
• NO rice, pasta, bread, cereal, quinoa, oats, couscous…. Nothing that looked like a carb.

So this thing worked… Imagine… 10 pounds in 2 weeks! And then a couple more pounds in the following weeks… WOW…  But was it sustainable? NOPE… so of course the sense of restriction made me crave carbs a whole lot more, and when I would allow myself to have a little bit of rice (which we eat a lot in my country) I would easily eat 2 or 3 plates – not cool.

Not only did I gain all the weight back, but I developed a really dangerous relationship with food, specially with Carbs… To me they were the enemy! In my head, if I was overweight it was their fault, and they should be banned from Earth in order for me to have the body I desired – not cool.

So what is it then? Are they really that bad?

We need first to understand why we need carbohydrates in our lives. To begin with, they are our main source of energy. It is the simplest way our bodies dan get energy to function correctly, to breathe, walk, think, run… to live. Not saying this energy cannot be obtained through fats or proteins, but rather than the mechanism to obtain this energy from carbs is much more simpler because they contain glucose, our bodies’ number one source of energy.

As a fitness professional I will never ask you to avoid any macro nutrient (remember the three macros: proteins, fats and carbs).  Our bodies need the three of them to function properly, and none of them should be labeled as an enemy.  However, we must understand that not all fats, proteins and carbs are equally good…  There are healthy fats and there are fats that are simply not healthy. There are proteins that are more lean than others. And there are also carbs out there that much more friendly than others.

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs?

What’s the difference between a sandwich made on white bread and one made with 100% whole grain bread?

They are both carbohydrates. But the second option includes good carbohydrate foods (whole grains and vegetables). This type of carbs are the ones we should consume the most because they are full of fiber and get absorbed slowly into our systems, avoiding spikes in blood sugar levels. Examples: whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans.

On the other hand, refined and processed carbohydrates (white bread, white rice…) have been so processed that the beneficial fiber and the nutrients have been stripped away. For this reason, they can be considered “empty” calories. They are also digested quickly and have a high glycemic index. This means that they lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels after meals.  The main dietary sources of refined carbs are white flour, white bread, white rice, pastries, sodas, snacks, pasta, sweets, breakfast cereals and added sugars.

Bottom line… moderation

I told you before, I would never tell you not to eat a certain type of food, but I will suggest you moderate the intake of refined carbs and processed foods. Think about this: every time you take a bite you are writing your beauty story, because what makes us shine and feel great depends a lot in the equality of our food. So why would you go have all these refined foods on a daily basis, knowing that their nutritive value is really low and that they are only empty calories???  Go for whole foods, oats, sweet potatoes, veggies, fruits and keep the others as a treat, every now and then.

The choice is yours!